Game 59 Preview: Brampton at Reading

First Responders Game, pres. by Met-Ed; festivities start at 12:30 p.m.

Reading, PA – The playoff-bound Reading Royals (36-16-5-1, 78 pts., 2nd North) match the Brampton Beast (33-24-3-0, 69 pts., 3rd North) in the season series’ final bout Sunday at 4:00 p.m. for First Responders Night, pres. by Met-Ed. The Royals clinched a berth in the 2020 Kelly Cup Playoffs Saturday with a 5-2 win at Worcester. It’s the 10th time in 11 seasons the Royals have advanced to the postseason. 2020 Kelly Cup Playoff tickets start at just $13 ($10 for kids), call ‪610-898-7825 for more details.The Reading Royals host the team’s 15th annual Battle of the Badges game on 12:30 p.m. at Santander Arena prior to First Responders Night at 4:00 p.m. vs. Brampton.Doors open at noon for the Battle of the Badges Game – Reading Fire/Police face the Allentown Fire/PoliceOne ticket includes admission to both the Battle of the Badges game and Royals-BramptonDoors open at 3:00 p.m. for Royals-Brampton.Today’s promotionsGame pres. by Met-Ed - the Reading Fire/Police squads face the Allentown squads before the game at 12:30 p.m. - 1 ticket includes admission to both games |  $1 Hot Dogs, Sodas and Nachos | Touch a Truck Event for Kids | Faith & Family Night - Church Group Rates Available | Heaven’s Thunder music performance | Last Postgame Party of the season with players at Cheers! Restaurant at the DoubleTree Hotel.Battle of the Badges historyFor the fourth straight season, Reading Police and Fire matches Allentown Police and Fire. The BOB Game began in 2006 as a benefit game played in remembrance of fallen Reading Police Officer Michael H. Wise II, who died in the line of duty in June of 2004, and Reading Police Officer Scott A. Wertz who was fatally wounded in the line of duty in August of 2006.  The game also raises funds for the police and fire departments scholarship funds.Allentown leads the all-time series against the Reading Police and Fire Departments, 2-1, following a 9-4 win last season. In that game, Allentown scored three straight in the final five minutes of the first to break the game open and lead, 5-1, after one. John Eddleman (Allentown Fire Department) was named Deibler Dental Star of the Game with five goals.  Before Allentown-Reading sparked a new rivalry in 2017, Reading Fire and Reading Police played for the first 11 years of the Battle of the Badges. In that historical matchup, Reading Fire won the series, 6-4-1. Trends Reading has won four of the last five games against Brampton. The Beast bettered the Royals, 5-1, Feb. 22.  Since that point, netminder Tom McCollum has won four straight starts and Reading rides a six-game point streak (5-0-0-1).Last Time OutThe Royals played their final game of a five-game road trip at Worcester and finished the trip with a 4-0-0-1 record, defeating Worcester, 5-2. The Royals outscored foes, 20-12 over the five-game trip.The Royals allowed the first strike, but responded in the second with four strikes to seize control. Thomas Ebbing tied the game with a top-shelf laser beam at the slot at 2:48, assisted by David Drake. Seventy-five seconds later, Frank DiChiara scored his team-leading 22nd of the campaign on a power-play wrister from the right circle, set up by Eric Knodel and Corey Mackin. Brayden Low (7:53) and Trevor Gooch (16:39) rounded out the scoring for Reading.Rob Michel potted an empty-net goal with 2:28 to go eight minutes after Lincoln Griffin cut it to a 4-2 game.DiChiara 100Frank DiChiara became the 18th player in Royals history to reach 100 career points with his goal in the second period. DiChiara tops Reading with 22 goals and 58 points this season.Last five leadersFrank DiChiara: four goals and seven pointsCorey Mackin: seven assistsPascal Laberge: three goals (2 GWGs)Steven Swavely: two goals and four pointsFollowing a game at Wheeling Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., Reading is home for the first-ever “Green Ice Weekend” Mar. 13-14 with multiple chances to win luxury prizes ($10,000 Friday, Jeep Compass Limited Saturday pres. by Savage Auto Group) if a fan can guess which Royals player will record a hat trick. Reading will wear special theme jerseys on both nights. Grab $1 green beers and $1 domestics on Friday and giveaways both nights (Deibler Dental Coaster on Friday, BSOHA Puck on Saturday).Broadcast Coverage: Listen on the Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast 99.3 FM and at mixlr.com/readingroyalsRoyals leadersGoals: DiChiara (22)Assists: DiChiara (36)Points: DiChiara (58)PIM: Mitchell (106)+/-: Knodel (26)Beast leadersGoals: Vallorani (31)Assists: Pacan/Vallorani (39)Points: Vallorani (70)PIM: Miller (75)+/-: Leavens (26)Head-to-head season-series leadersRoyals goals – Mackin(3) | Beast goals –  Vallorani/Sparks (5) |Royals assists – Gaudreau (7) | Beast assists – Pacan (5)Royals points – Gaudreau (9) | Beast points – Vallorani (9)Royals PIM – Mitchell (31) | Beast PIM – Pacan/Martenet/Petgrave/Bakker (12)Royals +/- –Multiple at(2) | Beast +/- – Pacan (7)All-time seriesReading hosts Brampton for the final game of the 2019-20 series with a 15-13-5-0 all-time record. The teams have split the series nearly evenly in the MacDonald era (10-11-0) despite Reading winning once last year against Brampton.At Santander Arena the Royals are 2-1-0-0 this season and 2-4-0-0 over the last two seasons. Reading has split the last two games at home against the Beast. In a 5-4 victory on Dec. 14, 2019, Flyers Mascot Gritty looked on as Corey Mackin tallied two goals and Felix Sandström made 36 saves for a come-from-behind win. Garrett Mitchell scored the game-winning goal in the third.Season series v Brampton The Royals currently hold a one game edge (4-3-0-0) in the season series. Since the calendar flipped to 2020, each team has one win.Reading and Brampton are at an even 21 goals scored across the seven games played with neither scoring more than five goals in any game. Corey Mackin leads active Royals in goals (3). Matthew Gaudreau has tallied nearly one fourth of his 40 points against the Beast to lead the squad (2g, 9pts).David Vallorani is tied in points with Gaudreau and leads Brampton (5g, 9pts). No other Brampton player has more than six points in the series. Felix Sandström is 2-1-0-0 (7 GA) versus Brampton. He carries a 2.37 goals against average and a .919 save percentage in those games. In the 3-1 Valentine’s Day victory he made 22 saves (1 GA).Tom McCollum has a 0-1-0-0 record (4.04 GAA, .846 sv%). for Reading but has seen the Beast twice overall this season (1-1-0-0, 3.52 GAA, .857 sv%).Upcoming Home Games: royalshockey.com/promotions Fri., Mar. 13 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk (Mental Health Awareness Night)If a Royals player records a hat trick at the game, one fan will win $10,000 | Special Theme Jersey | Green Ice for the First Time in Royals History | Mental Health Awareness Night | College ID Night: $5 tickets with valid college ID at box office| $1 Green Beer and $1 Domestic Beers | Deibler Dental Royals and Flyers Alumni Coaster Set GiveawaySat., Mar. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk (Autism Awareness, Scout and Teacher Appreciation) Sensory-friendly game, with subdued atmosphere with music and lighting, plus quiet spaces in the arena | Green Ice3 Lucky Fans will each get to pick a player they think will score a Hat Trick in a contest to win a Jeep Compass Limited | Autism Awareness jerseys | Scout & Teacher Night | BSOHA Royals Puck Giveaway | $1 Rainbow treat or Dippin’ Dots | Diaper Drive to benefit Mary’s Shelter in ReadingAbout the RoyalsThe Royals are in their 19th ECHL season and are proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs 14 times, and are four-time division champions. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena and the Santander Arena Performing Arts Center.Listen to all Royals broadcasts at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals or by downloading the Mixlr App from the App Store or Google Play. All Royals away games are broadcasted on BCTV (Ch. 15 Comcast, Ch. 19 Service Electric) and Mixlr.