Royals visit Adirondack, look to gain edge in all-time series

The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, travel to Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m. to take on the Adirondack Thunder in the third game of the 2021-22 season.

The Royals return to the ice after a week off. Following a 5-4 overtime loss to the Norfolk Admirals Friday, Oct. 22, Reading electrified the home crowd at Santander Arena the next night with a 6-4 win, their first victory at home since March 8, 2020. Patrick Bajkov scored his first-career hat trick, while Josh Winquist and Matthew Strome had multipoint games.

Strome, Bajkov and Winquist sit amongst the top scorers in the ECHL in the young season. Strome has six points (two goals, four assists), Winquist has five points (one goal, four assists), and Bajkov has four points (four goals). Impressively, Bajkov’s four-goal mark comes on only eight shots, giving him a shooting percentage of 50.

After two games, the Royals sit 1-0-1 with three points out of a possible four. Adirondack is 1-1-0 following its 6-2 thumping of Worcester Wednesday, Oct. 27. The Thunder lost their first game of the season against Newfoundland, 3-2.

These two teams played each other for the fourth preseason in a row in a home-and-home series earlier this October. The Royals have dominated the Thunder in that series, going 7-0-1 in the timeframe that dates back to 2017. 

The last time they battled in the regular season was a 4-2 win in Reading’s favor Saturday, Feb. 29, with goals coming from Eric Knodel, Frank DiChiara, Max Willman and Brayden Low. Tom McCollum backstopped the Royals with 24 saves on 26 shots. 

All-time, the Royals are 28-22-6 against the Thunder, giving them both 28 wins.

Fans can listen to the game at mixlr.com/readingroyals or watch at FloSports through bit.ly/RoyalsFloSports.

Reading Royals season, flex memberships and group tickets are available for the 2021-22 season by visiting the Royals’ box office at Santander Arena or by calling 610-898-7825.

About the RoyalsThe Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, are entering their 20th season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 10 of the previous 11 seasons. They are four-time division champions. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena.