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ECHL Reading Royals

DiChiara Scores Game-Winning Goal in Wild 3rd to Spike Mariners, 5-4

October 20, 2019 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA- Reading Royals forward Frank DiChiara scored his 4th goal of the season with 13:07 to go in the third period and the Royals survived the Maine Mariners, 5-4, Sunday at Santander Arena. The win moved the Royals to 2-2-1-0 (5 pts.). Ralph Cuddemi registered his second multi-goal game of the season with a pair of tallies, including a third-period marker that provided Reading a 4-3 advantage. Kirill Ustimenko picked up his first win in North American with 18 saves, including a last-second denial on Maine forward Ty Ronning.

The Royals led twice - 3-0 and 4-3 - but the Mariners forged a pair of comebacks to even the score. Dillan Fox scored 15 seconds after Cuddemi with 15:29 to go to make it a 4-4 game.

Following the tying effort, Garrett Mitchell snapped a pass to DiChiara at the right circle and he unleashed a top-shelf shot over Connor LaCouvee (L, 30/35) to give the Royals the lead for good.

Reading is on the road at Wheeling (BCTV broadcast) Sat., Oct. 26 at 7:05 p.m. The next Royals home game is Oct. 31 vs. Newfoundland at 7:00 p.m., featuring $1 pumpkin beer and a free candy bag to the first 1,000 kids. Reading is also home for the team's first-ever D.C. Comics night Sat., Nov. 2 at 7:00 p.m., with Reading (Batman jerseys) facing Norfolk (Joker), a D.C. puck giveaway and a character appearances from Batman and Joker. The 2019-20 season is pres. by Tower Health UPMC Health Plan.

Single-game tickets and mini-plans are on sale by visiting royalshockey.com/promotions, calling 610-898-7825 and visiting Santander Arena and The Weidenhammer Box Office at 700 Penn Street, Reading, PA.

3-0 edge

The Royals struck twice in the opening three minutes and Reading held a 10-5 shots advantage through 20. Matthew Gaudreau factored in with helpers on both goals. First, he intercepted a pass and fed Trevor Yates (2nd of season) at 1:23 of the first. Next, 1:24 later, Gaudreau received the secondary assist on Ralph Cuddemi's power-play marker. Eric Knodel took the primary assist, slap-passing it to the right doorstep to Cuddemi.

Knodel scored Reading's second power-play tally with a 5-on-3 strike and 6:16 elapsed in the second. He slammed it from the deep slot to the top shelf, with a helper from Frank DiChiara. The Mariners scored three times before the end of the second to tie it.

6 on it

Six Royals registered multi-point games and Matthew Gaudreau topped the Royals with three assists. Trevor Yates, Ralph Cuddemi, Frank DiChiara, Eric Knodel and Garrett Mitchell each had two points. Reading's power play went 2-for-7 and all those players received a point on the man up. Reading has scored seven power-play tallies on 19 chances this season. Maine was 2-for-5 on the man up.

First home win

The Royals picked up their first home win of the season and are 1-1-0-0 at Santander Arena this campaign. This weekend featured a special Downtown Alive concert, food & beverage specials, a postgame skate and two giveaways. Reading won 16 home games last season.

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ECHL Stories from October 20, 2019


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