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ECHL Reading Royals

G Komm Recalled to Lehigh Valley; Royals Sign D Armstrong

December 13, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced Thursday goaltender Branden Komm has been recalled from loan by Lehigh Valley. The fifth-year professional is 5-1-1-1 with the Royals this season, accruing a 2.58 goals against average and .921 save percentage.

Head Coach Kirk MacDonald also announced Reading has signed defenseman Travis Armstrong. Armstrong has played in one game for Kalamazoo and six for Roanoke (SPHL) this season. He registered four assists with Roanoke. Last campaign, he combined to skate in 49 games for Adirondack (16 GP) and Quad City (33 GP, 1g, 8a). Armstrong is a fourth-year professional from Smith Falls, ON.

The Royals acquired Komm from Manchester in Feb. 2018; he compiled a 6-2-2-0 record and two shutouts (2.06 GAA, .936 sv.%) in Reading. He is the only netminder in team history to begin his Royals career with back-to-back shutouts and four straight wins. The native of Williamsville, NY stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 190 pounds.

Komm netminded for four clubs in 2017-18 (29 GP) and registered a 14-9-4-0 mark, 2.60 goals against average and .917 save percentage. For his ECHL career, the 27-year-old is 52-39-10-3 with a 2.71 goals against average and .915 save percentage.

In 2016-17 with Idaho, Komm was tenth in the league with a 2.69 GAA and sixth in the circuit with a .917 save percentage. A Bentley University graduate, Komm began his professional career in 2014-15 and combined to play in 21 games for Evansville and Cincinnati.

The Royals host the Allen Americans for three straight games Dec. 14-16 on the Weekend of Giving, pres. by Met-Ed and the Salvation Army. Check out the full schedule below.

Need to Know: Weekend of Giving events vs. Allen

Fri., Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m.: Clothing Drive, 4-for-48 Family Pack (4 tickets, 4 burgers, 4 sodas for $48)

Sat., Dec. 15 at 7:00 p.m.: Community Night with $5 tickets (all proceeds to Salvation Army), Teddy Bear Toss, Food Drive, Holiday Ornament Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans, Royals will wear Ugly Christmas Sweater jerseys

Sun., Dec. 16 at 5:00 p.m.: Toy Drive at Santander Arena, plus have a personal meet-and-greet with SpongeBob SquarePants with the Royals SpongeBob VIP Package as he visits Santander Arena. The Royals will wear SpongeBob jerseys and Allen will wear Patrick Star jerseys.

Winning streak, with a chance to match MacDonald's best

The Royals have won three straight contests and outscored opponents, 15-9, over the trio of victories. Every Royals victory has been by two goals, making the team 6-4-0-0 in games decided by a pair.

A Royals win Friday would tie for the longest winning streak in the Kirk MacDonald era. The last time the Royals won four in a row was the first four games of the 2017-18 campaign. Reading started 4-0-0-0 for the first time in team history. All four of those victories were at home and Reading established a team record by beginning last season 7-0-0-0 at Santander Arena.

The Royals have ripped off four straight victories twice since MacDonald became interim Head Coach in Apr. 2017. Reading won the last three games of the 2016-17 regular season under MacDonald, then took the first game of the 2017 North Division Semifinals vs. Brampton. MacDonald started off with wins in his first seven regular season games of his head coaching career, taking the last three in 2016-17 and the first four in 2017-18.

MacDonald has coached in 98 career games for the Royals, going 52-31-15 for a points percentage of .607.

Schmidt catches fire in Canada

Warrington, PA native Adam Schmidt authored his first multi-goal game of the season (2g) Saturday in Newfoundland, giving the fifth-year professional seven goals and 18 points. Schmidt has had three multi-goal games with Reading, with his last coming on Yannick Tifu's retirement night Mar. 17, 2018 vs. Brampton. The Royals are 3-0-0-0 when Schmidt notches multiple goals in a game.

The 28-year-old has goals in three straight games (4g) for the second time in his Royals career, matching a career-long streak.

Given the team's "Heart Award" by Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald at the end of the 2017-18 season, Schmidt has scored 62 points (24g) in 81 ECHL games.

Scouting Allen

The Americans rank last in the league in team defense, allowing a league-worst 3.93 goals per game. The club has surrendered at least four goals in 18 of 27 contests. The Americans have allowed 106 goals, the only team in the Western Conference to give up more than 100. On offense, the club last manufactured four or more in a game on Nov. 30 vs. Wichita. The club has split its last four home games after starting 0-6-0-0 at the Allen Events Center.

Allen has found the majority of its success when bagging the game's first goal (4-3-0-0).

Zach Pochiro scored Allen's only goal Wednesday at Wheeling to extend to a team-high 11 (22 GP). Braylon Shmyr and Spencer Asuchak are tied for the team lead with 19 points.

Finding the first

The Royals have scored the first goal in each of their last three games and Reading has won all three. The streak marks the first time this season Reading has scored the first goal in three straight contests. Reading is 5-2-1-2 when striking first.

The Royals topped the ECHL by scoring the first goal in 46 contests last season (32 wins). At this point last season, Reading had struck first in 17 of 23 games.

Despite "scoring first" fewer times than 2017-18, Reading has notched six of its ten wins in come-from-behind fashion. Comparatively, at this point last season, the Royals had come back twice. The Royals record for come-from-behind wins is 20, accomplished during the 2012-13 Kelly Cup championship season.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from December 13, 2018


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