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ECHL Reading Royals

Reading Seeks 4th Straight Win, Maine Visits for First Time

November 7, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (5-1-1-2, 13 pts., 3rd North), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, take a season-long three-game winning streak into Wednesday's matchup vs. the Maine Mariners (2-5-0-1, 5 pts., 7th North) at 7:00 p.m. from Santander Arena.

Wednesday's game features a postgame autograph session, courtesy of Rieck's Printing. Fans can meet four players after the game for the autograph-signing session.

The Royals are 3-0-0-1 on the road this season and defeated Maine two games ago Friday at Cross Insurance Arena (4-3 win, shootout). Adam Schmidt scored the game-winning goal in the shootout. Reading then travelled to Manchester Saturday and doubled up the Monarchs, 4-2.

Reading plays three games this week - Wednesday vs. Maine, Friday at Adirondack and Saturday vs. Adirondack.

Saturday's promotion is a Team Picture giveaway, pres. by Rieck's Printing and Purdon Photography. It's also Game 1 of the Royals' 3-game partnership with the American Cancer Society.

Listen to tonight's game at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals, with coverage starting 15 minutes before puck drop.

Win streak notables

Branden Komm has started four straight games, winning three to tie for the ECHL lead with five wins. For the season, Komm is 5-1-1-1 with a 2.70 goals against average and .918 save percentage.

Reading is the only team in the North Division with fewer than two regulation losses. No team in the division has a better road record than Reading (3-0-0-1).

Fifteen Royals have registered points and seven have scored goals in the last three contests. Michael Huntebrinker is best on the squad with four points in the three games. He, Josh MacDonald, Jack Riley, Frank DiChiara and Adam Schmidt have lit the lamp twice.

Seven-game heater

Michael Huntebrinker has registered at least one point in all seven games he's played this season. The streak is tied for the second-longest in the league. In the past two games, he's extended it by picking up a primary assist in the first period. Huntebrinker is second on the squad with six assists and nine points.

Last season, Huntebrinker was selected for the 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic and led Royals rookies with 20 goals (T-3rd on team) and 41 points. He became the ninth Royals rookie to hit 20 goals in a season and topped the Royals with four multi-goal games.

Normal November turn up

Reading is 2-0-0-0 to begin November, continuing a historical trend of second-month excellence. All-time, Reading is 114-86-15 in the month. Some of Reading's "best months" within regular seasons have come in November. In the 2012-13 Kelly Cup Championship season, the squad went 12-2-0 in November, then followed that up with a 10-0-1 record in December. Reading has won at least nine games in November in four seasons. Last campaign, after starting 4-0-0-0 in October, Reading stayed above .500 overall with a 6-7-1-0 November.

"Gordie Howe Hat Trick Weekend" for Schmidt

Adam Schmidt registered an assist and the game-winning shootout goal Friday at Maine, then followed that up Saturday at Manchester with a goal and his first professional fight. The effort gave him a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist and fight) for the weekend. The fight was Schmidt's first ever, including his NCAA and junior career.

Schmidt has taken nine penalties (21 PIM) in 67 Royals games, allowing to become a regular forward on the penalty-killing units. He topped Reading with three short-handed goals last season and was given the team's "Heart Award" at the 2018 Awards Banquet. A fifth-year professional from Warrington, PA, he registered 17 goals and 44 points last season.

Scouting the Mariners

Maine has dropped three straight games and sits last in the Eastern Conference with five points. The team last played against Reading on Friday. The squad has yet to win a road game (0-3-0-0) and has been outscored, 12-4, away from Cross Insurance Arena. This is the furthest the Mariners have travelled in team history (450 miles), having played their first three road games at Adirondack, Manchester and Worcester.

The Mariners have allowed at least three goals in seven of eight games this season. Their team defense ranks 26th of 27 ECHL teams (4.13 goals allowed per game). Offensively, the Mariners are averaging 2.75 goals per game (21st) and Alex Kile tops the squad with six goals and eight points.

Netminders Brandon Halverson (0-3-0-1, 3.75 GAA, .893 sv.%) and Chris Nell (0-2-0-0, 4.57 GAA, .852 sv.%) are the goaltending options for Head Coach Riley Armstrong.

Royals lead season series, 2-0

Reading has outscored Maine, 10-7, in the first two games. Branden Komm has blocked 28 shots to earn wins in each of the first two meetings. He denied two of three shots faced in the Nov. 2 shootout, shutting down Hayden Verbeek to end the game.

Michael Huntebrinker has generated multi-point efforts in each of the first two matchups and leads all players in the season series with four points (2g). In the last season-series meeting, he earned an assist in the first period and gave the Royals a one-goal edge with a short-side snipe in the final two minutes. Terrance Wallin (2g in series) evened the game with a goal for the Mariners with 48 seconds to go to force overtime.

Eight Royals have scored goals against the Mariners in the series.

Mariners player to watch: Zach Tolkinen

Maine Captain Zach Tolkinen has three assists in the series and ranks third on the team with six points. In last Friday's meeting, he topped the Mariners with two assists.

Tolkinen has registered three multi-point games in the last calendar year and two have been against the Royals. His only career multi-goal game was Dec. 2, 2017 vs. Reading when Tolkinen played for Wheeling. In that contest, the Royals forced overtime with back-to-back third-period goals despite having two healthy defensemen for the final period. Tolkinen has played 272 games in his ECHL career and produced six multi-point efforts.

Royals host Maine Mariners Nov. 7, 7:00 p.m.

First time Mariners visit Santander Arena

"Movember" Night vs. Adirondack: Nov. 10, 7:00 p.m.

Game 1 of our 3-game partnership with American Cancer Society - Package here

Special Olympics Night vs. Newfoundland: Nov. 16, 7:00 p.m.

Veteran's Day Game with rally towel giveaway vs. Newfoundland: Nov. 17, 7:00 p.m.

First 2,500 fans receive a rally towel, pres. by UGI Utilities. Double-ampute, Eagle Scout and Sixers anthem singer Ron C. Brooks will perform the Star Spangled Banner.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from November 7, 2018


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