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Reading Royals

Royals and Growlers Match up for 9th Time

December 4, 2019 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


St. John's, NL - The Reading Royals (13-5-4-0, 30 pts., 1st North) play the second of a four-game Canadian road trip at the Newfoundland Growlers (14-8-0-0, 28 pts., 2nd North) Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Tonight's game will be broadcasted on BCTV and Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals.

The teams each have four wins through the first eight of the season series and Tuesday featured a three-goal, come-from-behind overtime win from the Growlers, 5-4. With 2:50 left in OT, Joseph Duszak scored to complete a four-unanswered run from Newfoundland.

Ralph Cuddemi potted two goals to extend to a league-best 19 goals and 32 points. Trevor Yates and Brayden Low scored for Reading. Frank DiChiara notched two points and his team-best eight multi-point game of the season.

Reading is 1-1-2-0 at Mile One Centre this season and 4-1-3-0 overall.

The point Tuesday provided Reading at least one in ten of 11 games (7-1-3-0 record). The only Royals regulation loss came Nov. 30 vs. Toledo. Reading also has at least one point on the road in four straight games.

Broadcast Coverage: Watch: BCTV (Ch. 15 Comcast, Ch. 19 Service Electric)| Listen: mixlr.com/readingroyals

Royals leaders

Goals: Cuddemi (19)

Assists: Knodel (16)

Points: Cuddemi (32)

PIM: Mitchell (43)

+/-: Knodel (13)

Growlers leaders

Goals: Ferguson (11)

Assists: Duszak/Estephan (16)

Points: Estephan (23)

PIM: Melindy (38)

+/-: M. Bradley/Pooley (8)

A Royals win would...

Give Reading at least a point in 11 of 12 games...Be the fifth in the season on the road...Be the ninth all-time vs. Newfoundland.

Assessing Cuddemi's dominance

His 19 goals and 32 points mark the best run by a Royals player through Dec. 4 since the league switched to a new stat-keeping service for the 2006-07 season. Cuddemi's career high for goals in a season is 33 (2017-18). He has six multi-goal games this season, two away from matching the most he's had in a campaign.

He's now on a career-long 11-game point streak and led the league with 12 goals and 21 points in November. He was the first Royals player with that many goals and points in a month since Andrew Sarauer (12g, 23 pts., Mar. 2010).

His six power-play markers are tied for the league lead and put him within one man-up goal from matching the Royals' leaders from last season (Josh MacDonald, Frank DiChiara).

Don't forget about his partners in crime.

While Ralph Cuddemi leads the league with 19 goals and 32 points, Eric Knodel (16a) and Frank DiChiara (15a) have been his primary feeders. DiChiara assisted both his goals Tuesday and is fifth in the league with 25 points.

DiChiara, now in his third season, has already exceeded the number of goals (9) and points (22) he had as a rookie. Last season, he scored 16 goals and 42 points with Reading.

Knodel is tied for the league defensemen lead with 19 points.

This day in Royals history

On Dec. 4, 2001, the Royals scored the first overtime goal in team history, defeating the Peoria Rivermen, 3-2, with a tally from Lorne Toews. The wrist shot from the right-wing circle eluded future Royals netminder Cody Rudkowsky, who went on to become the all-time wins and saves leader in club history.

The Royals were in the midst of a season-best eight-game winning streak at the time, a streak that stood as the team's best for five seasons.

In that 2001-02 season, Toews compiled ten goals and 19 points for the Royals and also saw time for the now-defunct New Orleans Brass and Manchester Monarchs. That season marked the last of Toews' eight-year career. He also skated for the Columbus Chill, the franchise that eventually became the Royals.

Royals to bench leaders

The Royals connections throughout the ECHL head coaching ranks run seven strong; Kirk MacDonald, Growlers head man John Snowden, Maine's Riley Armstrong, Idaho's Everett Sheen, Utah's Tim Branham and Indy's Doug Christiansen all played for Reading.

MacDonald played for two seasons in Reading (2008-09, 2012-13). Snowden was on the 2006-07 Royals team and scored 30 points (12g).

There are also some franchise lineage paths with former Columbus Chill talents that eventually became coaches. Jacksonville's Jason Christie ("The Smurf") is one of the most-famous players in Chill history and now leading Jacksonville. Wichita assistant John Gurskis played for the Chill as well. The Chill franchise moved from Columbus to Reading for the 2001-02 season.

Upcoming Home Games

Friday, Dec. 13 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Star Wars Night): Character Appearances | Lightsaber Training Session | Free Souvenir Cup Refills | Postgame Party with players at Cheers! Restaurant at the DoubleTree Hotel.

Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Affiliation Night) Toss Bears on the ice after the Royals' first goal | Plush Bear giveaway to first 1,500 fans | Slapshot invites local mascots including Flyers Mascot Gritty to the game | Gritty Meet and Greet Add-Ons Available | Philadelphia Flyers Theme Affiliation Jerseys - Game Worn Jersey Auction Online | $1 Frozen Treats

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics

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