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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Game Day: Royals Seek Road Resurgence at Adirondack

November 9, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Glens Falls, NY - The Reading Royals (5-2-1-2, 13 pts., 3rd North), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, look to set the mark for the best five-game road start in team history with a showdown at the Adirondack Thunder (8-3-0-0, 16 pts., 2nd North) Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Royals are 3-0-0-1 away from Santander Arena, matching the 2005-06 squad for best four-game away start in squad history. The team has won consecutive road contests and swept a weekend set vs. Maine and Manchester last weekend.

The Royals also announced the club will wear hockey's first-ever 3-D jerseys next Sat., Nov. 17. Athletic Knit created the jerseys and the 3-D look is presented by Classic Harley Davidson.

Reading dropped, 4-2, Wednesday at Santander Arena vs. Maine. Charlie Vasaturo scored his first goal with the Royals.

Adirondack had a season-long six-game winning streak snapped in a 5-1 loss to Brampton Wednesday. This is the third-best Thunder start ever, two points behind a 9-2-0-0 beginning in the club's inaugural 2015-16 season.

Following Friday's game, Reading embarks home to Santander Arena and faces off with the Thunder Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for the team's "Movember" Men's Cancer Awareness Game.

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.

The best Royals start

The Royals have 13 points in ten games, two behind the 2005-06 team for the best ten-game start in Reading history.

In 2005-06, the Royals got off to a 7-2-1 mark (15 points) and Reading also started 3-0-0-1 on the road before suffering back-to-back regulation road losses. Cody Rudkowsky and Yutaka Fukufuji, future NHL netminders, split the first nine games. Barry Brust (another future NHL goaltender) debuted for the Royals as well during the team's 11-2-0-1 start. Reading won its first seven home games.

This season, the Royals have used a similar formula, earning points in the team's first four road games and getting at least a point five times through seven home games.

Adirondack used to this

The Thunder sit second in the North Division with 16 points. In each of their first four seasons, Adirondack has had at least six wins in their first 11 contests. In 2016-17, Adirondack began 7-1-1-2 through the first 11. The best 11-game start for Adirondack is 9-2-0-0, accomplished during the squad's inaugural 2015-16 ECHL campaign.

In 2015-16, the Royals and Thunder finished tied for second in the East Division with 82 points.

Last season's series

The Thunder and Royals sparred 14 times last season and each won seven meetings. The Royals won six of the first seven. Adirondack took the last six meetings and finished the regular season with 89 points, two ahead of Reading for first in the North Division. The Thunder's points leader James Henry completed the season series with 12 points (7g), best on Adirondack. Michael Huntebrinker scored five goals vs. Adirondack last season, best among returning Royals in the season series. Huntebrinker's only career hat trick came against the Thunder on Dec. 30, 2017 at Santander Arena.

The teams played a pair of overtime games last season and each team won an extra-session game.

Branden Komm is the only returning goalie from last season's series, seeing 24 minutes of relief action in a Royals loss Mar. 31.

Vasaturo and 291

Charlie Vasaturo potted his first Royals goal Wednesday, his first strike in 291 days. Reading acquired the native of Sewell, NJ at the March 2018 trade deadline.

Since joining Reading, he has one goal and four points, all this season. Vasaturo has skated in 15 regular season games with the Royals (7 this season).

For his ECHL career, the fourth-year professional has struck for 13 goals and 39 points in 174 games. He has made the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of his first three seasons.

Scouting the Thunder

Wednesday at Brampton, Thunder forward Pete MacArthur scored first, but the Beast roared for the next five and handed the Thunder their second road loss of the season.

Team points leader James Henry (18 pts.) was held off the score sheet for the first time Nov. 2 vs. Worcester, snapping an eight-game point streak. Henry has generated a team-high five multi-point games.

Cam Johnson allowed four goals Wednesday in the loss. The rookie and former North Dakota national champion is the reigning CCM ECHL Goaltender of the Week by making 50 of 51 saves in two appearances last week, earning a shutout Friday at Worcester.

Between the pipes, Alex Sekellaropolous is 2-1-0-0, allowing nine goals in four appearances.

"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-ever 3-D Hockey Jerseys. 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.

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