READING, PA – Ralph Cuddemi tied the Reading Royals’ team record for goals in a game (4) and became the fourth-ever Royals skater to notch four tallies in a contest, demolishing the Newfoundland Growlers, 7-2, Sunday at Santander Arena. Cuddemi had a fight late in the third period and leads ECHL with 16 goals and 28 points. Sunday was his first four-goal game and third career hat trick. It was the first Royals hat trick of the season and Cuddemi is the fourth Reading player in the Kirk MacDonald era to score at least three goals in a game.
The Royals (12-4-3-0, 27 points) hold a five-point edge on Newfoundland and Brampton for second in the North Division. Reading has points in eight straight games (6-0-2-0) and is on a nine-game home point streak (8-0-1-0). Trevor Gooch scored his first professional goal and Felix Sandström stoned the Growlers with 27 saves (2 goals against).
4-goal games in Royals history
Ralph Cuddemi, Nov. 24, 2019 vs. Newfoundland (7-2 win)
Dan Steiner, Apr. 3, 2010 vs. Trenton (8-4 win)
Chris Blight, Nov. 10, 2007 at Johnstown (6-2 win)
Shay Stephenson, Nov. 19, 2005 vs. South Carolina (6-1 win)
Hat Tricks in the Kirk MacDonald era
Ralph Cuddemi
Michael Huntebrinker (2 hat tricks)
Ryan Penny
Mark Naclerio
On the fourth Cuddemi goal at 11:57 of the third, he swarmed to the bottom of the right circle and shot it through Angus Redmond (no decision, 3 goals against, 7 saves) to make it 6-1 Reading.
His hat trick goal at 15:25 of the second kicked off a three-goal run in 1:06 that extended Reading to a 5-1 lead. He set up net front on the power play and redirected a shot from Trevor Yates. Thirty-four seconds later, Thomas Ebbing scored his first with Reading, assisted by Corey Mackin (1 goal, 1 assist). Maksim Zhukov (Loss, 17 saves, 4 goals against), was yanked after the Ebbing goal, but consecutive shots on Redmond on the next shift allowed Gooch to tally his first professional marker.
Cuddemi scored twice in the first and dominated his final two shifts of the frame; he scored on consecutive shots, first with 2:22 left and then with 8.8 seconds to go to provide Reading a 2-0 lead after 20. He has five multi-goal games this season.
On his first strike, a power-play marker, Eric Knodel (2 assists) blazed a low, deflectable slap shot from 55 feet away. As it snuck through Zhukov, Cuddemi pounced at the right doorstep and slammed it home. His second goal was more puck-possession oriented; he swooped behind net, whirled around to the left circle and the right-hander skied a snipe to the roof, popping the water bottle.
The Royals host the Toledo Walleye in back-to-back games next Friday, November 29 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 30 at 7 p.m.
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