WORCESTER, MA – Ralph Cuddemi notched his fourth multi-goal game of the season (2 goals, 3 points) and iced it in the third period with an empty-net strike to slide the Reading Royals by the Worcester Railers, 6-4, Wednesday at the DCU Center. The first-place Royals are 8-4-2-0 (18 points), four points ahead of Brampton, Adirondack and Newfoundland.
Kirill Ustimenko denied a career-best 36 shots, including 11 in the third. With the Royals up by one in the final minute, Ustimenko (4-1-2-0 record) stopped Kyle Thomas off his pad on a left-circle shot. Seconds later, Cuddemi scored his second goal to put it away. He leads the league with 19 points and is second in the ECHL in goals (10).
Trevor Yates (game winning goal) added insurance in the third to pocket a 5-3 Royals advantage, slicing it at the left post by Evan Buitenhuis (loss, 25 saves, 5 goals against) with 9:25 left.
The Royals scored twice in the first and twice in the second to take a 4-3 lead into the final 20. Hayden Hodgson scored twice. Cuddemi (power play goal) and Frank DiChiara (1 goal, 1 assist) also tallied. The Railers scored the last goal of the second; Kyle McKenzie ripped a deep-slot shot through with 11 minutes left in the second.
Cuddemi is tied for second in the league with ten goals, one off the league lead, following his two-goal output. On his first goal, he sniped a shot short-post and low from the bottom of the right dot. The goal provided Reading a 2-1 advantage at 19:04 of the first. Reading never trailed after his goal. The man-up strike snapped a streak of 24 straight scoreless power plays for Reading.
Seven of his goals have been at even strength (2 power play goals, 1 empty net goal).
Cuddemi is in his fourth pro season and first with the Royals. He powered in 22 goals and 50 points last season in Wichita.
The Royals took their first two-goal margin at 1:22 of the second. Pascal Laberge (1 assist) upped the puck to Corey Mackin along the right-wing side. Mackin tucked it to DiChiara and he unleashed a rip to the top shelf for his seventh of the season. DiChiara also assisted Cuddemi’s first-period marker.
The third-year professional played his rookie season with the Railers and scored nine goals and 23 points.
Matthew Gaudreau picked up an assist in his first game against his former squad, finding Trevor Yates halfway through the third for the game-winning goal that put Reading up, 5-3.
The Royals scored six goals for the third time this season. Reading and their opponents have combined to tally at least eight goals in seven of 14 games.
Following a road game at Adirondack on Friday, November 15th at 7 p.m., Reading returns home to start a season-long six-game homestand against Wheeling on Saturday, November 16th at 7 p.m., where the Royals will honor veterans in their Veteran’s Day contest.
Follow us on Twitter @prohockeynews
You must be logged in to post a comment.