WORCESTER, MA – Trevor Gooch registered his first professional hat trick and a career-high four points in the first two periods to smother the Worcester Railers, 5-1, Friday at the DCU Center. The win was the 100th career victory for Reading Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald (100-66-18-6 career mark). MacDonald is the third coach in Royals history to register at least 100 wins, joining Karl Taylor and Larry Courville.
After Gooch started the scoring at 7:05 of the first, the Royals took a 1-0 lead into first break. He exploded for two goals and three points in the next 15 minutes, completing his hat trick with a right-wing circle laser beam through Evan Buitenhuis (no decision, 10 saves, 1 goal against). Buitenhuis relieved Jakub Skarek (loss, 10 saves), who was yanked after giving up four strikes in 26:49.
Gooch has nine goals and 18 points in his rookie season. The four-point effort tied a game high for Reading this season; it had last been done by Ralph Cuddemi in November.
Matthew Gaudreau and Thomas Ebbing also scored for Reading.
Kirill Ustimenko was perfect in the final period, finishing with a career-high 36 saves (1 goal allowed). He allowed the only Worcester goal to Nic Pierog with 54.9 seconds to go in the second.
Gooch gets three, including the opener: Trevor Gooch’s opening goal marked the ninth time the Royals have scored first on the road this season. Overall, the club is 20-1-3-0 when scoring first. Gooch has four goals in the season series of his nine total this campaign.
In his hat trick effort, Gooch added the team’s fourth and fifth goals to put the game out of reach. Reading led 5-0 with five minutes to go in the second after his right-circle, hat-trick tally.
Rob Michel fed Gooch twice with primary helpers, first along the right post and then the left goal line. That upped his assist total to 11 (13 points) in his rookie season. The Camillus, NY native has four helpers against the Railers.
Friendly front end: The Royals improved to 2-0-0-0 this season with Eric Knodel in the lineup against the Railers. The reigning ECHL Defenseman of the Year has 27 points this season (4 goals) to lead Royals blue liners.
Reading also moved to 10-2-0-0 on Fridays this season. The power play went 1-for-2 and Reading successfully killed three Worcester man ups.
The Royals play two straight on the road next Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., then return home for Ladies Night on February 7th and the team’s annual Pink in the Rink game on Saturday, February 8th presented by Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Alvernia University and Adams & Associates.
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