READING, PA – The Reading Royals (21-13-4-0, 46 points) scored the games’ first two goals and held off the Adirondack Thunder for a 4-2 win Friday at Santander Arena. Trevor Gooch, Corey Mackin (2 goals) and Garret Cockerill tallied for the Royals’ third win against the Thunder this season. Kirill Ustimenko (2 goals against, 23 saves, win) earned his third straight victory at home.
Gooch scored the opening goal at 14:34 to ignite Santander Arena. He picked up an Eamon McAdam (3 goals against, 27 saves, loss) rebound and flung it in the back of a vacant net for his sixth goal of the season.
Ten minutes later, forward Frank DiChiara’s backhand dish from below the goal line assisted Mackin’s 12th goal of the season.
In the second frame, Adirondack forward James Henry cut the deficit to 2-1 off a center-ice turnover turned breakaway, beating Ustimenko glove-side at 13:56.
Cockerill restored the Royals’ two-goal lead with a bomb from the point early in the third period. Two back-to-back Royals’ penalties immediately followed and allowed Adirondack forward Mike Szmatula to tally a man-up goal, cutting Reading’s lead to 3-2.
Corey Mackin added an empty-net goal from center ice late in the game to cement the victory with his team-leading 13th strike of the season.
Usti’s 10th home win: Kirill Ustimenko recorded his tenth home win of the season in his twelfth start at Santander Arena. The Royals have earned 21 of 24 possible points when Ustimenko starts at home.
He is six wins away from tying Cody Rudkowsky (16, 2003) for the most home wins by a Royals goalie in a single season.
Ustimenko is riding a three-game win streak, improving his overall record to 14-4-0-0, which ranks him top-eight in the ECHL in goalie wins.
Familiar faces strike Thunder: Forwards Frank DiChiara, Trevor Gooch and Corey Mackin all had points in Friday’s win. The trio leads the Royals in points this season series vs. Adirondack.
DiChiara has 12 career points (4 goals) in three seasons vs. Adirondack. Gooch’s ice-breaking goal was his second marker of the season against Adirondack. His goal also snapped a four-game pointless streak.
Mackin holds the season-series lead in goals vs. Adirondack with three after Friday.
Holding the lead: Reading clinched its 20th victory this season when holding a lead in regulation. The Royals are 20-1-3-0 overall and undefeated at home (14-0-0-0) when holding a regulation advantage.
The Royals have won eight consecutive games when leading in the first 60 minutes, last losing on Dec. 3, 5-4, at Newfoundland.
At home, Reading is 11-0-0-0 when leading after the second frame, which is tied for best in the league.
The Royals host a dollar deal day with $1 kids tickets, $1 sodas, $1 nachos and $1 hot dogs on Sunday, January 19th at 4 p.m. vs. Worcester. The Royals and Worcester rematch on MLK Day, Monday January 20th and will give away youth jerseys to the first 1,000 fans.
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