Worcester Railers second season to start Oct. 13

Photo | WBJ | File Michael Myers, chief operating officer of the Worcester Railers, in the DCU Center

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By Zachary Comeau

The Worcester Railers will try to duplicate its successful first season beginning on Oct. 13 on the road against the Reading Royals.

The 2018-2019 team schedule, released Tuesday, includes an Oct. 20 home opener at the DCU Center against the Maine Mariners.

According to the Railers, 31 of the team’s 36 home games are scheduled for the weekends, with 22 games on either Saturday or Sunday.

Twelve different teams will visit the DCU Center during the seven-month regular season, which is slated to end April 7.

The team’s first season concluded April 23 with a playoff Game 6 loss to the Adirondack Thunder in the ECHL’s North Division Semifinals.

For the regular season, the team posted a winning record of 37-27-4-4, good enough for fourth place in the North division and a playoff berth in the team’s inaugural campaign.

Season ticket memberships are starting ats $11.25 per ticket.

“86% of our home schedule at the DCU Center falls on prime weekend dates,” said Worcester Railers HC president Mike Myers. “We are looking forward to building off the momentum from our inaugural season as we will continue to provide affordable family fun in downtown Worcester.”

The team sold out the home opener in a 4-3 win in front of 12,135 fans and attracted another 7.191 for Fan Appreciation Day to close out the regular season. For their three home playoff games at the DCU Center, the Railers attendance failed to top more than 4,300 in each game.

For the regular season, the average attendance for a home game was 3,846 based on a team estimate of a total attendance of 150,000.

The team, owned by businessman Cliff Rucker, has sparked some economic development in the city, including the Railers Tavern next to the DCU Center and the $18-million Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center, the team's practice facility.