January 30-31

Wednesday afternoon temperatures were close to 60 but there was rain in the forecast, it arrived as the ladies and I were en route to Reading. The Royals' six-game homestand ended quietly on this night with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Wheeling Nailers. There was no scoring in the first period, in the second the Nailers broke through and took a 1-0 lead. That goal stood up until the final minute of regulation play, with Brandon Anderson on the bench for the extra attacker David Marshall poked home the tying goal with 37 seconds left. The momentum did not last as Wheeling took the overtime shootout three goals to two. The boys finish January with a mark of 30-10-5, 19-4-1 at the Sovereign Center. The next five games are on the road beginning with a rematch with the Nailers in Wheeling on Friday the 1st, the next home date is February 10. The drive home after the game was wall-to-wall rain, it actually came heavier the closer we got to Lancaster. On Thursday morning the rain was gone but it was much chillier. Helen was in town for a doctor's appointment, the access van brought her in from Quarryville and I took her home. On the way we saw several small creeks up over their banks, a number of rural roads were flooded either partially or completely. We had our usual lunch at the pizza shop which was the extent of the day's activities. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 28-29

Some more sloppy winter weather moved in overnight, on Monday morning there was a coating of snow on the ground. Went to the mall for lunch, by afternoon the precipitation was just a light rain. On Tuesday the daytime high reached the mid 50s, in the evening it was a basketball night at McCaskey as JPM hosted Manheim Township. The junior varsity kept their streak alive with a 47-45 win, in the varsity game it was all Red Tornado from the word Go as McCaskey took it 71-48. Devonne Pinkard led with 19, Diante Cherry had 13, Sha-ki Staten added 12 and Aaron Swinton just missed double figures with nine. The victory is the eighteenth for the club this season and win #390 for Coach Powell in his twenty-first year at the helm. There are two regular-season games left before playoffs get underway, the boys are back on the floor on Friday the 1st at Cedar Crest. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 26-27

The sloppy Friday night weather was gone by Saturday morning, the drive to Quarryville for lunch with the ladies was little trouble. In the afternoon we were on our way north as the Royals welcomed the Las Vegas Wranglers (of the ECHL's Western Conference) for a two-game set. In the ECHL there is little play between the conferences during the regular season, of the 828 total games on the league schedule only 24 are of the crossover variety. This was a homecoming of sorts for the Wranglers' Andrew Sarauer, a Royal from 2009-2011. He was one of the club's top scorers in his two years in Reading, he'll always be remembered for his series-clinching overtime goal against Kalamazoo in the 2010 playoffs. On Saturday night the Royals took the opener 4-2. David Marshall scored twice, Nikita Kashirsky and Adam Comrie also lit the lamp for winning goalie Brandon Anderson. On Sunday the Royals completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory, Drew MacIntyre picked up the win in goal with offensive support from Ethan Cox, Adam Comrie, Stanislav Galiev and Nikita Kashirsky. The two weekend wins improve the Royals' mark to 30-10-4 overall and 19-4-0 on home ice, the boys finish the month at home on Wednesday the 30th against Wheeling. Saw in the newspaper where McCaskey won on Saturday over Philadelphia Electric Charter, JPM is back in action on Tuesday the 29th at home against Manheim Township. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 24-25

In Quarryville on Thursday morning for a visit and lunch with Jenny, they had a dusting of snow there overnight. In the evening we were back at JPM as the Red Tornado hosted Warwick. Junior varsity head coach Mike Mitchell was absent due to illness, assistant coaches Willie McDowell, Don Butler and Earl "Papa" Boots took the reins for another JV win. In the main event the guys prevailed over Warwick 72-55, the win clinches first place in the division and a spot in the league playoffs. Coach Powell used seven players and three hit double figures: Devonne Pinkard 24, Aaron Swinton 13 and Sha-ki Staten 12. JPM stays unbeaten in league play and improves to 16-2 overall but not all was rosy and bright, after the game the club was in the locker room for some time. What was said in there will stay in there but the gist of it was to reinforce the idea that there are no nights off especially with playoffs on the horizon. The boys are back in action on Saturday the 26th at Reading HS as part of a special showcase event. There will be several games played featuring some of the top teams in the state, our game is at 4:30 against Philadelphia Electric Charter. I will be absent as the Royals are at home that night but I'll be there when we return home on Tuesday the 29th. There was little on the schedule for Friday which was just as well. Snow was in the forecast, it started falling in the afternoon and lasted into the early evening. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 22-23

Arctic temperatures moved into the area overnight, it was sixteen degrees when I left the house in the morning. In the afternoon we boarded the bus at McCaskey for the trip to Millersville and Penn Manor HS. The JV game was a struggle at the start, JPM trailed by fourteen at the quarter but fought back to get within five at the half. In the second half the guys seized control and won 71-58 to stay unbeaten in league play and improve to 13-2 overall. The varsity game started in the opposite fashion as the Red Tornado led by fourteen at the quarter and expanded the advantage to thirty-one by halftime. The mercy rule kicked in midway through the third as JPM rolled to an 87-36 victory. Coach Powell got the entire roster into the game, ten players hit the scoring column. Devonne Pinkard continued his hot hand with a game-high 23, Sha-ki Staten had 16, Diante Cherry added 12 and Keyon Cowan chipped in with 10 (should mention that Key had 30 against E-town on the 18th, he and Diante are the only two to hit that mark in a game thus far this season). The win brings the record to 15-2 and clinches at least a tie for the division title, the boys can wrap it up outright with a win on Thursday at home against Warwick. On Wednesday the bitter weather conditions continued, my first stop was the dentist. An implant I had in 2010 worked itself loose last week and fell out completely on Sunday night. It was not damaged in any way, it merely needed to be reinserted (not a fun way to start the day). The errand run after that was the extent of the day's activities, with temperatures in the teens and wind chill factors around zero there was no reason to be outside. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 21

Up and at it early on Monday morning as we wrapped up a three-games-in-four-days stretch at the Sovereign Center. The annual Martin Luther King Day matinee has become a staple of our home schedule, with no school in session it's marketed as a Kid's Day. The Royals' home winning streak ended with a thud on this day as the Elmira Jackals rallied for a 5-2 win, the Royals led 2-1 in the third period but the wheels fell off in rapid fashion. Joel Champagne and David Marshall lit the lamp for the home team, Drew MacIntyre was the goalie of record. The loss is the tenth in regulation time for the Royals as they become the last team in the ECHL to reach double digits in the loss column, after 42 games (21 home, 21 road) the overall mark stands at 28-10-4 and 17-4-0 at home. The Royals are back home on Saturday the 26th as the Las Vegas Wranglers (a member of the ECHL's Western Conference) visit for the first time since 2003. Regular-season play between East and West is rare in the ECHL, this marks the first time a Western club has played at the Sovereign Center in five seasons. Vegas will stay in town for a Sunday game as well, on Wednesday the 30th we finish the month at home against Wheeling. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 19-20

Saturday morning lunch with the ladies in Quarryville, in the afternoon we were back on the road north to Berks County. On this night at the Sovereign Center the Reading Royals set a franchise record winning their tenth consecutive game on home ice with a 6-1 thrashing of the Elmira Jackals. Ethan Cox got the club on the board first but the Jackals fought back to tie it at 1-1. From there it was all Royals as Adam Comrie scored twice (including the game-winner), added tallies from David Marshall and Kirk MacDonald expanded the lead before Yannick Tifu capped it with a penalty shot goal. Brandon Anderson made his first appearance in goal since December 7 and picked up the win as the club moves to 28-9-4 on the season (17-3 at home). The Royals started the season with a 1-5-1 mark in October, since then the record is a blistering 27-4-3. The boys last lost at home on November 24, they'll go for consecutive home win #11 when the Jackals return for the holiday rematch on Monday afternoon. Sunday was an uneventful day (not a bad thing since we're in a busy stretch right now), with pro football playoffs and NHL hockey on TV there were plenty of viewing options. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 18

Friday night hockey at the Sovereign Center as the Royals hosted Cincinnati. With the NHL back in business the Royals' roster has seen its share of change, the biggest move was the inevitable promotion of goaltender Philipp Grubauer to Hershey. Had the NHL season started back in October as usual Grubauer would have undoubtedly been in the AHL from the get-go but this year has been an exception. The Royals went 1-1-2 on the road trip, on this night they got back in the win column with a 4-1 victory. The boys took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a score by newcomer Nikita Kashirsky, the lead reached 3-0 in the second thanks to Adam Comrie and Yannick Tifu. After the Cyclones got on the board early in the third period Tifu's second goal of the night clinched the win. Drew MacIntyre picked up the decision in goal, with Grubauer in the AHL likely for good he'll be counted on for his veteran presence. Right now the club has three goalies on the roster as Brandon Anderson recently rejoined the team from personal leave, he has not played since early December. The win improves the record to 27-9-4 (16-3-0 at home), the Elmira Jackals visit on Saturday the 19th. Saw on the Internet where McCaskey won in Elizabethtown, JPM is back on the floor on Turesday the 22nd at Penn Manor. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 16-17

It started to rain late Tuesday night, Wednesday was largely dark and depressing. After supper I went over to McCaskey, the boys had a 5:30 practice. I gave the scorebooks to Coach Powell since I will be absent from the game in Elizabethtown on Friday. From there I was at the Lancaster Ice Rink for a high school hockey game, Hempfield lost to Central York 6-0. Before the season started Don Tankesley had told me how Hempfield would struggle and that has been spot on, this was their second straight shutout loss. Devyn had some good scoring chances but two of his shots hit the pipe (when it goes bad it goes bad). On Thursday things were brighter, we actually saw the sun for the first time in several days. Jenny's mother Helen was in town for a doctor appointment, the access van brought her into the city and I took her home. We had our usual lunch date at the pizza parlor in Quarryville which was the extent of the day's activities. The weekend and beyond will be busy as the Royals are at home on Friday for the start of a six-game homestand. The Cincinnati Cyclones are the Friday opponent, the Elmira Jackals come to town on Saturday night and Monday afternoon for the annual Martin Luther King holiday game at 1:05. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 12-15

Saturday morning in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny, with the Royals on the road and little else happening that was the highlight of the weekend. Monday was more of the same, Jenny was in town on business so we saw each other briefly over the lunch hour. On Tuesday night it was basketball at McCaskey as the Red Tornado hosted Lebanon. Over the history of the LL league JPM and Lebanon have had some knock-down drag-out battles but in recent years the rivalry has waned somewhat since the schools are no longer division-mates. On this night in Lancaster the Red Tornado kept the league record spotless with a 73-42 victory. Only two players hit double figures (Devonne Pinkard 21, Diante Cherry 15) but there was good balance underneath as Sha-ki Staten, Keyon Cowan and reserve guard Josh Montanez scored eight points each. The win ups the overall mark to 13-2 and sets the stage for the final crossover game of the season on Friday night in Elizabethtown. I will be absent as the Royals return home to host Cincinnati at the Sovereign Center. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 10-11

In Quarryville on Thursday morning, the ladies and I did our usual lunch date. Rain was in the forecast for Friday, it arrived in the early afternoon. After supper we were at McCaskey for yet another bus ride, right now the club is in a stretch of six-of-nine on the road (we had six-of-nine at home before the new year so it's all evening out). The destination on this night was Denver (Pennsylvania, not Colorado) for a crossover game against Cocalico. This was our first appearance in their new gym but not our first time there, those of us with long memories vividly recall what happened in the old gym in January of 2011. On this occasion there would be no such nonsense as JPM won 70-42, the lead was fourteen at the quarter and twenty at the half. Devonne Pinkard led the club with 18 points, Sha-ki Staten had 14 and Diante Cherry added 13 as Coach Powell got everybody in uniform into the game. The win keeps the club unbeaten in league play and moves the overall mark to 12-2. The boys play at home on Tuesday the 15th, another crossover game against Lebanon. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 8-9

A quiet Tuesday save for the morning errand run. On Wednesday afternoon after supper we were back at McCaskey to board the bus for the game at Hempfield. During the varsity's current ten-game win streak the average margin of victory has been thirty-four points but this game did not figure to be as easy because games against Hempfield never are. On this night in Landisville the boys got it done as they extended the streak to eleven with a 65-55 win. Coach Powell used eight players and four hit double figures: Devonne Pinkard 20, Diante Cherry 15, Aaron Swinton and Keyon Cowan 11 each. JPM led by as much as seventeen in the fourth quarter but Hempfield (being the quality program it is) just never went away. It's a good thing for our guys to have a tough game against a good opponent, not every game can be a blowout. The win completes the first half of league play with an 8-0 mark (11-2 overall), we'll be back on the road again on Friday for a game at Cocalico. The junior varsity continued their run as well with a 52-44 victory. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 7

Monday morning lunch at the mall, in the evening we were at McCaskey for what would prove to be a historic night of basketball. After losing their first two games the junior varsity squad has won seven in a row, the average margin of victory in the winning streak has been forty points. On this night it took overtime but the boys kept the streak alive with a 71-66 win over Cedar Crest. The varsity game was competitive in the early going, we were ahead by five at the quarter and upped the advantage to twenty-one at the half. A 33-16 third quarter put it away as the Red Tornado won it 99-48. Devonne Pinkard led all scorers with 28, Sha-ki Staten had 20, Diante Cherry 19 and Kyaire Bynum had ten in a reserve role. The highlight came early in the fourth quarter, Devonne's final point of the night was the one-thousandth point of his high school career. Devonne played at Lancaster Catholic in his freshman and sophomore years, he transferred to JPM for his junior season. His 336 points at LCHS count towards his overall total, he has scored 664 in a McCaskey uniform. He becomes the ninth player in school history to achieve the 1000-point plateau and the sixth in Coach Powell's tenure (Jerry Johnson in 2000, Perry Patterson in 2002, Dustin Salisbery in 2003, Leontae Turner in 2010 and Diante Cherry in 2012). The win keeps the club unbeaten in league play at 7-0 and 10-2 overall, like the JV the varsity has rebounded nicely from an 0-2 start. The boys play at Hempfield on Wednesday (never an easy assignment) and at Cocalico on Friday. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 5-6

Saturday morning lunch with Jenny and Helen, later in the afternoon we were headed north on 222 for the start of a busy hockey weekend at the Sovereign Center. The Royals hosted the Elmira Jackals in the second game of a home-and-home, after a Friday night loss in Elmira the Royals returned the favor with a come-from-behind 6-4 win. Joel Champagne scored two goals for the Royals, Adam Comrie, Kirk MacDonald, David Vallorani and Danick Paquette (the game-winner) added single tallies. Veteran goaltender Drew MacIntyre picked the win in his Royals debut, he joined the club earlier in the week as a free agent. On Sunday we were back at the SC for a 4:05 faceoff as the Wheeling Nailers visited. The Royals took it 3-1 as Adam Comrie, David Marshall (the GWG) and Kirk MacDonald lit the lamp in support of winning goalie Philipp Grubauer. With the Sunday victory the club hits the midpoint of the home schedule at 15-3-0, the overall mark improves to 25-8-2. The boys play the next four on the road before returning home on Friday the 18th, by then the entire landscape of the sport could be very different. On Sunday morning the National Hockey League announced an agreement with the players union on a contract that would end the ongoing lockout and start the season at the major league level. Every team in the ECHL will lose players to the AHL as those clubs lose players to the NHL, in the Royals' case Philipp Grubauer would almost assuredly be promoted to Hershey (the acquisition of MacIntyre is a preemptive move should this occur). We'll see how how it plays out in the coming days. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 3-4

Jenny and her mother were in town on Thursday morning for an appointment, we met up afterwards and had lunch at the pizza parlor in Quarryville. On Friday we boarded the bus once again at McCaskey as the boys traveled to Neffsville for a date at Manheim Township. JPM led by as much as thirty-four in the second half, the final was 75-54 as the club stays unbeaten in league play at 6-0. Devonne Pinkard led the Red Tornado with 24, Diante Cherry and Sha-ki Staten had 13 each and Keyon Cowan added 10. Devonne is approaching the 1000-point plateau, his career total stands at 972 (that includes his freshman and sophomore years at Lancaster Catholic). Hard to believe it's the midpoint of the season already, with a 9-2 overall record the club is two games ahead of last season's pace. The boys are in action at home on Monday the 7th against Cedar Crest. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 1-2

2013 started the same way 2012 ended with little going on but college football wall-to-wall on TV. On Wednesday (as the world slowly returned to normal following the holiday recess) we convened at McCaskey in the afternoon for the first basketball game of the new calendar year. The destination was Warwick High School in Lititz, a place that has historically been a hard place to play. On this night it was no challenge as the Red Tornado rolled to a 75-36 win, JPM scored the first eighteen points in the game and took it going away. Devonne Pinkard led with 25, Sha-ki Staten had 12, Diante Cherry and Luis Fuentes added 10 each. For Devonne it was his second consecutive game with 25 points, he's the only member of the club to score in double figures in every game thus far. The victory keeps the club undefeated in league play at 5-0, after losing the first two games of the season the overall mark now stands at 8-2. The boys are back at it on Friday the 4th at Manheim Township, the following week features games on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Take care, thanks for reading.