October 31

Had lunch in Quarryville in the morning, in late afternoon we finished up the month with a game at the Arena. The Royals hosted the Orlando Solar Bears for their lone regular-season visit and their first game in Reading since April of 2014. The Royals roster was bolstered earlier in the week with the return of popular former team captain Yannick Tifu. Yannick played with the Royals from 2011 to 2014 and captained the club to the Kelly Cup in '13, he spent the '14-15 season playing in France and returned to North America during the summer. The fans came to the Arena on this night expecting a treat for Halloween but it turned out to be a disappointing trick as the Bears left town with a 5-2 win. Orlando carried a 3-0 lead into the third period, an early score from Ian Watters and another midway through by Cam Reid brought the Royals to within one. The rally ended there as the Bears added two more (one into the empty net) to salt away the victory. Martin Ouellette made his home debut in goal for the Royals and suffered the loss. The club's record drops to 3-3 (1-2 at home), the boys stay home for a doubleheader on November 7 and 8 against the newly-minted Greenville Swamp Rabbits (AKA the franchise formerly known as the Road Warriors). Take care, thanks for reading.

October 29-30

The rain was long gone by Thursday morning, I went to the rink after lunch to survey the damage. I was there for about two hours, during that time I emptied the bag on the Billy-Goat five times and refilled the gas tank four times. Clearing leaves from the rink surface is a rite of passage at this time of year but this occasion was something way above the norm. It was an unbeLEAFable battle but one man with one machine beat Nature, the evening's games went on as scheduled. It was somewhat appropriate that the night's activities were unusual as well, we had three games and all of them were decided via shootout. The UniLords beat the Oil Riggers, the Blues knocked off the Steamers and the Killbots defeated the Riot. Wednesday's postponements were reset for November 2 giving week #7 an early start. On Friday we were at McCaskey for the final home football game, the Red Tornado hosted Manheim Township. JPM went 1-4 in the first half of the schedule, they won two straight on the road to start the second half but lost at home in week #8. On this night we did the usual Senior Night recognitions for the team, the cheerleaders and the band, much like Homecoming they were the high point of the evening. MT led 20-0 at the quarter, in the second period quarterback Michael Davis found Greg Nunez for a 25-yard score to put McCaskey on the board. That would be the lone marker for the home team as Township extended the lead to 48-6 at the half. The second half was played entirely under the mercy rule, the final score was 62-6. JPM finishes the season on the road on November 6, I am at Rossmere that night for Lancaster Catholic's season-ender. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 28

The rain arrived overnight, by the time I left the house it was coming down in earnest. I stopped by the rink to see what it looked like, the winds out of the southeast had already turned it into a shipwreck. We had our usual lunch with Jenny and her mother in Quarryville, in the afternoon we headed north on 222 for the evening's hockey game at the Arena. I called Ron to advise him on the conditions at the rink, since the rain had continued all day postponing the games was the proverbial no-brainer. At the Arena the Elmira Jackals were the opponent for the second of their six regular-season appearances. The Royals rebounded nicely from the Saturday night loss with a five-goal victory of their own, the final score was 8-3. The club got two goals each from Adam Comrie and Mike Pereira, single tallies came off the sticks of Maxim Lamarche, Geoff Walker, Ian Watters and rookie Justin Crandall (from Minnesota-Duluth). Connor Knapp picked up the win to improve the Royals' record to 3-2, the club stays home to host the Orlando Solar Bears on Halloween night. The drive home was equal parts crazy and mundane, we drove through three downpours and other areas where we didn't see a drop. It's all supposed to be gone for Thursday so we should be good to go at the rink, it's all a matter of getting the rink cleaned up (and I'm not looking forward to it in the least). Take care, thanks for reading.

October 24-27

Saturday night hockey in downtown Reading as Year XV of Royals hockey began officially on home ice. The club started with three road games, on Friday they won in Elmira 5-1. The Royals hosted the Jackals on this night in the back end of the home-and-home weekend and the outcome was the polar opposite of Friday. Elmira took an early 1-0 lead but newcomer Robbie Czarnik (five-year pro from Detroit, Michigan) replied quickly to even the score. From there it was just about all Jackals, four straight scores opened up a 5-1 Elmira advantage. Late in the second period Riley Armstrong (twelve-year vet who played in Europe in '14-15) notched the Royals' second goal  but two Elmira scores in the third put the lid on a 7-2 Jackals win. Connor Knapp started in net and suffered the loss. The Royals' record levels at 2-2 in the early going, the boys host Elmira again on Wednesday the 28th. Little going on Sunday or Monday, on Tuesday we started week #6 of street hockey at the rink. All of the crossover game are in the rear-view mirror, on this night there was one East and three West games. The UniLords defeated the Steamers, H&F Tire beat the Hammerheads, the Kings won over the Pub Dawgs and the Killbots vanquished the Misfits. Four games are scheduled for Wednesday (in my absence) but the forecast is not encouraging. There was a major storm over the weekend that passed through Mexico and the Caribbean region, it is moving up the coast towards our area. Major rainfall and strong winds are expected so Wednesday could end up being an adventure in more ways than one. Stay tuned. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 23

The telephone rang at 11:30 on Thursday night, it was Jenny. She was having discomfort in her shoulder and upper chest area and asked me if that was what ailed me when I had my heart scare in 2014. When I confirmed it she said she was thinking of calling an ambulance and coming to the hospital in town. Around 2:15 she called from the hospital, they had checked her out and were discharging her. I told her she would have to stay there until morning, there was no way I could have been functional behind the wheel of a car at that hour and I wasn't going to risk an accident. The morning sun awakened me shortly before 8:00, I went to the hospital and took her home. I know there are times when it seems like I go out of my way for her but that is because I care about her and there are few others she can call on. I took the opportunity to nap briefly at her house and again at home in the afternoon but I still felt sluggish most of the day (probably because I didn't sleep well overnight out of concern). In the evening it was a football night at McCaskey, after three straight road games the Red Tornado was back home for Homecoming against Cedar Crest. The halftime activities were easily the highlight of the evening as JPM fell 25-7. The lone Red Tornado score came courtesy of a John Burnside 59-yard TD run in the second quarter. JPM's record drops to 3-5, the home season ends on the 30th against Manheim Township. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 19-22

Tuesday night at Reservoir Park as week #5 got underway. In the East the Blues beat the Oil Riggers, in the West game the Pub Dawgs beat the Misfits via shootout. The final two crossover games came off the calendar as well, the UniLords defeated the Killbots and the Steamers won over the Kings. The East Division clubs won twenty-three of the twenty-eight crossovers (which is not entirely surprising), although it is not especially popular it is a schedule format we must use given the size of the league. On Wednesday Jenny was in town for a medical appointment, from there we had our usual morning lunch date in Quarryville. At the rink in the evening there was one East game and three Westies, in the East the Unilords knocked off the Blues. In the West H&F Tire defeated the Riot, the Kings won over the Hammerheads and the Killbots beat the Pub Dawgs. The week wrapped up on Thursday with three games: the Steamers defeated the Oil Riggers, H&F Tire won over the Hammerheads and the Riot beat the Misfits. "Phase I" of the schedule is now completed, each team has played ten games and faced all opponents one time each. Over the final two weeks all the remaining games are rematches of earlier meetings. We set the schedule this way deliberately, as the teams head down the home stretch and battle for playoff positions we want play to be strictly within divisions. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 16-18

Friday night at Rossmere Stadium, the LCHS Crusaders were at home for a second consecutive week. Lebanon was the opponent for the Crusaders' Homecoming, two young ladies from the LCHS class of 2016 handled the halftime ceremonies over the PA. Quincy Clark's touchdown in the first quarter gave the Crusaders a 6-0 lead, a Lebanon TD and a successful PAT made it 7-6 for the visitors. Brian Downey ran for a score to put LCHS back ahead, Nick Corrigan's extra point brought the count to 13-7 at the quarter. Lebanon outscored the Crusaders 13-0 in the second quarter, at halftime it was 20-13. In the third quarter the Crusaders came alive, Downey and Clark each found the end zone for the second time to put LCHS up by seven. On the next Lebanon possession defensive lineman Peyton Snopek intercepted a pass and returned it for another TD to give the Crusaders a 34-20 advantage. Lebanon battled back in the fourth quarter but Clark's third TD on the evening salted away the Crusaders victory, the final score was 41-27. LCHS improves to 3-4 with three games to go, the one remaining home game is on November 6. The Royals began the ECHL regular season with a pair of weekend road games, they lost on Saturday and won on Sunday. The boys play a divisional game in Elmira on the 23rd, they host the Jackals in the home opener on the 24th.Take care, thanks for reading.

October 14-15

Wednesday morning lunch in Quarryville, in the afternoon we made our way north to downtown Reading. Several years ago the Royals instituted an annual preseason "meet and greet" event at the Arena, it's an opportunity for season ticket holders to get autographs and photos with their favorite players. The guys were deployed two to a table on the arena concourse, all twenty-three men on the current roster were present. The doors opened at 5:00, between the walk-around and the free concessions provided by a prominent sponsor we were there until close to 7:00. We attend every year because Jenny and her mother enjoy meeting the players, otherwise I probably wouldn't worry too much about it on a personal level. After I got them home safely I went to the rink, I arrived during the second period of the night's third game and stayed for the duration. On Thursday we had just three games on the docket, one of each variety. The Kings beat the Oil Riggers, the Steamers vanquished the Blues and the Killbots took down the Riot. Four weeks are now in the books and we're right where we should be: all postponements have been made up and every team has played eight games. Week #5 starts on Tuesday the 20th with four games including the final two crossovers, most of the league is happier once those are out of the way. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 12-13

Had the car at the service center on Monday morning, it was due for a lube job and oil change. In the evening we started week #4 of street hockey at the rink. Three games on this night as we played the schedule postponed on October 1. In the West game the Kings beat the Killbots, in the crossovers the Blues defeated the Misfits and the Steamers downed the Riot. On Tuesday we had four regularly-scheduled games, two Wests and two crossovers. The Kings beat the Pub Dawgs and the Hammerheads won over the Misfits, the UniLords defeated H&F Tire and the Steamers prevailed over the Killbots. The week continues with four games on Wednesday but I am absent, the Royals are holding the annual "meet and greet" at the Arena. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 10-11

It is entirely possible that I may one day look back on the events of October 10 and laugh about it but right now is not that time. We did our usual Saturday lunch in Quarryville, later in the afternoon Jenny, her mother and I made our way north to downtown Reading. The Royals' 15th anniversary ECHL season kicked off with an exhibition game at Santander Arena against the Norfolk Admirals, one of the league's newest franchises. When we arrived at the arena I tested the PA mic in the penalty box, I thought I could hear something but it was very faint. At on-air time the mic was completely dead, they brought me a wireless mic and it didn't work either. We tried changing the battery but the only available spares were marked "best if used by March 2011" (I can see where that might be a problem). When the referee came on ice at game time I informed him that we would have no PA, he told the teams to line up as normal for the anthem and we played a recorded version. I was angry at first because I went there as a professional to do my job and I couldn't but once the game started I got over being angry, I merely stayed at my post and did everything else I normally do (everything, that is, except TALK). It ended up being a much easier night's work than I expected, at least it happened at a practice game that few will ever remember. In the contest itself the Royals defeated Norfolk 5-4. Newcomer Mike Pereira (from UMass-Amherst) scored two goals, the club got single tallies from local product Tyler Gjurich (from Hatfield, PA), returning veteran Ian Watters and veteran newcomer Geoff Walker (he appeared in the ECHL All-Star Game when we hosted it in 2009). Connor Knapp was the winning goalie, he and Watters are among thirteen returnees from the '14-15 season. The landscape of pro hockey at the minor league level changed greatly in the offseason, as a result of the AHL's western migration the ECHL gained several new eastern-based franchises. Manchester, New Hampshire and Glens Falls, New York have joined Norfolk as former AHL markets now in the ECHL. All three of those clubs are in our division so we will see them frequently at the Arena. The regular season begins on the 17th, the Royals play their first three on the road before opening at home on the 24th. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 7-9

Wednesday morning lunch in Quarryville, in the evening we were back at the rink as week #3 continued. There were two crossovers and two West games on this night, in the crossovers the Oil Riggers beat the Hammerheads and the Blues defeated the Pub Dawgs. In the West the Killbots prevailed over the Misfits and the Riot beat the Kings. Thursday night featured three games, one of each variety. In the crossover the Killbots won over the Oil Riggers, H&F Tire beat the Pub Dawgs in the West game and in the first head-to-head East matchup of the season the UniLords defeated the Steamers. Week #4 is another four-night week, it starts with makeup games on Monday the 12th. On Friday there were late afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast, they rolled through during the 4:00 hour. In the evening I was at Rossmere Stadium for the LCHS Crusaders game with Manheim Central. MC is another of the league's more celebrated football programs, they are to their division what Wilson is to theirs. The scheduled 7:00 kickoff was delayed to 7:30 due to the thunderstorms, once we got started the fans were treated to an entertaining game. LCHS trailed 14-0 in the second quarter before Jordan Scott's halfback-option pass to wideout Zakke Sailsman got the Crusaders on the board, Nick Corrigan's extra point made it 14-7. On Central's next possession Sailsman (in as a defensive back) picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown, the conversion attempt failed. Central would extend the lead to 20-13 in the fourth quarter, in the closing minutes the Crusaders mounted a furious rally but could not reach the end zone. The loss drops LCHS to 1-2 in the division, 2-4 overall. I'm back at Rossmere on the 16th, the Crusaders host Lebanon. Saw on the 'net where McCaskey won their game over Penn Manor in Millersville 28-0, that is JPM's first victory by shutout since 2010. Their mark improves to 1-2 and 2-4 respectively, they return home on the 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 1-6

The expected heavy rain from the south moved into the area overnight into Thursday, the night's three-game schedule at Reservoir Park was postponed. We rescheduled them for Monday the 12th, that gives us two straight Mondays of makeup games. Friday's weather was more of the same, after an afternoon haircut appointment I elected to stay in for the duration. Several of the evening's high school football games were affected by the weather, some were moved to Saturday or Monday while others had starting times changed to late-afternoon instead of the usual 7:00 kickoff. McCaskey was playing in Landisville against Hempfield, had the weather not been so unpleasant I would have gone but at my age the idea of standing on the sideline in the rain for three-plus hours isn't all that appealing anymore. There was a time when I would have tolerated it but those days are few and far between at this point. I was seeing Internet updates on the games all night long, JPM lost 39-29. They were trailing 33-7 in the third quarter but rallied to make the final score somewhat more respectable. There was little else going on the weekend outside of lunch with Jenny and her mother on Saturday. That storm system in the Caribbean they were watching ended up moving out to sea, areas in the southern part of the nation were hit hard but the northeast was spared the brunt of it. Stopped by the rink on Monday morning, the rink was surprisingly clean from the weekend (all of the wind was from the north and northeast which makes a difference). In the evening we played the makeup games from September 29, one west game and three crossovers. In the West the Killbots beat the Hammerheads, the crossovers saw H&F Tire over the Blues via shootout, the Oil Riggers over the Misfits and the UniLords over the Pub Dawgs. On Tuesday the format was the same, in the West game the Riot beat the Hammerheads. In the crossovers the Steamers won over H&F Tire, the UniLords downed the Misfits and the Blues defeated the Kings. Take care, thanks for reading