December 29-31

Friday afternoon: had my mother back at the doctor, this was the makeup date for the appointment snafu from earlier in the week. Snow moved through the area overnight into Saturday, the morning drive to Quarryville was sloppy but manageable (the snow itself was very light and powdery, it brushed off the car with little effort). In the evening we were back at the Arena for the final game of the calendar year, the Adirondack Thunder was the opponent for the sixth of their seven visits. ADK scored early in the first but Brian Morgan knotted matters late in the period, in the second the Royals took advantage of a major penalty power play. Michael Huntebrinker put the club ahead 2-1 on the man-up, moments after the penalty expired he lit the lamp again to make it 3-1. Early in the third Morgan netted his second of the night but the Thunder battled back to within 4-3, in the closing minutes Huntebrinker hit the empty net to complete his first professional hattrick. John Muse got the start in net and earned the 5-3 win. Emotions ran high in the latter part of the game, on the night the teams combined for sixty-five minutes in penalties (forty-six of them in the third period alone). The club improves to 16-13-2, 11-5 at home. The boys begin a five-game homestand on January 5 when '16-17 playoff foe Brampton visits. The calendar year expired quietly on Sunday with pro football games on TV, with outside temperatures in the teens and wind chills hovering around zero or lower there was absolutely no reason to go outdoors. There was supposed to be a New Years celebration with fireworks in downtown Lancaster, anyone who was there in those weather conditions had to be a masochist. Thanks for reading, everyone. See you in 2018, take care.

December 26-28

Tuesday morning: took my mother to a doctor appointment only to learn that it had been canceled since the doctor she was supposed to see is no longer associated with the office (one would think someone could have called and informed her of this when it happened back in OCTOBER). On Wednesday night we were at McCaskey for opening night play in our annual holiday tournament. In other places it's not unusual for the hosting team to play an easy touch in the opener and insure a berth in the championship game but at McCaskey it's the other way around. This edition of the tournament featured Oxon Hill (from suburban Washington, DC), John Bartram (Philadelphia) and perennial participant York High. Oxon Hill Hill beat York in the first game, in the nightcap we lost to Bartram 67-59. Isiah Speller had 18 and Makai Ortiz added 14, the only two players in double digits for JPM. On Thursday (in my absence) the boys lost to York in the tournament consolation game, the record after eight games stands at 2-6. There's an expression for what's going on, it's called "growing pains". Thursday night found me at the Arena for hockey, the Royals hosted one of the league's new clubs as the Worcester Railers made the first of their eight scheduled appearances. Worcester, Massachusetts was in the AHL from 1994-2015, that franchise fell victim to the AHL's western migration. The Royals entered the night on a five-game winless streak which came to a screeching halt in short order. Michael Huntebrinker gave the club a 1-0 lead four minutes in, eight seconds later Jimmy DeVito made it 2-0. Midway through the period Chris McCarthy lit the lamp, before the period ended Worcester cut the deficit to 3-1. In the second period scores by Adam Schmidt and Nolan Zajac bookended a single Railers marker, Matt Willows' goal in the third put the wraps on a 6-2 win. John Muse (back from the Phantoms) was the winning goaltender in his first Royals appearance since December 1. The club improves to 15-13-2 (10-5 at home), the next home game is on the 30th versus Adirondack. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 22-25

Made my way south to Jenny's place on Friday, it was her choice to do the holiday gift exchange on this day. This is a time of year that is of no concern to me, many years ago something happened in the month of December that destroyed the feeling and it has never come back. Jenny is the only reason I would pay any mind to it, I make sure she isn't disappointed. She didn't ask for anything specific but she liked what I got for her. In the evening we were back in downtown Reading as the Royals opened a two-game series with the Manchester Monarchs. This was the first two of four visits for the Mons at the Arena, the other two are part of another back-to-back scheduled in March. Manchester entered the weekend with the division''s best record and it wasn't difficult to see why, they won both games in relatively easy fashion. In the Friday opener the Royals took an early lead on a Michael Huntebrinker goal but the Monarchs rang up three in a row in the second to lead 3-1. Matt Willows brought the Royals to within one midway through the game but a Monarch score late in the second and another early in the third put it out of reach, the final count was 5-2. On Saturday the morning weather was rainy and gloomy which was the perfect backdrop for the evening's events at the Arena. The game on this night was never really in doubt, the Monarchs scored the first four goals and won easily 6-2. Ryan Penny and newcomer Jimmy DeVito scored for the Royals, Devito played in college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) when Royals head coach Kirk MacDonald was an assistant coach there (K-Mac is himself an RPI alum). Mark Dekanich was the goalie of record in both games for the Royals as the club's losing streak reaches five games, four of those on home ice. The overall record stands at 14-13-2 (9-5 at the Arena), we're back home on the 28th against the new Worcester Railers. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 20-21

Wednesday lunch with Jenny, in the evening it was a basketball night at McCaskey as the Red Tornado hosted Penn Manor. The teams entered the evening tied in the division standings at 1-1 and given the relative inexperience our club has at the varsity level this game couldn't be considered a "gimme". The night began with a scintillating JV game, Dante Wilson's rebound and putback at the buzzer gave JPM a 61-59 win. The varsity game was never really in doubt, the boys came out running and were never seriously challenged. We were up by thirteen at the quarter and twenty-two at the half, the final was 77-52. Isiah Speller and Tallian Lehr led JPM with fourteen points each, Makai Ortiz and Jahsaan Geaves had ten apiece, Brian McKenzie and Bryam Menendez added seven each and Eddie Simmons and Jordan Washington each had four. Ajani Simmons broke the "doubles" pattern with three points, Gary Smith and Zakeye Cooper rounded out the scoring with two points each. The club plays at Conestoga Valley on Friday the 22nd but I am absent for ice hockey in Reading. Thursday (much like Tuesday had been) was quiet except for the morning errand run. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 18-19

Monday lunch at the mall, in late afternoon we convened at McCaskey. The boys lost on Saturday in Harrisburg, on this night we traveled to Lebanon for the season's second league game. The history between JPM and Lebanon dates back prior to the formation of the LL League, the schools were together in the old Central Penn League in the 1960s and there has rarely been any love lost. The night began with a victory for the JV squad, their first of the season. In the main event the varsity earned its first W but it wasn't easy. At halftime we were up by eleven, the lead was twelve entering the last quarter. Lebanon put on a furious rally but JPM held on for a tough 59-56 decision. Eleven players got into the game, ten hit the scoring column: Ajani Simmons led with 11, Tallian Lehr and Eddie Simmons had nine each, Brian McKenzie and Bryam Menendez added seven apiece, Makai Ortiz scored six, Gary Smith had five, Jordan Washington and Jahsaan Greaves each had a field goal and Isiah Speller had a very rare off-night with one point at the foul line. It was another night where the floor seemed unlevel, Lebanon outscored us at the line 20-7. It's never a bad thing to win in Lebanon, it's our longest trip within the division (about 25 miles give-or-take, Cedar Crest is the exact same route but about three miles less) and the bus ride back is always a little more palatable after a win. The club's mark is even at 1-1 in the division and 1-3 overall, we're back home on Wednesday the 20th versus Penn Manor. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 15-17

The weekend of December 15-17 will be remembered for some time and for reasons more bad than good. For starters it was a three-in-three hockey weekend at the Arena (one of three on the schedule) and for seconds the Friday weather and travel was a disaster. There was snow in the forecast, predictions were for a dusting to an inch. I had a haircut appointment at 12:30, in the afternoon the snow arrived as I was going south to Jenny's place. We made our way back around town and encountered nothing but backup after backup, there wasn't a road I could get on that wasn't slowed to a crawl. We never moved at any appreciable speed until we got onto 222 outside of Brownstown (a back-road shortcut I know), we finally made it to the Arena at 6:00, one hour before faceoff and an hour later than normal. The hell of it all is that conditions weren't really all that bad, everybody just freaked out over one lousy inch of snow. If you are going to live in this region you have to know how to drive in this stuff or else stay the hell off the road and out of the way. The Wheeling Nailers were the opponent on Friday and Saturday, these games concluding a stretch of four straight home dates for the Royals with Wheeling as the visitor. The Royals are somewhat shorthanded due to injuries and AHL callups, the roster had some new faces added as free agents from the Southern Professional Hockey League. In the Friday opener the Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a goal from Scott Tanski, late in the period Matt Willows and Michael Huntebrinker scored eight seconds apart to up the lead to three. Willows struck again in the second to make it 4-0, that would be the final as Mark Dekanich earned his first shutout of the season and the second for the club. On Saturday the leftover slop melted down nicely, driving was absolutely no issue whatever. On this night Dek was in goal again but Wheeling led 3-0 in the third, goals from Adam Schmidt and newcomer Brian Morgan (from SPHL Pensacola) brought the Royals within one. A Wheeling empty-netter ended the rally as the Nailers left town with the 4-2 decision. On Sunday the Adirondack Thunder visited for the fifth of their seven games at the Arena, new goaltender Tyler Parks got the start in net. Parks was recently added from SPHL Peoria since John Muse is on recall to the AHL Phantoms, on this day his Royals debut did not go well. The Thunder scored three goals in the first period and were never headed as they won going away 6-2, Adam Schmidt and Derek Whitmore scored for the Royals. The club's mark stands at 14-10-2, 9-3-0 at the Arena. The end of the weekend also marks the end of a seven-game home stretch against either ADK or WHL (although we see the Thunder once more at home before the end of 2017), the boys are back at home versus Manchester for a back-to-back on the 22nd and 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 13-14

Had the usual lunch visit with Jenny on Wednesday, on Thursday night we were back at McCaskey. Most of the preseason prognostications have Hempfield, Manheim Township and Cedar Crest as the top three finishers in our division of the LL League, the order varies according to who you listen to. We are not expected to be in the running due to the overall inexperience we have at the varsity level and maybe they're right but the journey should not be dull. On this night Cedar Crest visited for the  league opener and the result probably wouldn't have surprised many. JPM lost 61-46 but for three quarters the game was competitive, CC pulled away in the fourth period thanks to foul shooting. We were whistled for seventeen fouls on the night while Cedar Crest was called for only six (in thirty-two minutes of play???). On the floor the game was dead even, each team scored forty-three points. At the line we were 3-for-5, CC was 18-for-23. It's utterly amazing how similar plays are called differently depending on which end of the court it occurs and quite frankly it's been going on for years so it's not entirely a revelation. It's simply hard to win when you have to spend all night running uphill because the floor is tilted. Isiah Speller led JPM with fifteen points, he was the only Red Tornado in double figures. The boys are back in action on Saturday afternoon for a non-league game in Harrisburg, I am absent for hockey in Reading. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 11-12

Brilliant sunshine on Sunday helped to melt down most of the mess from Saturday, on Monday morning I stopped by Reservoir Park. The dek hockey rink was completely clear except for a thin crust along the boards on the penalty box side, an area that rarely gets any prolonged sun. Had a game been necessary in the evening we would have been good to go, I could have pushed the snow into the center of the rink where the sun would have melted it down in good order. Luckily none of it was needed because the season is over and there aren't many who are upset about it. I spent my evening indoors at McCaskey with the basketball season opener and the start of my 30th year on the mic. The gym was built in 1973, in 2013 new lights and seating areas were installed and over this past summer the playing floor was redone and new scoreboards were added. Every year we play a non-league schedule that would make other teams cringe, on this night Chester (a perennial powerhouse and head coach Steve "Bird" Powell's alma mater) was the opponent. Coach Powell had cancer surgery in 2014 and his health is an ongoing concern, as a result there have been some changes within the coaching staff. The new head coach of the JV squad is a young man named Ray Lewis, former JV boss Mike Mitchell is acting head coach at the varsity level. During the varsity game Bird was present on the bench but Mike was entrusted with the rights the head coach usually receives. The JV squad lost 54-41, in the varsity game JPM came out on the wrong end of a 78-56 verdict. It was a two-point game at halftime, in the third Chester kicked it into another gear and the Red Tornado couldn't keep up. This is a very young team and the club made its share of mistakes but there was also a lot to like so there is reason for optimism going forward, it's all a matter of getting everyone on the same page. There are thirteen players on the roster (eight returnees) and ten of them got into the scoring column: Isiah Speller (the only returnee who did NOT play JV in '16-17) and Ajani Simmons had 12 each, Tallian Lehr added ten, Brian McKenzie and newcomer Eddie Simmons had six each, Gary Smith had three, Bryam Menendez, Isaiah Thomas and Makai Ortiz each had two and Zakeye Cooper made the book by hitting one-of-two at the foul line. The boys are back at home on Thursday the 14th for the league opener against Cedar Crest. On Tuesday night the girls' basketball team played its home opener against Reading High, it was possibly the lone chance I'll get to see them during the regular season. Head Coach Brian McCloud has his own reconstruction project going with a lot of new players, on this night the result was on the good side as the varsity won 72-70. As I was walking to the car after the game the wind was whipping around and it was bitterly cold. Did I mention how glad I am that dek hockey is over until spring? Take care, thanks for reading.

December 6-10

Wednesday night at the Arena, the Royals were at home for the second of four straight home dates against Wheeling. The clubs had met over the weekend for a pair of games in Wheeling, there was some ugliness in the second game that resulted in several suspensions. On this night there was some leftover testiness even though none of the punished players were in the lineup, at one point in the third period the respective head coaches had a verbal confrontation that thankfully went no further. Nolan Zajac gave the Royals a 1-0 lead early in the first period, Alex Krushelnyski's marker late in the period extended the advantage to two. The Nailers got on the board in the second but from there Mark Dekanich and the defense held the fort for a tough 2-1 victory. The club improves to 8-1 at home (avenging their lone home loss in the process) and 12-7-2 overall, the club plays its next two on the road before returning for a three-in-three on December 15 (Friday and Saturday versus Wheeling, Sunday against Adirondack). On Thursday I stopped by basketball practice at McCaskey in late afternoon to pick up the scorebooks and a team roster from Coach Powell. Right now we have twenty-four players on the organizational roster, thirteen on the varsity and twelve on the JV with one player going both ways. It's hard to say what kind of team we'll have, in '16-17 the program's 7-14 mark was its worst since 1994. We have eight returnees who have varsity experience but most of them were chiefly JV players, who will step up and claim starting positions remains to be seen. Our teams never lack for talent or athleticism but this year's will be very inexperienced at least at the start. The journey begins on the 11th at home against Chester in the first game of our typically tough non-league schedule. When I left school I went directly to the rink where the fall dek hockey season came to an end. The Owls defeated the Kings 4-3 to claim the West Division title scoring the winning goal with twenty-seven seconds left. The season started on October 3 and ended sixty-six days later, as the weekend played out it was probably not a minute too soon. On Saturday the first major weather event of the season dumped five inches of snow in our area, it began in late morning and peaked during the later afternoon/early evening hours. I was with Jenny for a lunch visit, when I got home around 3:00 the snow was beginning to fall in earnest and I was very glad to be in and warm. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 1-5

The last month of 2017 started with an open weekend, the Royals were on the road finishing a three-game trip at 1-1-1. On Monday we were at Reservior Park for game #3 of the West Finals, the Kings staved off elimination with a victory over the Owls. We set game #4 for Tuesday night despite a weather forecast that was less than favorable, for most of Tuesday it looked like we might get lucky. The rain was supposed to start around noontime and stay for most of the day, had that happened there would have been no controversy whatsoever but (of course) it didn't go down like that at all. The rain did not arrive until 4:00 or so, at that hour I was at McCaskey. The boys basketball team was leaving for a road scrimmage at 4:30, I had planned to make the trip had there been no hockey. At the very least it gave me an opportunity to touch base with the coaches and bring them up to speed on when I will be absent because of the Royals (as it stands I'll have seven absences, five of them are away games). The bus left at 4:30 (minus me), by then the rain was coming steadily and there no question the hockey game would be postponed until Thursday. Had the system arrived earlier as expected I could have gone to the scrimmage but all I got instead was an unwanted evening at home. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 27-30

The last four days of the month were quiet save for Monday lunch at the mall, Wednesday lunch with Jenny and two nights of dek hockey at Reservoir Park. The best-of-five West Finals began on Tuesday and continued on Thursday, the week ended with the Owls up 2-0 over the Kings. Thursday night was interesting in that there was rain forecast for later in the evening but it arrived while we were playing. It was a nuisance but nothing that was stopping us, within a half hour of the game ending the rain was gone as well. We started this season two weeks later than expected and as it stands we're only one day behind where we'd be had we started on time. If the league would have started on September 19 as planned we would have played two nights a week for seven weeks with no weather interruptions ending on November 2. Playoffs would have been scheduled to start on the 7th, the rainout that night would have pushed it back to the 9th. The East Finals and West Semifinals would have all ended on the 16th, the West Finals would have started on the 21st and continued after the holiday break with game #2 on the 28th instead of the 30th. The series plays again on Monday the 4th, games beyond that if needed are on the 5th and 7th. It's been some time since the season extended into December which is why it feels like we're way behind but the fact remains we're only one date off the pace, having only that one postponement for weather was definitely a plus. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 23-26

Thursday was the annual Turkey Day holiday, for me it was a quiet day with little going on except pro football on TV. On Friday I had my weekend lunch visit with Jenny a day early, in the evening we were back at the Arena for "Purple Friday". The Adirondack Thunder was the opponent, their radio announcer is a young man named Evan Pivnick. Evan is in his first year in the ECHL, on this night his father was in town to see him and for me it was a renewal of an old acquaintance. During my baseball days in Berks County the team from Albany, New York was a frequent opponent, Evan's father Phil was a broadcaster for that club from 1983-1985. When Evan introduced his father to me Phil said "Frenchy! Yeah, I know Frenchy", Evan was surprised because he had no idea his father and I had ever met before. The game itself was all Royals from the get-go. Matt Willows gave the club a 1-0 lead five minutes in, early in the second Adam Schmidt extended the advantage to two. From there John Muse and the defense corps slammed the door on the 2-0 win, the shutout was the club's first of the season. Saturday was uneventful since it was a non-gameday, on Sunday we were back in downtown Reading for the final home game of the month. The Wheeling Nailers were in for the second of six visits (and the first of four straight in Reading), on this day the Royals' undefeated streak on home ice ended in emphatic fashion. The Nailers scored twice in the first and once in the second, early in the third they were up 4-0. Midway through the period Ryan Penny broke up the shutout bid but Wheeling got that one back and won it without question 5-1. The Royals' mark stands at 10-6-1 overall, the club's next three are on the road before Wheeling returns on December 6. Take care, thank for reading.

November 22

Found out what happened on Tuesday night at Reservoir Park in my absence: the Steamers wrapped up the East Finals with a win over the UniLords, in the West semifinals the Kings and Owls advanced to the championship round which begins on Tuesday the 28th. Had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday morning, in the evening I was back at the Arena for a special non-hockey event. In March of 2017 the Reading High School basketball team won the state title, graduating senior Lonnie Walker was the on-court leader of that squad. Lonnie is in his freshman year at the University Of Miami, on this night he and his teammates played a "home" game at the Arena. Lasalle University (from Philadelphia) was the opponent, they had a reasonable following in attendance but for the most part the crowd was very partisan in favor of Miami. The Royals management asked me to handle the PA since Miami's regular guy didn't make the trip, I coordinated with the school's athletic director of marketing and there were no issues at all. The game started at 6:00 before a near-sellout crowd, later in the night it was announced that better than 6700 were in the house. Walker was not in the starting lineup but when he entered early in the game he received the Hero's Welcome, he played twenty-seven of the game's forty minutes and scored five points. The game wound down around 7:45 or so, Miami won it 57-46 (a low-scoring game for college but it's still early in the season). The game rightfully received a great deal of media attention, the game was broadcast on each school's radio network and the local station in Reading did its own broadcast as well. There are projections that Lonnie Walker could be a one-year college player, many so-called draft experts see him as a possible first-round professional pick in 2018. Nobody can know for sure (least of all me) but it's safe to say that all of Berks County is rooting for him. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 20-21

Stopped by the rink on Monday afternoon and did the requisite prelim work after the long weekend. The winds were mostly out of the west/northwest over the weekend but that didn't keep the rink clear at all, there were pockets of leaves in the corners. We had playoff games at the rink on Tuesday evening but I was absent. Jenny was in town on Tuesday, when her appointment was finished in the afternoon we went to her place for her mother and then north to Reading for a rare Tuesday night hockey game. The Royals went 1-2 on the most recent road trip, on this night the Adirondack Thunder was the opponent for the third of seven visits. Mark Naclerio's goal put the Royals up 1-0 seven minutes in, less than two minutes later the Thunder evened the score but Ryan Penny's tally with five minutes left made it 2-1 Royals at the intermission. In the second period ADK struck early to tie it 2-2 but from there it was all Royals. Midway through the period Matt Wilkins put the club back ahead, third-period scores from Nolan Zajac and rookie Michael Huntebrinker put the wrap on a 5-2 win (Huntebrinker played college hockey at Minnesota State, he had a "cup of coffee" with the Royals at the tail-end of '16-17). John Muse was the goaltender of decision as the club improves to 8-5-1 and stays unbeaten at home at 6-0. We're back at the Arena on the weekend, on "Purple Friday versus Adirondack (again) and a Sunday date with Wheeling. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 13-19

Monday morning lunch at the mall, in the evening we finished the dek hockey league's regular season. These were the games postponed from the 7th, as the night began each game had some bearing on the final standings. Winners included the Steamers over the Hammerheads. the Unilords over the Riot, the Misfits over the Kings and the Owls over the Pub Dawgs via shootout. We had planned to start playoffs on Tuesday had the league ended on time as scheduled, Monday's makeups did not change that (everybody who played Monday was playing again on Tuesday so no one could claim unfair advantage). The East Division Championship featured the Steamers versus the UniLords, the West Division semifinal matchups were the Kings vs the Misfits and the Owls vs the Riot. Game #2 of each series was played on Thursday night, by week's end the Steamers were up 2-0 in the best-of-five East Finals and both of the best-of-three West semis were tied at 1-1. The week otherwise was relatively quiet except for my lunch visits with Jenny on Wednesday and Saturday. The Royals were on a three-game road swing during the week, the boys are back home on Tuesday the 21st. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 12

I was recently contacted by a gentleman I know from high school basketball, he officiates in the L-L League and he is also a regular attendee of Royals games at the Arena. He plays hockey in a local adult league that plays its games at the Regency Sportsrink, one of the ice facilities here in Lancaster. The Regency Rookie Hockey League was able to arrange a charity game with the Flyers Alumni and he asked me if I'd be available to do the PA. The game was played on Sunday afternoon before a standing-room-only crowd, the rink seating area is very small and there were standees all along the spectator side of the rink. This was only the second or third time I was ever in the facility, the penalty boxes and player benches are all together on the same side of the rink and as you might expect in a small building it was COLD (but since it's an ice arena one would hardly expect it to be any other way). This was not an "A-level" event for the Alumni so a lot of the "big names" were not there but there were many quite recognizable. Alumni president Brad Marsh was in uniform along with Joe Watson, Bob Kelly, Larry Goodenough, Todd Fedoruk, Riley Cote, Terry Carkner, Mitch Lamoureux and former Phantom Frank Bialowas. Ex-NHLer Bryan Helmer (now an executive with the AHL club in Hershey) was in the lineup as were one-time Royals Jeff Corey and Chase Watson (Joe's nephew). The squad was rounded out with some players not particularly well-known but with connections to the Alumni, among them were Chris Bialowas (Frank's son), Mike Cauley, Ted Russell, Len Ellis and goalie Matt Tendler. Retired NHL referee Paul Devorski was one of the game's on-ice officials. The game only took about an hour to play, there were two fifteen-minute stop-time periods and one twenty-minute running-time period with a one-minute break in-between. The Alumni won the game but the result didn't matter, what counted was the experience the Rookie Leaguers had playing the game and the money raised for the benefiting charity. There was a postgame get-together for food, I had a chance to meet and talk with Joe Watson and Len Ellis. Joe was a member of the Flyers' Stanley Cup championship clubs in 1974 and '75, he's in his early 70s and still plays regularly in Alumni events. Len Ellis (or maybe I should say Doctor Ellis) is a great story in his own right, he played pro hockey in Europe and is a practicing orthodontist in New Jersey. In the end everybody went home happy and that's what it was all about. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 11

Saturday night was a hockey night in downtown Reading, the Royals were at home for the first time since October 29. The club went 1-3-1 on the road trip, on this night the new Jacksonville Icemen made their lone scheduled appearance of the season. Jacksonville, Florida was in the ECHL previously from 1995-2000, in the 1970s the city hosted an AHL franchise for two seasons. The new team is the franchise that was in Evansville, Indiana from 2012 to 2016, over the summer it was reactivated in Florida after one year of dormancy. Before the game there was a ceremony observing Veterans Day, the teams participated with a local scout troop in displaying a large flag on-ice during the performance of the national anthem. The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on a goal by Steven Swavely, early in the second Matt Wilkins lit the lamp to extend the advantage, The Icemen got on the board midway through the period but less than a minute later Adam Schmidt replied to make it 3-1. In the third Matt Willows padded the lead, Alex Krushelnyski's empty-netter with a minute to go put the lid on a 5-1 decision. John Muse got the start in net and picked up the win. Rookie defenseman Frank Hora (from Kitchener in the Ontario League) played to a +5 and was the game's #3 star, Schmidt earned #2 honors and James de Haas (back from his AHL stint with the Phantoms) was #1 with four assists and a +5 for the evening. The club improves to 6-3-1 (5-0 at the Arena), the next three are on the road before the boys return home on Tuesday the 21st to host Adirondack. The ECHL schedule is always a curiosity and here's a case in point: the Royals play sixteen home games during the 2017 portion of the schedule, eleven of them are against Adirondack and Wheeling. After the first of the year the Thunder and the Nailers visit just once each. Strange...but true. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 6-10

The past few days were a classic example of why I operate the way I do where the dek hockey league is concerned. It rained overnight into Monday, I stopped by the rink after lunch and found it buried under leaves. Although we had no games that evening I cleared the rink anyway because (a) it had to be done and it wasn't happening by itself and (b) there was rain in the forecast for Tuesday. When I left the surface was as clear as I (and the Billy-Goat) could get it, on Tuesday afternoon it didn't look any different largely because the winds were out of the west-northwest. The forecasted rain arrived in mid-afternoon and continued well into the evening, the night's schedule was postponed and reset for Monday the 13th. On Wednesday Jenny and I had our usual midweek lunch, on the way back into town I checked out the rink. It was still in good shape since the rain had fallen on a bare surface, had those leaves still been there it would have been a soggier mess than Monday had been. On Thursday I gave the rink a final once-over after lunch, the evening's schedule went on as planned but it wasn't particularly enjoyable. The local TV weather forecast indicated small patches of light mist here and there, it was all supposed to clear out and be gone by 7:00. We played most the night in misty conditions, there were periods of rain that didn't stop us but it was just enough to be annoying. Winners on the night included the Riot over the Pub Dawgs, the Steamers over the Misfits, the UniLords over the Hammerheads and the Kings over the Owls via shootout. Overnight into Friday temperatures dropped into the 30s, during the day we had plenty of sunshine but the winds made it feel very cold. I had a haircut appointment in the afternoon and called it a day from there. High school football began its district playoffs but I am very provincial in that regard, "if we ain't there I don't care" (especially when the wind-chill factor is in single digits). Take care, thanks for reading.

November 4-5

Not much doing on Saturday which was more than acceptable since Sunday was busy. In the afternoon we made our way north of Reading for our annual hockey visit to Allentown. The Flyers' AHL club has played in the Lehigh Valley since 2014, in past years our visit there has been in the latter part of the season. When the schedule was released in August I noted that the Phantoms had only four Sunday dates at home, two were on occasions when the Royals were at home and one other at a time of the year when weather concerns could be an issue so I selected this game in November (in the '16-'17 season there were no workable Sundays, we ended up doing a Saturday night in April instead). The Phantoms have several players who have spent time with the Royals including former Royals captain Maxim Lamarche, Tyrell Goulbourne, Reece Willcox and Radel Fazleev (one game in Reading in '16-'17). The Phantoms also have Adam Comrie and rookie James de Haas on recall from the Royals, de Haas is a Clarkson Unversity product. The Toronto Marlies (the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate) were the opponent, both clubs entered with excellent early-season records but this game was just about all Marlies. The Phantoms took a 1-0 lead three minutes in on a goal by red-hot Danick Martel, it was his thirteenth score in the team's thirteenth game. Toronto took control from there scoring five unanswered and winning it going away 5-1. Veteran goaltender Dustin Tokarski started for the Phantoms and suffered the loss. The Flyers' AHL team has played under the Phantoms name since 1996, for thirteen years the club played its home games in Philadelphia at the old Spectrum and I was able to visit several times a season. In 2009 the Spectrum was closed and eventually demolished, the club was moved to Glens Falls, NY and played there until 2014 when the arena in Allentown was ready to go. The trip is not unpleasant (about 75 miles one-way) but I figure if I can get Jenny and her mother there once a year and take care of the Royals as well that's good enough for me. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 1-3

The eleventh month of the year began on Wednesday, had my usual lunch visit with Jenny in Quarryville. On Thursday I stopped by the rink after lunch and did some prelim work for the evening. This is the time of year for it although for us falling leaves is not just an autumn phenomenon, it is a year-round thing. On this night we finished week #5 with each team playing its twelfth game, winners included the Hammerheads over the Pub Dawgs, the UniLords over the Owls, the Steamers over the Kings and the Misfits over the Riot. On Friday high school football's regular season ended, I was at brand-new Crusader Stadium for the second time in 2017. Lancaster Catholic hosted Northern Lebanon, before the game we did the usual Senior Night recognitions. The Crusaders started out with four non-league games and lost them all but in league play they rebounded with a 5-0 mark. NL entered the night also unbeaten in league play (8-1 overall) making this game a de facto division championship game. The first quarter was scoreless as both teams struggled offensively, in the second Northern Lebanon broke through with a TD to lead 7-0 at the half. NL got the kickoff to start the second half and wasted no time extending the lead to 14-0, at that point the alarm bell rang on the Crusader side of the field. A seven-run TD run by Malkam Lawrence and Conner Engle's PAT made it 14-7 after three, in the final quarter C.J. Zimmerman scored on a ten-yard run, Engle's XP kick tied the game at 14-up. It all set the stage for a fantastic finish but for LCHS it turned into a disaster. The Crusaders had possession deep in their own territory in the final two minutes when a lost fumble gave NL a first-and-goal at the ten-yard line, they cashed in to go up 21-14 with a minute left. On their next possession the Crusaders were able to advance to the NL 26-yard line with four seconds left, the would-be game-tying pass attempt fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired. For LCHS it is a heartbreaking loss made all the more so because it signals the end of head coach Bruce Harbach's career. Earlier in the fall he announced his retirement after sixteen year as the head man at LCHS (and forty-one years in the business), under his watch the Crusader program won seven division titles, four district championships and the state title twice (2009 and 2011). Saw on the Internet where McCaskey lost their finale to finish at 2-8. There are other schools in the area who will participate in district playoffs but for me the season is OVER. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 30-31

Monday lunch at the mall, in early afternoon I did some early work at the rink in preparation for the evening. This was the last scheduled Monday for the season, it was because Halloween fell on Tuesday and over the years we've learned better than to try to play on the 31st. In the early days we would play that night and have nothing but trouble with eggs, rocks and bottles being thrown onto the rink, calling the police was pointless because there weren't enough cops in the city to handle all the calls they would get. I wasn't entirely sold on the 30th either but our chances are better than on the actual "trick-or-treat" night, as it turned out we played completely without incident. On this night the Riot beat the Owls, the Kings downed the Hammerheads, the Misfits defeated the Pub Dawgs and the Steamers prevailed over the UniLords via overtime shootout. On Tuesday my mother had a morning doctor appointment, the rest of the day (and the evening) was uneventful. In recent years my neighborhood has had few families with small children, as a result there is very little traffic on treat-or-treat night. There was a time when different municipalities held T-or-T on different nights and families from around the county would actually travel accordingly but these days just about the entire county observes it on the same night. Dek hockey continues on Thursday the 2nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 28-29

Saturday lunch with Jenny was the extent of that day's activities, overnight into Sunday a chilly front with rain moved through the region. It was a hockey day in downtown Reading, the Royals closed out their four-game season-opening homestand with a 4:00 visit from the Adirondack Thunder. Overtime was required in each of the first three games but on this day the result was never really in doubt. Goals in the first four minutes by Steven Swavely (the local product recently reassigned from the AHL Phantoms) and Ryan Penny staked the Royals to an early 2-0 lead. The Thunder got one back but a late score from Nolan Zajac made it 3-1 at the intermission. In the second the Royals bagged three in a row, defenseman Chase Golightly (a late-season addition in March of '17) scored his first as a Royal followed by Penny's second of the day and a power-play strike from Derek Whitmore to make it 6-1. ADK got back on the board but another tally by Alex Kryshelnyski gave the Royals a five-goal lead after two. Each team netted two scores in the third, the Royals' first coming courtesy of newcomer Tyler Brown (seven-year pro who played for the Phantoms from 2011-2014 when the franchise was based in Glens Falls). At the twelve-minute mark Ryan Penny gave the fans an opportunity to throw their hats, he put the wrap on the 9-4 win with his first hat-trick as a professional. John Muse (unsurprisingly known to his teammates as "Moose") picked up his second win of the season as the club improves to 4-0-0 in the early going. The boys play their next five on the road, they return home to host the brand-new Jacksonville Icemen on November 11. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 27

Friday night football at McCaskey for the final time in 2017, the Red Tornado hosted Penn Manor in the season's last home game. Before the kickoff we had the usual Senior Night recognitions, nineteen members of the team and three cheerleaders were introduced along with parents and/or other family members. At halftime the senior members of the band and color guard (or as they say it: the "marching unit") received their moment, one of the assistant band directors handled those introductions (which didn't bother me in the least, it gave me a chance to take a walk and relax). The game itself began in electrifying fashion for JPM when Anthony Deleon returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, Nick Allen's PAT made it 7-0 seventeen seconds in. Penn Manor replied quickly with two scores of their own to lead 14-7 at the quarter break. In the second quarter Tallian Lehr found Eric Greenawalt with a 30-yard TD strike to tie the score at 14-up, after another PM touchdown Isiah Speller caught a pass from Ante Robinson and took it 89 yards to forge a 21-21 deadlock. The final round in the chamber belonged to the visitors, Penn Manor added another TD and led 28-21 at the half. The second half was scoreless except for a third-quarter Penn Manor field goal, the game ended with JPM on the short end 31-21. The club's mark drops to 2-7 overall, they finish up on the road on November 3rd. For me it marks the end of my thirtieth year on the PA and it won't be long before we're indoors on the hardwood. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 25-26

Wednesday was quiet except for the morning errand run, on Thursday Jenny and I did our usual midweek lunch a day later than normal. The reason for that was because it was a hockey night at the Arena in downtown Reading. The Toledo Walleye provided the opposition making the first of their two regular-season visits. The Walleye did not play in Reading during the '16-'17 season, this was their first appearance at the Arena since the opening round of the 2016 playoffs when the Royals prevailed in seven games. This was the first of six home dates on the schedule against non-divisional opponents, Toledo is the only one of those appearing more than once. The Royals fell behind 1-0 early on, in the second period newcomer Mark Naclerio (second-year pro from Brown University) scored on a breakaway to knot the score 1-1. Midway through the period Toledo regained the lead, five minutes into the third the Walleye went up 3-1. Two minutes later the Royals began the comeback, Chris McCarthy tipped in a shot by Chase Golightly to make it 3-2. Toledo took a penalty on the ensuing faceoff, on the power play McCarthy struck again to tie the game at 3-3. For a third consecutive game at the Arena we went into overtime, on this night there was another dose of Royals Magic. In the final minute a Toledo defender lost possession of the puck behind his net, Ryan Penny found Alex Krushelnyski in front for the slam-dunk GWG with thirty-three seconds left on the clock. Mark Dekanich picked up the decision in net as the club improves to 3-0-0, all at home and all in extra time. The boys stay home to host Adirondack on Sunday the 29th before hitting the road for a five-game stretch. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 23-24

Monday lunch at the mall, in the evening we were at the rink for the start of dek hockey week #4. The games on this night marked the start of the season's second half, winners in rematches from opening night included the UniLords over the Misfits, the Kings over the Pub Dawgs, the Steamers over the Riot and the Owls over the Hammerheads. As the night wore on the winds picked up from the southeast and we had rain overnight into Tuesday, I stopped by the rink in the morning and it was every bit the shipwreck I expected it would be. My mother had an appointment at the health campus for which I was required to remain present, they wanted her there by 9:45 so they could prepare for the procedure at 10:00. They didn't call her back until almost 10:30 but luckily it didn't take long, we were out of there by 11:30. After a healthy lunch I went back to the rink and worked it off, it took the better part of an hour to get the rink cleared to a reasonable degree. The sun broke out brilliantly while I was there which makes a big difference in drying the surface, when I went back for the evening at 5:00 there was only a small amount of work needed to have things completely ready to go. Each team played its ninth game on this night, the Owls defeated the Steamers, the Misfits beat the Hammerheads, the Unilords vanquished the Pub Dawgs and the Riot won over the Kings. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 21-22

Saturday afternoon on the road north to Reading as the 17th season of Royals hockey began in earnest. Earlier in the week the club announced Nick Luukko and Ryan Penny were voted as alternate captains, veteran newcomer Derek Whitmore (a ten-year pro with AHL and European experience) was elected by his teammates to wear the "C". The home opener was unusual in that it was played in the afternoon, faceoff was at 4:00 and the reason was simple: the region's most popular college football team was playing a huge nationally-televised game at 7:30 and the hockey club thought better of trying to buck up against it. The Adirondack Thunder was the opening-day opponent making the first of their seven regular-season visits. The game began in explosive fashion for the Royals, in the second minute of play Chris McCarthy lit the lamp to make it 1-0. Fourteen seconds later Alex Krushelnyski (son of former NHLer Mike Krushelnyski) extended the lead, in the last minute of the period Matt Willows found the net to put the Royals up by three. Early in the second period popular returnee Adam Comrie gave the club a 4-0 lead but from there the game turned on a dime. ADK bagged three of their own before the period expired and tied the score midway through the third. That set the stage for sudden-death overtime and had you blinked when it started you would have missed it completely, it lasted all of SEVEN seconds. Ryan Penny won the OT faceoff and immediately sprung Derek Whitmore on a breakaway, the Royals' new captain made no mistake netting the game-winner for the 5-4 victory. Mark Dekanich was the starter in goal and earned the win. On Sunday we were back at it at 4:00 (standard game time for Sundays at the Arena), the Wheeling Nailers were in town for the first of six visits. Matt Willows gave the Royals a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, the Nailers equaled it before the intermission and neither team scored again in regulation play. For a second consecutive day the Royals worked overtime and were rewarded, newcomer Nolan Zajac (from the University of Denver, the younger brother of NHLer Travis Zajac) was the OT hero on this night. Zajac's OTGWG gave the Royals the 2-1 verdict, veteran goaltender John Muse (ECHL playoff MVP in 2012, with the club on assignment from the AHL Phantoms) won his first game as a Royal. The weekend sweep is a great way to start the new year, we're back home on Thursday the 26th. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 20

Friday night football at McCaskey, the Red Tornado hosted Lebanon for the annual Homecoming game. It was also Athletic Hall-Of-Fame Night, the new honorees were inducted before the game in the school library and publicly introduced at halftime. One of the inductees was a gentleman named Jeff Swope, he was a cross-country and track star who graduated with me in 1974. Although we were classmates I must admit I didn't really know him all that well, when there are five-hundred members in a graduating class it's impossible to know everybody. When I introduced him at halftime I noted that we had graduated together, in the third quarter he came into the press box, introduced himself and thanked me for mentioning it. The game itself was an entertaining one in ways both good and bad, with a pair of one-win teams involved it wasn't an artistic success by any means. The teams combined for over 900 yards of total offense but also for 135 yards lost by penalties. JPM led at halftime by seven, when the smoke cleared the Red Tornado prevailed 48-33. Tallian Lehr threw four touchdown passes, three of them to Jamiere Gray and another to wideout Eric Greenawalt. Ante Robinson split time with Lehr at quarterback and rushed for two scores, R.J. Godwin added a TD run as well. Francois Zahno kicked four PATs, the club converted one two-point attempt and missed two others. With it all the game was not over until 10:00, better than three hours after the opening kickoff. The team's mark stands at 2-6, they host Penn Manor in the final home game on October 27. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 18-19

Wednesday morning lunch as usual with Jenny, on Thursday we were at the rink for night #7 of dek hockey. Winners on this night were the Riot over the Pub Dawgs, the Steamers over the Misfits, the Owls over the Kings and the UniLords over the Hammerheads. Every team in the league has played seven games with seven to go, the second half starts on Monday the 23rd with the rematches from opening night. The season started two weeks later than planned because of the rink repairs, we scheduled two three-game weeks in an effort to catch up. One of those is already in the books, the week of the 23rd is the other. The regular season is set to end on November 9 with playoffs to follow and this is the time of year when weather issues can be a concern. So far we've been very lucky, let's keep it that way. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 16-17

Monday morning: my mother had an appointment at the health campus and I was her transportation. She turned 83 in July and gave up driving, she says now she has absolutely no desire to get behind the wheel ever again even though her licence is still good for several more months. On Tuesday I stopped by the rink in the morning to see what the surface looked like, after lunch I returned and cleared the leaves. When we go from Thursday to Tuesday without games a lot can happen there especially at this time of year. When that rink was built in '79 a lot of mistakes were made, building it under a big line of trees was one of the worst. Whenever we get strong winds from the south/southeast I know we are in trouble, it's usually worth it to go there in the afternoon and do the prelim work ahead of time. When I went back for the evening there were only a few leaves on the surface which were easily removed by hand. This was the start of the season's third week and game #6 for all of the teams, winners on this night were the Misfits over the Kings, the UniLords over the Riot, the Owls over the Pub Dawgs and the Steamers over the Hammerheads. We reach the season's midpoint on Thursday the 19th, the second half starts on Monday the 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 11-15

Wednesday lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening we were in Reading for the Royals' annual meet and greet event. The club has twenty-three players on the season-opening roster, they were all present and seated two-to-a-table (one table had three) as the fanbase made its way around the arena concourse for autographs and photos. Jenny always looks forward to it, I walk along the periphery while she gets the autographs and poses with the players for the photos. There always seems to be one or two fans who ask me for my autograph and this time was no exception, it doesn't happen regularly but I've never stiffed anyone who asked me. The club has a new radio broadcaster, longtime play-by-play man Mark Thompson left during the offseason for a new career opportunity in Colorado. The new broadcaster was in attendance, we had a chance to meet for the first time. His name is David Fine, he is an alum of Syracuse University and worked with the city's AHL club while in school. After graduation he worked for two years in the United States Hockey League and comes to us from the USHL club in Kearney, Nebraska. I've had a chance to listen to some of his work from the USHL, his style is very different from Mark's but he'll have no trouble fitting in. Mark's longtime color commentator Pat Richards is staying on board which will make David's transition that much easier. Obviously we'll never be on the air together but we are still colleagues as the "voices" of the franchise (him on the airwaves, me in the arena). Thursday morning brought rainy conditions but as the afternoon progressed the forecast improved as well, the night's schedule at the rink went off as planned. We had some light mist here and there but nothing that was going to stop us, winners (all in regulation play) included the Hammerheads over the Pub Dawgs, the Steamers over the Kings, the UniLords over the Owls and the Riot over the Misfits. Friday was another dreary day, I had the night off since both McCaskey and Lancaster Catholic played on the road. I could have attended either game but at my age standing on a sideline in the rain isn't my idea of a good time anymore. The rest of the weekend was quiet except for Saturday lunch with Jenny, on Sunday temperatures reached into the high 70s (with the forecast calling for overnight frost warnings during the coming week....YOU figure it out). Take care, thanks for reading.

October 9-10

The weather around here lately has been incredibly unpredictable, over the last six weeks or so we have fluctuated between July and November. We've had stretches where temperatures are in the 80s, a few days later we're all shivering. Over the weekend it was very warm but overnight into Monday we hit another sharp turn. It was raining on Monday morning, I stopped by the rink to check things out and there were fallen leaves all over the place. I went back after lunch, by then the rain was just a light mist so I figured I'd clear what was there in case the rain cleared completely. As the afternoon wore on the sun broke through the clouds and there was nothing imminent on the radar, the evening's schedule went on as planned. This was the first of three scheduled Mondays, two of them are due to the league starting two weeks late and the other is because there are no games on Tuesday the 31st (Halloween). Winners on this night were the Owls over the Misfits, the Riot over the Hammerheads, the Steamers over the Pub Dawgs and the UniLords over the Kings. On Tuesday we were back for another four-game set, three of the four required overtime shootout. The only game decided in regulation was the Misfits over the Pub Dawgs, in the SOs the Kings beat the Hammerheads, the Riot defeated the Owls and the Unilords won over the Steamers. The Kings-Hammerheads game was one for the record books, it took no less than TWENTY-SEVEN rounds before it was decided (regulation length for shootouts is three rounds). I don't know if the goaltenders were that good or the shooting was that bad, it's probably a combination of the two. With it all the night wound down after 10:00, I had things locked up and the lights out as quickly as I could since Reservoir Park is under city curfew. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 7-8

Saturday lunch in Quarryville with Jenny and her mother, on Sunday we headed north on 222 into Berks County for the first time since April 24. The ECHL is starting its 30th season, the Royals are beginning their 17th as a league member. The franchise played its first home game in October of 2001, I made my debut as the club's PA voice and the rest (as they say) is history. The Royals won the ECHL championship in 2013, two members of that club now comprise the coaching staff. Kirk MacDonald (who was an assistant under former head coach Larry Courville) is the new head coach, championship teammate Patrick Wellar has rejoined the organization as K-Mac's assistant. Returning players include defensemen Nick Luukko and Chase Golightly, forwards Chris McCarthy, Ryan Penny, Matt Wilkins, Michael Huntebrinker, Matt Salhany and Matt Willows plus goaltender Mark Dekanich. Training camp began earlier in the week, on Friday the boys traveled to Glens Falls, NY and defeated the Adirondack Thunder in exhibition play 6-2. On this day the clubs met at the Arena in downtown Reading, the Royals took the lead 1-0 midway through the first period on a score by newcomer Adam Schmidt (a fourth-year pro who has played chiefly in Sweden). In the second period rookie K.J. Tiefenwerth (from Quinnipiac University) lit the lamp to extend the lead. Late in the period the Thunder got on the board, the score stayed 2-1 until the final three minutes when Matt Wilkins scored an insurance goal to bring the final to 3-1. Mark Dekanich got the start in net and picked up the win as the club finishes exhibition play at 2-0. The Royals' regular season schedule is typically unusual: the club's first four games are at home, they do not play on the road until November 3. We host ten different opponents at the Arena, within the division we see Manchester, Brampton, Wheeling and Adirondack plus the new club in Worcester, Massachusetts. Non-divisional opposition includes Norfolk, Cincinnati, Fort Wayne and Toledo plus another new team in Jacksonville, Florida. The league starts on the 13th but for some strange unexplained reason the Royals do not play until the 21st when they host ADK for the home opener. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 4-6

Had the usual Wednesday lunch visit with Jenny, on Thursday we were back for night #2 of dek hockey. On this night the UniLords defeated the Pub Dawgs, the Misfits beat the Hammerheads, the Riot outlasted the Kings via shootout and the Steamers downed the Owls. Week #2 begins on Monday, it is one of two scheduled three-game weeks due to the late start. Had a haircut appointment on Friday afternoon, in the evening I was back at McCaskey for football. Manheim Township was the opponent on this occasion and for a second straight week JPM suffered through a mercy-rule defeat. Against Wilson the previous week the Red Tornado scored first and then watched the opponent ring up 33 points unanswered, on this night MT led 35-0 in the fourth quarter before JPM broke through in the final minutes. Tallian Lehr's TD pass to Ante Robinson erased the zero but it was strictly cosmetic as the Red Tornado lost 35-7. The club's record drops to 1-6 and clearly there is nowhere to go but up. The team plays on the road on the 13th before returning home on the 20th to host Lebanon. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 1-3

The new month began on a typically quiet Sunday, on Monday after lunch I was at the rink to do some preliminary cleanup work for the start of the season. On Tuesday night we started our 77th championship season, the very first one was in the fall of 1979 and we've played for trophies every spring and fall since. The same eight clubs we had in the spring are back in the league, the schedule format remains the same with each team playing two games against each opponent. Winners on opening night included the Steamers over the Riot, the Kings over the Pub Dawgs, the Misfits over the UniLords via overtime shootout and the Hammerheads over the Owls. We're back on Thursday the 5th for another four-game night, week #2 features games on Monday as well since we started late due to the rink renovations. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 25-30

The early part of the week was quiet except for morning errand runs, a Tuesday lunch visit with Jenny and evening work parties at Reservoir Park. By the end of the week the major work was all completed, the season starts on October 3. We play on Tuesdays, Thursdays and some selected Mondays since we're starting two weeks later than expected, the regular season is scheduled to end on November 9. On Friday the high school football season reached its midpoint, I was on the mic at McCaskey for the game versus Wilson (from suburban Reading, the second straight week I worked a game involving a Berks County school). Over the years Wilson has been a football factory, the program has not had a losing season in over fifty years and in league play they have not lost to a divisional opponent since 2007. On this night the streak continued as the Red Tornado fell victim 33-7. JPM actually led early on, they received the opening kickoff and scored in the game's second minute. Quarterback Tallian Lehr found wideout Jamiere Gray in the end zone for a TD, placekicker Francois Zahno added the PAT. From there it was all Wilson, they led 20-7 at halftime and closed it out with a 13-0 second half. JPM's record drops to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the division, they play at home again on October 6. On Saturday morning I was back at the stadium for a boys/girls soccer doubleheader, it was the teams' annual Senior Day and the lone time the soccer teams play in the stadium. I'm always asked to work these if I'm available, this was the first time they were played it as a twinbill which made it much more manageable. We started with the girls game at 10:00, JPM lost to Solanco 2-0. The boys hosted York at 12-noon, they won their game 5-1. It was all over around 2:00 or so, I headed from there to Jenny's place for a late lunch/early supper. I had planned to going to York in the evening but there was no reason to, the Atlantic League's championship series ended on Friday night. The Revolution defeated Long Island in three straight games to claim the franchise's third title in its eleven-year history and the first since 2011. As a Lancaster resident I obviously see more games on North Prince Street than in York but I have friends over there as well, if the Stormers couldn't win it I'm glad the Revs did. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 21-24

The latter part of the week was relatively quiet except for a noteworthy Friday evening, I was at Lancaster Catholic for the start of my 22nd year on the mic (when available) and the first football game at brand-new Crusader Stadium. The school's soccer and field hockey teams play there as well but this was the first "high-profile" event in the new facility. The venerable Rossmere Stadium had been around since the early 1960s, in the off-season it was razed completely and the new stadium was built on the same spot. The only feature of the old yard that remains is the field house where the team locker rooms are located. The playing field was reoriented to run north-south instead of east-west, the field house formerly sat behind the east end zone but it is now behind the bleachers on the visiting side of the stadium. The old press box was two stories with the PA booth on the second floor, the new box is one floor with my spot in the middle and it's noticeably smaller than its predecessor. It's a whole new experience but it's one that was needed and it won't take long for it to be completely accepted. The debut of the stadium was unfortunately the highlight of the evening as LCHS lost to Berks Catholic (from Reading) 38-8. The Crusaders struggled offensively all night long amassing only 88 total yards from scrimmage. The lone score came in the third quarter when defensive back Nate Bryson picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, Phillip Bomberger added the two-point conversion on a quarterback keeper. They play at home again on the 29th but I am absent for the game at McCaskey, I'm not back at LCHS until November 3. The Atlantic League division playoffs ended on the weekend, the York Revs ousted Southern Maryland in four games and Long Island defeated Somerset in four as well. The championship series is a rematch of the 2011 finals which the Revs won, they also won the league title in 2010. Long Island was in the finals in 2016, they last won the gold in 2013. The series starts on the Island on Wednesday the 27th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 18-20

We had planned on starting the Fall dek hockey season by mid-September but everything is on hold for the time being. Work is underway and ongoing involving rink repairs to dasherboards, the team benches and the penalty bench. When the rink was built in 1979 there was no shelter of any kind at the benches or the penalty box, in 2002 they were rebuilt with walls, roofing and floors elevated several inches from the ground. Over time they have decayed badly and the appropriate repairs are being made, exactly when the league will start is up in the air. I was at the rink after supper on Monday and Tuesday helping out as best as I could but I freely admit I'm not much of a handyman, I'd have trouble nailing two boards together. On Wednesday I made a late-afternoon drive west across the river for game #1 of the Atlantic League playoff series in York, the Revolution hosting Southern Maryland. The home team took an early 1-0 lead in the first, Alonzo Harris singled and scored on an RBI triple by Rubi Silva. In the second the Revs added two more: Isaias Tejeda walked to start the inning, Travis Witherspoon doubled him to third and Ryan Dent was hit by the pitch to load the bases. A sac fly by Harris plated Tejeda, Jared Mitchell's RBI single scored Witherspoon to make it 3-0. The Blue Crabs picked up a run in the fourth, a two-spot in the eighth tied the score and set the stage for extra innings. In the home tenth Silva doubled with two out, Telvin Nash followed with a two-run shot to left-center giving the Revs the 5-3 walk-off win and a 1-0 lead in the series. Rev starter Jay Gause pitched six innings of two-hit ball but wasn't around at the end, reliever Grant Sides (who began the season in the Arizona Diamondbacks system) worked a spotless top of the tenth and took the decision. Game #2 is in York on Thursday with the series shifting to Waldorf for the duration on Friday. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 15-17

Jenny's mother turned 80 on Friday, she celebrated by spending part of the day receiving medical attention. Helen was walking home from an errand when she fell on the sidewalk, she suffered a cut above her right eye. I saw her on Saturday when I visited for lunch, she is OK but she definitely looks like she went fifteen rounds with the champ. The Atlantic League season ended on Sunday with the Barnstormers on the outside looking in, the ballclub was eliminated from postseason contention with a Saturday night loss in York. The Revs claimed the Freedom Division second-half title, they meet Southern Maryland in the first round of playoffs starting Wednesday the 20th. The Barnstormers finished tied with Bridgeport for the league's best overall record at 76-64 but neither club qualified for the postseason (Somerset and Long Island meet for the Liberty Division pennant). The split-season format has its supporters and its detractors but the ALPB has used it for all twenty years of its existence and everybody knows going in what needs to be done to qualify for the postseason. It's interesting to note that the clubs playing for the Freedom Division title each finished 28-42 in the half they did not win, the Revolution went 40-30 in the second half to finish 68-72 overall while the Blue Crabs were one game off the pace at 67-73. Each division series is a best-of-five played in a 2-3 format, The Revs host the Crabs for the first two games of their series. I was not at any of the games in York over the weekend but I plan to make at least one of the two playoff games depending on my personal schedule. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 12-14

Tuesday night on North Queen Street as the Barnstormers began their final home series of the regular season, the Long Island Ducks (fresh from the Monday makeup game in York) were the opponent. Minor League Baseball season is over, the Barnstormers' roster received some reinforcements with the return of Caleb Gindl and Darian Sandford. In the Tuesday opener the Stormers pulled out a tough 3-2 win. The Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the third, Josh Bell's solo home run in the fifth knotted the score. In the seventh the Stormers loaded the bases with two out, Beau Amaral's base hit scored one run and another came home on Cole Garner's bases-loaded walk. Long Island got one back in the eighth but Anthony Carter worked a spotless ninth to earn the save, R.J. Hively won it in relief of starter Tommy Shirley. On Wednesday the Ducks squared the series with a win that from the Stormers' standpoint could only be called disheartening. The Ducks led 2-0 in the third, in the bottom half Sean Halton's RBI double got the Stormers on the board. In the sixth LI extended the lead to 3-1, Caleb Gindl's two-run home run in the home half tied the score. Each team tallied in the eighth, the Stormers's run coming courtesy of a Gindl RBI hit to set the stage for extra innings. In the tenth the wheels fell off the cart as the Ducks took advantage of two fielding errors to score five runs and win it going away 9-4. Starting pitcher Scott Sebald (ex-Texas Ranger property recently added from the Frontier League) went six innings in his home debut, Kaohi Downing suffered the loss in relief. Thursday was the final regular-season home game, the Barnstormers handed out their team awards. Trayvon Robinson received the Community Service Award and Sean Halton was named via fan vote the team's MVP. The Ducks continued their momentum with a three-run first inning but from there it was all Stormers. In the second Halton singled and scored on Steve Clevenger's RBI hit, that 3-1 deficit held until the bottom of the eighth. Josh Bell doubled and scored on a Lance Zawadzki single, two batters later Cole Garner's RBI hit plated Zawadzki to tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth the Barnstormers loaded the bases, a two-out single by Darian Sandford scored Clevenger from third with the game-winner 4-3. Rommie Lewis started and worked into the seventh. Anthony Carter pitched the ninth inning and picked up a rare "closer's win". The Stormers' victory allows the club to stay within striking distance of a playoff berth, that will be decided over the weekend in York. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 11

Monday lunch at the mall got the new week started, in the evening I made a trip west of the Susquehanna for baseball in York. The Long Island Ducks were the opponent, this was the leftover makeup game from the rain-plagued series the week before. The Ducks are in the running for the second-half title in the Liberty Division while the Revolution entered the night in first place in the Freedom with the Barnstormers and Sugar Land in close pursuit. On this night in York the game was scoreless into the fifth inning when the Ducks scored on an error to go up 1-0. In the bottom of the inning the Revs tied it on a solo home run from newcomer Rubi Silva (former Chicago Cub property who spent most of the season in the Can-Am League). In the sixth the home team took the lead when Ryan Dent doubled and scored on Alonzo Harris' RBI single, from there the Rev bullpen shut it down for the 2-1 win. Victor Mateo started for York and went five innings, Joe Van Meter picked up the decision with Chase Huchingson earning the save. The regular season is in its home stretch, every club in the league has six games remaining. Long Island is in Lancaster for three games Tuesday through Thursday while York hosts Southern Maryland, the Stormers and Revs wrap up the season with three in York over the weekend. As they say on television: Stay Tuned. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 9-10

Saturday night baseball on North Prince Street for the final time (at least for the regular season) in 2017, the Barnstormers hosted Southern Maryland. The Stormers won the series opener on Friday but the rest of the weekend would prove to be an exercise in frustration. On Saturday the visiting Blue Crabs batted around in the second and scored five runs, in the third the Barnstormers returned the favor and scored six of their own. Back-to-back singles by Cole Garner and Trayvon Robinson started the rally, Steve Clevenger's RBI hit plated Garner to put the Stormers on the board. Nate Coronado doubled to score Robinson and Clevenger, after Lance Zawadzki walked Josh Bell went yard onto the picnic deck to put the Stormers ahead 6-5. The momentum did not last as SM scored two in the fourth and three in the sixth to go up by four. In their half of the sixth the Stormers added a run when Bell drew a walk and scored on Beau Amaral's RBI double but that would be the final tally in a 10-7 Blue Crabs win, Joe Gardner started for the Stormers and took the loss. On Sunday the series ended on a cool and breezy day, the ballclub held its Fan Appreciation Day with a team photo poster giveaway. In the game itself the Stormers trailed 3-0 in the sixth inning before recording their first base hit, the lone run in the 3-1 loss came in the ninth on a Sean Halton RBI single. Brad Bergesen started on the mound and was the pitcher of record. The Barnstormers have a day off on Monday before Long Island comes to town for a three-game set. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 5-8

Another round of dreary weather passed through in midweek, I had planned in going to York for a ballgame on Wednesday night but the weather did not cooperate. The Revolution was scheduled to host Long Island for a three-game set, both Tuesday and Wednesday were rained out. They did a doubleheader on Thursday and reset the extra game for Monday the 11th (a mutual off-day), I may make that one if the weather is good. The extreme conditions were particularly notable on Tuesday, a late-afternoon thunderstorm with high winds caused a power outage in our neighborhood that lasted better than two hours. On Friday it was a football night at McCaskey, I began my 30th year on the PA as the Red Tornado hosted York (not the Revs, the high school). My first football game at JPM was on September 10, 1988 and it's hard to believe it was that long ago. The club lost its week #1 game on the road against one of the better teams in the state, on this night they lost 36-30. JPM trailed 8-0 after one quarter before posting sixteen straight points in the second, the momentum was short-lived as York responded with fourteen of their own to lead 22-16 at halftime. The scoring in the second half was equally divided as JPM battled to the end but could not get over the hump. McCaskey scored four touchdowns, all on pass receptions: Jamiere Gray, Anthony DeLeon and Tallian Lehr caught scoring passes from quarterback Ante Robinson, Lehr played briefly at QB when Robinson left with leg cramps and found Isiah Speller for a TD (Lehr and Speller are familiar names as members of the basketball team). Elyizer Ortiz kicked two PATs and the defense got into the scoring column by recording two safeties on tackles in the end zone. The club plays its next two on the road, the next home game is on Friday the 29th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 3-4

The miserable rainy conditions were gone by Sunday morning, the afternoon was cool and breezy with temperatures in the low 60s. I'm well-known as a non-fan of day games but that's largely because of the heat and humidity during the peak summer months, on this day there were no such issues so I was at the ballpark for the makeup doubleheader. The Barnstormers and Patriots played a pair of seven-inning games and scored a grand total of seven runs between them. In the opener the Stormers won 2-0, the only runs courtesy of a Cole Garner two-run home run in the fourth inning. Joe Gardner pitched six innings of three-hit ball for the win with Anthony Carter earning the save. That game started at 2:00 and took just over an hour-and-a-half (nobody will EVER complain about that), in the second game Somerset led 3-0 in the first inning and were never headed in a 4-1 decision. The lone run for the Stormers came on a Josh Bell round-tripper in the fifth, Jarret Leverett started and suffered the loss. The entire day took just four hours and twenty-one minutes from start to finish, as one who has lived that life I could certainly appreciate it. Monday was the annual Labor Day holiday which I have always considered the end of summer, when I was a kid we almost invariably went back to school the very next day. The Pats and Stormers finished the weekend wraparound with a 3:00 single game, on this day it was much warmer but a good breeze and sitting in the shade made it tolerable. Somerset put five on the board in the third, in the fourth Josh Bell's three-run shot brought the Stormers to within 5-3. In the fifth the home team tied the game, one run scoring on an error and the other on an RBI hit by recently-reacquired fan favorite Lance Zawadzki (Lance lives in Texas, he was dealt to Sugar Land for family reasons in July of 2016 and has spent most of '17 battling injuries). The 5-5 tie was broken in the eighth when Somerset scored two runs, Garrett Weber's solo homer in the ninth made it close but not close enough as the Patriots left town with a 7-6 victory. Starting pitcher Brad Bergesen worked into the fifth inning with Scott Shuman (the fourth of six relievers used) taking the loss. The Stormers are on the road for the next three days, thney return home on Friday the 8th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 1-2

The first day of the new month fell on a Friday, it was opening week for high school football season and the weather was appropriate: cool and breezy. Both McCaskey and Lancaster Catholic were on the road for their openers so I spent the evening at the ballpark as the Barnstormers hosted Somerset. The Patriots won the first-half title in the Liberty Division, the Stormers are in the thick of the battle for the second-half crown in the Freedom. On this night offensive highlights were in short supply on both sides, the game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. Anderson De La Rosa and Beau Amaral recorded back-to-back two-out singles, after Garrett Weber walked Cole Garner's two-RBI single scored De La Rosa and Amaral to put the Stormers up 2-0. The Patriots got one back in the eighth but the Barnstormers held on for the tough 2-1 win. Rommie Lewis started and went six innings, John Kuchno was the pitcher of record with Anthony Carter picking up the save. The cooler temperatures ushered rain into the area overnight into Saturday, the entire day was a washout. The system was the remnants of a major storm that had wreaked havoc in the south-central part of the country the previous week, areas of Texas and Louisiana in particular suffered devastating damages. Jenny and I had our usual lunch date, I told her that even if they played at the ballpark I probably wasn't going to go and she said she'd just as soon stay home as well. Later in the afternoon it became a moot point, the ballgame was postponed and reset as a doubleheader for Sunday afternoon. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 28-31

The final days of August had little to recommend them, since summer dek hockey is over and there was no baseball anywhere the usual morning routine was about all that happened. On Tuesday my mother had an eye doctor appointment at the health campus, she recently turned 83 and decided to give up driving so I was her transportation to and from. Jenny and I had our midweek lunch date on Wednesday, on Thursday night we had an organizational meeting for the fall hockey season at Reservoir Park. We had eight clubs in the spring league, seven of them were represented and we know the eighth will be in as well so we may have the exact same setup as we had in the spring (it would make doing the schedule easier since the template from the spring could be reused virtually unchanged). Time will tell. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 25-27

The race for the second-half division titles in the Atlantic League is in high gear, as the weekend began the four clubs in the Freedom Division were separated by just seven games in the standings. On Friday the Barnstormers traveled west across the Susquehanna for a head-to-head series with the Revolution, the York ballclub holding first place with the Stormers two games behind. In the Friday opener the Barnstormers rallied from two runs down in the ninth to tie and ultimately won in extra innings 5-4. The next night marked a rare Saturday appearance in York for me, this was Jenny and Helen's annual visit (I get them there one game each year preferably when the Stormers are the opponent). On this night the visitors struck first, Sean Halton's RBI single in the third scored Garrett Weber putting the Stormers up 1-0. In the fourth the Stormers took full advantage of a bases-loaded nobody-out situation, one run scored on a wild pitch before Anderson De La Rosa'a two-run single and an RBI hit from Cole Garner made it 5-0. In the home fourth Isaias Tejeda got the Revs on the board with a two-run home run, in the fifth the Stormers got them back on RBI hits by De La Rosa and Beau Amaral to go up 7-2. In the home sixth Telvin Nash (former Rev recently returned from the Chicago White Sox organization) went yard with a man on, two batters later Dayron Varona hit a solo shot to bring the Revolution within 7-5. The Barnstormers' bullpen shut it down from there, Tommy Shirley went six innings for the win with support from Kevin Munson, ex-Pittsburgh Pirate property John Kuchno and Scott Shuman (save). Victor Mateo started for the Revs and struggled through four innings of work taking the loss. The teams entered the Sunday finale tied for the top spot in the division, the Revolution salvaged it to go back ahead by one game. The league season ends on September 17 and there is a lot of ball left to be played including one last Stormers-Revs series in York on the final weekend. From here on out the only thing for sure is nothing is for sure. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 21-24

Monday evening at the ballpark, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs were in town for the opener of a four-game series. This was my first chance to see the Crabs in Lancaster in 2017 (they played a series here in May but I was absent completely), I was at a game they played in York in June. That game was played despite rainy conditions, the Stormers and Crabs played that controversial tiebreaker game which was twice postponed by weather and on this night in Lancaster the teams were plagued in similar fashion. The game started on time at 6:30, in the middle of the first inning there was a twenty-minute lightning delay. The rain arrived in earnest in the top of the third inning, after the Crabs finished their at-bat the game went into another delay. After a wait of about an hour the game was called and reset as a doubleheader for Wednesday night (what is it with the Blue Crabs and lousy weather, it seems to shadow them no matter where they go). On Tuesday night the Stormers won 7-0 but I was not there, we finished up the summer dek hockey season at the rink with Blue vs Gold and Orange vs Green. The aim of the summer season is fun and recreation, we try to set the rosters as evenly as possible. Two teams finished 5-4, the other two were 4-5 and that's about as even as it could be. We set a league meeting for August 31, the fall season should start in mid-September. On Wednesday Jenny and I had our midweek lunch date, in the evening I was at the ballpark for the makeup twinbill. In the opener Trayvon Robinson singled to start the fourth inning and scored on an RBI double by Nate Coronado. Cole Garner's single advanced Coronado to third, he would score the inning's second run on Garrett Weber's sac fly. Josh Bell's RBI hit plated Garner to make it 3-0 but that was all the Stormers would get, Southern Maryland rallied to tie and and won in extra innings 5-3. Joe Gardner started on the mound with Daniel Moskos taking the loss in relief. The second game didn't start until just after 9:30, I elected to head home because I lived that life for thirty-five years. Saw on the Internet where the Stormers scored four runs in their last at-bat to win 5-4, they weren't done until almost 11:45 (been there, done that). The series wrapped up on Thursday with a 6-0 Southern Maryland win, the Stormers had little going offensively and never mounted a threat. Luis Gonzalez got the start and took the loss. The ballclub plays its next seven on the road, the trip begins on Friday night in York. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 16-20

August 16 is always a red-letter day on the calendar because it is Jenny's birthday, for the first time since I've known her she had very little enthusiasm for it. She was born in 1972 and I guess she feels there is some sort of stigma attached to turning 45. She didn't ask for anything specific in terms of a gift but I used my best judgment on something I knew she would like. I've known her for close to twenty-five years, we've been together for almost sixteen years and I challenge any man on the planet to love his woman as much as or more than I love her. We had our usual lunch date on Wednesday, the establishment we visited gave her lunch for free because it was her birthday. In the evening I was over at the ballpark, the Barnstormers hosted the Bridgeport Bluefish in the middle game of a three-game series. The Stormers won the opener on Tuesday, on this night the Bluefish returned serve with a 7-3 win. The Barnstormers did not dent the scoreboard until the ninth inning, Steve Clevenger's three-run home run broke up the shutout. Jarrett Leverett started for the home team and suffered the loss, he was followed in relief by Kevin Munson and newly-acquired Luis Gonzalez (one-time LA Dodgers property). The series ended on Thursday night with another Bridgeport victory but I was absent for summer dek hockey at the rink. Night #8 featured the last go-around for Blue vs Orange and Gold vs Green, we finish it up on Tuesday the 22nd. The weekend had little going on save for Saturday lunch with Jenny, the Barnstormers were on the road but they return home to meet Southern Maryland on Monday the 21st. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 14-15

Little going on Monday except for morning lunch at the mall, in the evening I tuned into the internet broadcast of the Barnstormers' ballgame in Waldorf, MD. This was the celebrated and twice-postponed "first-half game #70", the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs won it 8-3 to claim the first-half division title and the playoff spot that goes with it. If the Stormers make the postseason it will be either as the second-half division champion or as a wild-card entry and needless to say there are no guarantees. The thing that most will remember about this night in Waldorf is how it all transpired: the game was originally rained out in May and reset for July 28 when the Barnstormers next visited. The weather on that day was not encouraging, in the afternoon the league had stated that the game if postponed would be played on the 29th as part of a day/night doubleheader. Later in the evening the game was called and reset for the open date on August 14 which caught many by surprise given the league's earlier statements. Had the Stormers won this game nobody would care anymore but the entire circumstance was very peculiar and we may never know why it went down the way it did. All we know is it took until midway through the second half to get the first half finished (which is patently ridiculous no matter how you look at it). On Tuesday we were at Reservoir Park for night #7 of summer dek hockey, Orange met Gold and Green faced Blue for the third and last times each. The season continues on Thursday the 17th and wraps up on the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 12-13

Saturday morning in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny, in the evening we were at the ballpark. All day long they were calling for a chance of thunderstorms, we went over to the ballpark for the 5:30 gate opening and the rain started just as we were going in. I told Jenny and Helen that we would walk as far as the end of the concourse on the third-base side and wait it out, that's where I usually sit when I'm there and the ushers know me so it wouldn't be a problem. The grounds crew knew what was coming, the tarp was on the field before the rain ever started. With it all the game got underway an hour and fifteen minutes past the scheduled start time, once it did the Somerset Patriots scored single runs in the first and third. The Barnstormers posted three in their half of the third, Josh Bell and Nate Coronado started it with back-to-back walks before Anderson De La Rosa reached on an error, Bell scoring on the miscue to make it 2-1. Beau Amaral's RBI groundout plated Coronado to tie the game, Cole Garner's base hit cashed in De La Rosa to put the Stormers up 3-2. The lead was extended in the fourth when Steve Clevenger singled and Garrett Weber doubled him to third, Clevenger scored on Bell's RBI groundout and Coronado followed with a two-run home run to make it 6-2. The Pats got one back in the fifth but the Barnstormers matched it in the sixth on a Weber triple and a sac fly RBI by Coronado. Sean Halton's two-run home run in the seventh made it 9-3, in the eighth Amaral doubled and scored on another Garner RBI hit to put the Stormers up by seven. Somerset scored three innocuous runs in the ninth to bring the final to 10-6, Rommie Lewis started on the mound and went five innings for the win. The series wrapped up on Sunday in the typical afternoon heat, the Patriots victorious to take three of the four games in the series. The Barnstormers travel to Southern Maryland on Monday the 14th for that long-awaited makeup game, they come back home to host Bridgeport from the 15th to the 17th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 7-11

The early part of the new week was quiet except for the usual morning errand runs, Wednesday lunch with Jenny and two nights of summer dek hockey at the rink. On Tuesday it was night #5 of the summer schedule featuring Green vs Gold and Orange vs Blue, they meet again for the final time on the 17th. Thursday night marked the two-thirds mark of the season with Green meeting Orange and Gold facing off against Blue, those matchups close out the schedule on the 22nd. On Friday we were at the ballpark, the Barnstormers hosted the Somerset Patriots in game #2 of a four-game series. The Stormers lost the opener on Thursday 9-3 and did not fare any better on this night. The Patriots led early 2-0 and were never headed winning easily 8-2. Garrett Weber accounted for both Barnstormer runs with a second-inning RBI double and a solo home run in the ninth. Jarrett Leverett got the start and took the loss. There are thunderstorms in the forecast for Saturday which is the usual night of the week when Jenny and Helen come to town for baseball so OF COURSE the weather forecast is discouraging but maybe we'll get lucky. Who knows at this point? Take care, thanks for reading.

August 5-6

Saturday lunch with Jenny and Helen in Quarryville, in the evening they made their first appearance at the ballpark since July 8 (Jenny's surgery prevented her from being at the game on the 22nd). On this night the Barnstormers scored in double digits for the second consecutive game and the visiting Sugar Land Skeeters followed suit, the result was a wild roller-coaster ride of a ballgame. The Skeeters came out of the gate with five in the first inning, the Stormers got one back in their half when Beau Amaral doubled and scored on Trayvon Robinson's RBI hit. In the second Nate Coronado singled and came home on Lastings Milledge's double, Milledge scored on an Amaral RBI single to make it 5-3. A two-run home run from Sean Halton in the third tied matters at 5-5, in the fourth Sugar Land answered with two of their own to retake the lead. In the bottom of the fourth Cole Garner went yard with a man on to square the score once again but the Skeeters hung three on the board in the fifth to go up 10-7. In the home fifth Josh Bell hit a two-run shot to bring the Stormers within one, the Skeeters added a single run in the seventh to make it 11-9. The final salvo on this night belonged to the Barnstormers and it evolved in unusual fashion. With two out in the seventh and the bases empty Anderson De La Rosa reached on a strikeout/passed ball and Bell followed with a base hit. That set the stage for Amaral who hit a line drive tight to the line in left field. The Skeeters' leftfielder dove for the ball and could not make the catch, it got by him and rolled all the way to the corner. Amaral's speed allowed him to circle the bases for an inside-the-park three-run homer putting the Barnstormers ahead 12-11. The Stormers bullpen took it home from there with Daniel Moskos the winner in relief of Jarrett Leverett and Anthony Carter posting the save. The series finished in my absence on Sunday afternoon with the Skeeters salvaging the finale, the Barnstormers host Somerset for a four-gamer starting on the 10th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 3-4

Thursday night at Reservoir Park for night #4 of the summer season, the pairings from opening night met for the second of three times. Gold met Orange and Green opposed Blue, they'll match up again on the 15th. We had some light mist falling here and there thanks to a storm system that thankfully stayed north of the city but we were never in any danger of being unable to play. On Friday night we were back on North Prince Street, the Barnstormers hosted Sugar Land in the second game of the weekend series. The Stormers took the Thursday opener 4-3, on this night they scored early and often and won going away 10-3. Lastings Milledge walked to start the second inning, Tyler Clark singled and Josh Bell's RBI hit scored Milledge to make it 1-0. Clark came home when Trayvon Robinson reached on a fielders choice, Cole Garner's RBI double scored Bell to up the lead to three. Steve Clevenger's two-run double put the lid on a five-run inning, in the fourth Garner went yard to make it 6-0. A two-run home run by Clark in the fifth was followed by a two-RBI shot by Sean Halton in the sixth to extend the lead into double digits, the visiting Skeeters put three on the board in the seventh to round out the scoring. Starting pitcher Tommy Shirley earned the win, he is a former Houston Astro property who has spent a large part of the season on the disabled list. The series continues on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 1-2

Jenny was in town on Tuesday morning for a followup appointment on her surgery, according to the doctor everything looks great and they couldn't be more pleased with the healing. The access van brought her and Helen into town, I took them home and we did our midweek lunch a day early. In the evening we were at the rink for night #3 of summer hockey, the games featured Blue vs Gold and Orange vs Green. Those matchups happen again on the 10th and 22nd (the last night of the season). On Wednesday night we were back at the ballpark, the Stormers hosted New Britain in the rubber game of the three-game series. Over the weekend the Seattle Mariners had signed Barnstormers pitcher Bryan Evans, on this night the "Prince Street to MiLB" pipeline was in motion once again as Rico Noel got the call from the Houston Astros. He becomes the eleventh member of the ballclub to return to affiliated ball in 2017 which is impressive no matter how you view it. On this night the Stormers came out quickly with a three-spot in the first inning. Beau Amaral started it with a single and Trayvon Robinson reached on an error, Cole Garner's RBI hit plated Amaral. Sean Halton followed with a two-run single scoring Robinson and Garner to put the Stormers up 3-0. In the third the visiting Bees scored twice, they added three in the seventh to move ahead 5-3. In the home eighth the Barnstormers mounted the winning rally. Garner doubled to start the inning, Steve Clevenger walked and Garrett Weber's RBI single scored Garner to make it 5-4. Nate Coronado singled to score Clevenger with the tying run, one batter later Lastings Milledge reached on an error to load the bases. Amaral came to bat and watched as a wild pitch scored Weber from third with the lead run. Anthony Carter worked a perfect ninth to earn the save, R.J. Hively was the winning pitcher in relief of recently-added starter Joe Gardner. Gardner pitched for the Stormers in 2014, '15 and '16, he was signed as a free agent and started in Evans' spot in the rotation. The homestand continues with the Sugar Land Skeeters visiting over the weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 27-31

Thursday evening at the rink for night #2 of summer dek hockey, the matchups (which occur again on August 8 and 17) featured Blue versus Orange and Gold versus Green. There was a threat of thunderstorms in the evening forecast on Friday, the youth tournament's championship game was scheduled for 7:00 at the ballpark. I had planned on going but did not, in the morning it was announced that game time was moved up to 5:15 because of the forecast and since the Lancaster team had been eliminated in the semifinals on Thursday I decided to forgo it and stay in (a smart decision, it rained during the evening but areas to the south were hit much worse than we were). On Saturday we had our usual lunch visit in Quarryville, Jenny said the soreness she had been experiencing since the surgery was just about all gone which is certainly excellent news. Sunday was the typically quiet day it is on an almost weekly basis, on Monday the new week started and the month ended with baseball on North Queen Street. The Barnstormers played in Waldorf, Maryland over the weekend, part of that series was the celebrated "first-half championship game" which fell victim to the weather on Friday. The league rescheduled that game for August 14 (a mutual open date for both teams) so it looks like the first-half title will be decided a mere six weeks after it was supposed to have ended. The New Britain Bees were the opponent on this night, the Stormers took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI hits from Sean Halton and newcomer Steve Clevenger (ex-MLBer most recently with the Seattle Mariners). In the fifth inning the Bees took the lead with three runs, in the home sixth the Barnstormers put six on the board. Cole Garner was hit by the pitch to start the inning, Halton and Clevenger followed with singles to load the bases. Garrett Weber's RBI hit scored Garner to tie the game, Halton came home on a single by Nate Coronado (another new addition from the Colorado Rockies organization) to put the Stormers up 4-3. Two batters later Beau Amaral batted with the bases still loaded and went yard to right-centerfield, the grand slam home run put the Stormers up by five. New Britain picked up a run in the eighth to bring the final score to 8-4, John Anderson was the winning pitcher for the Barnstormers in relief of Jarrett Leverett. Take care, thanks for reading.