The new week began with an atypical Monday, this was the annual Martin Luther Day afternoon game at the Arena. The Maine Mariners were in town for the last of their two regular-season appearances (how we host a divisional opponent only twice in a 72-game season is one of the great mysteries of the ECHL schedule format). On this day the visitors from The Pine Tree State took a 2-0 first-period lead, a second-period score by Alec Butcher and Devon Paliani's goal with three minutes left in regulation time pulled the Royals even. Thirty seconds after the tying score the Mariners were awarded a power play and cashed it in, an empty-netter with ten seconds left clinched a 4-2 Maine win. Nolan Maier (back from the Phantoms with Pat Nagle returning to the AHL) took the loss as the Royals drop to 22-11-1, 12-5 at the Arena. The Royals reach the home season's midpoint on Friday the 20th versus Norfolk, a visit to Viginia the next night marks the full season's halfway mark. Tuesday was a basketball night at McCaskey, the Red Tornado hosted Unionville (from southern Chester County) in the season's eleventh non-league game. The night started well enough with the JV squad winning its fifth consecutive game to reach .500 at 6-6, the varsity game was another story altogether. We didn't know a lot about our opponent (I don't recall ever playing them before) outside of the fact that they play in PIAA District One and were 13-1 but we quickly found out that their record was not a fluke. This game was like watching the game at Hempfield all over again, the only difference being the opponent and the venue. Unionville took control almost from the word Go and absolutely COULD NOT MISS, when the agony finally ended it was 71-45 (the same twenty-six-point margin we had lost by to Hempfield the previous Tuesday). You must give the opponent full credit, they played an excellent game and won fair and square. The problem was our club's effort which was discussed at length in the locker room after the game. The overall mark stands at 9-7 with six games left, five of them within our division. The boys start the second half of league play with a trip to Penn Manor on the 20th. Take care, thanks for reading.
