February 20-28

The new week started early with that 1:00 Monday game at the Arena, this was the back end of the two-game series with the Newfoundland Growlers. The Monday MLK Day game has been a staple of our home schedule in recent years but this was our first Presidents Day game at the Arena since February of 2012 (a shootout loss to the long-defunct Elmira Jackals). On this day the Royals trailed early 2-0 and never pulled even in a 4-2 loss, Alec Butcher and Charlie Gerard were the lamp-lighters with Nolan Maier taking the decision in net. The club's home record drops to 15-8 with thirteen games left at the Arena, eight in March and another five in April. The final eight days of February were typically quiet, with no hockey in Reading and basketball season completed there simply wasn't much on the docket outside of lunch visits with Jenny (and anyone who tries to take those away would have the damnedest fight they've ever seen). The Royals finished their schedule for the month with two games on the road over the weekend, they split the trip 1-1 to bring the overall mark to 29-18-3. The boys return home for a three-in-three with the Trois-Rivieres Lions on March 3. Take care, thanks for reading. 

February 13-19

Basketball season at McCaskey officially ended on the 16th when the district playoff rankings were finalized, the top twelve teams qualify for the Class 6A bracket and JPM finished 13th in the field of twenty-six. The club finished 11-11 in Freddy Ramos' fifth year at the helm, his overall record at JPM is 57-51 (.527 winning percentage). Three players averaged in double figures: Deshaun McFadden led with 13.3, Eric Centeno was at 12.3 and Jonathan Byrd averaged 11.1. Jon should be individually recognized as a four-year varsity player, he appeared in all eighty-six games the program played and scored 695 career points for an average of 8.1. The club was 7-5 at home at 4-6 on the road (including neutral-floor games), they scored 1330 points (60.5 per game) and surrendered 1354 (61.5). In mid-January the mark was 9-6 but five losses in the last seven (including the last two at home within the division) drew a premature end to the season. The roster had four underclassmen and there was some nice talent on the JV squad, we'll see how it all comes together when training camp starts again in November. On Saturday the Royals returned home from a very difficult 1-2-1 road trip, the division-leading Newfoundland Growlers were the opponent for the first of their four regular-season visits. The last time we saw the Growlers on Penn Street was the last game of the second playoff round in May, both clubs have had their share of roster turnover since but the rivalry itself is still there. In the first period Brendan Hoffmann hustled in a shorthanded goal to give the Royals a 1-0 lead, in the middle stanza Hoffmann struck again on the power play to make it 2-0. Newfoundland got on the board before the period ended but in the third the Royals broke it open on a Max Newton tally and two goals from Devon Paliani. The Growlers scored the game's final goal in the closing minutes but it was not enough as the Royals took it 5-2, Nolan Maier was the winner in net. It was a good win all the way around, it came before a spirited Arena crowd and at a time when the club's roster is somewhat depleted due to injury and illness. The record stands at 28-16-3 overall and 15-7 at home, the Royals host Newfoundland again for a 1:00 holiday game on Monday the 20th. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 6-12

A rainy Sunday evening provided the perfect conclusion to a quiet week, the only noteworthy activity was on a very busy Tuesday which we will review in reverse order. In the evening we were at McCaskey for the final basketball games of the regular season, the JV squad lost to finish their year at 8-9 while the varsity suffered a 61-51 setback which eliminated the team from league playoff contention. We spoke recently about "frustration games", this night was all of that with a capital F. Sometimes it can be absolutely mind-boggling how one team can play thirty-two intense minutes of basketball and shoot a total of THREE foul shots and how the exact same play can be one thing at one end of the floor and something completely different at the other end. It's not THE reason we lost but it certainly didn't do us any favors. The final mark within league play is 6-4, overall the record breaks even at 11-11. At week's end the team was still barely alive for a district playoff berth but that won't be determined until the qualifying deadline on the 15th. All things considered the highlight of the night may have been the pregame Senior Night recognitions as we recognized Zayden DeSanctis, Javen Sierra, Jashuar Nunez, Branden Wright, Anthony Henson, Markelle Caine, Elias Garcia, Eric Centeno, Deshaun McFadden and Jonathan Byrd as members of the Class of 2023. The day had started early with a 7:00 wakeup call, by 8:30 I was at the Arena for the annual Education Day game. The Worcester Railers were making their final appearance of the regular season for the 10:30 faceoff before a crowd of better than 5400, the majority of them schoolkids. Brendan Hoffman gave the Royals a 1-0 lead five minutes after the game started but Worcester scored the next four and carried that lead into the last period. Two goals by Dominic Cormier in the third made it a 4-3 game but the Royals could not pull even, Pat Nagle (back from the Phantoms) took the decision in net. The club's record drops to 14-7 at home. 26-14-2 overall. The club returns home from a four-game road trip to host the Newfoundland Growlers on Saturday the 18th. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 30-February 5

Tuesday night at McCaskey, the Red Tornado hosted Hempfield in one of those (as I call them) "frustration games" as in we fall behind early, gamely fight back but never reach the top. Entering the fourth quarter JPM trailed by fourteen, battled back furiously and actually took a one-point lead with fifty seconds left. On the next possession Hempfield scored to go back up by one, two foul shots in the closing seconds made it a three-point game. After a timeout JPM had a chance to tie but a three-point attempt fell short at the buzzer. The 74-71 loss drops the league record to 6-3, overall the club's mark is 11-10. Four players hit double figures (Eric Centeno and Deshaun McFadden 18 each, Kaiden Russell 12, Jonathan Byrd 10) but it doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot when you Don't Win The Game. The last regular-season game is at home versus Cedar Crest on Tuesday the 7th, the club is still in the running for the postseason and that game will play a major role. Saturday night was hockey night in downtown Reading, the Adirondack Thunder visited for the annual "Pink In The Rink" game for breast cancer awareness. This is a cause very close to Jenny and her mother, Helen is a breast cancer survivor. The Royals were in Glens Falls on Friday and lost 5-2, in the rematch on this night the club replied emphatically with a no-doubt-about-it 6-1 win. ADK trailed 2-0 before scoring their lone goal in the first period, the Royals lit the lamp twice in each period. Charlie Gerard and Jacob Gaucher started the party in the first period giving the home team the early advantage, in the middle period Gaucher's second of the night and Yvon Mongo's solo tally made it 4-1. Max Newton and Colin Felix wrapped up the scoring in the final stanza, Kaden Fulcher was goalie of record in his first Royals appearance since December. The record improves to 14-6 at home and 26-13-2 overall, the next home date is the annual Education Day game on Tuesday the 7th starting bright and early at 10:30 in the morning (it's going to be a busy day). Take care, thanks for reading.