Back at the Arena on Friday the 3rd for the season's first three-in-three home weekend, the Trois-Rivieres Lions visited from La Belle Province for the first time since February of 2022. It figured to be an eventful weekend and it was all of that with emphasis. On a rainy Friday evening it was perhaps only appropriate that it would rain goals inside the Arena as well. After one period the game was tied 3-3, after two it was 5-5, in the third period the Royals broke the pattern with two scores to claim a 7-5 win. Charlie Gerard led the effort with two goals, single strikes came courtesy of Shane Sellar (the GWG), Brendan Hoffmann, Jacob Gaucher, Colin Felix and Evan Barratt. Saturday was Autism Awareness Night, the in-arena atmosphere was toned down somewhat but the Royals' offensive fireworks were again on full display. On this night it was Barratt (a December assignee from the Phantoms) taking the lead role with a hattrick, the first by a Royal in '22-23. Gerard and Alec Butcher also found the net in a 5-1 victory, Pat Nagle was the winning goaltender for both games. On Sunday the clubs reconvened for a 3:00 afternoon game marred by controversy. Goals from Girard, Barratt and newcomer Sam Hu (recently acquired on waivers from the Norfolk Admirals) had the Royals up 3-1 entering the third period when all hell broke loose. The period started with the Royals playing a man short, another quick penalty gave Trois-Rivieres a two-man advantage. The visitors quickly cashed in to make it 3-2, on the ensuing faceoff the Royals were penalized again to restore the two-man advantage. TR promptly lit the lamp again to tie it, another quick score on the remaining five-on-four put the Royals behind 4-3 (the three Trois-Rivieres goals coming in a span of thirty-three seconds). Another Lions goal put the Royals behind by two, in the late going Barratt scored his second of the game to make it close but a TR empty-netter with one second left ended it at 6-4 (Curiosity: entering the weekend all of Barratt's goals had been scored on the road, over the weekend he scored six in three games at home). Rookie goaltender Ryan Kenny (recently signed from Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Maryland) made his professional debut and suffered the loss which was not his fault in any way, shape, form or fashion . The club's mark stands at 31-19-3, 17-9 at home. A four-game road trip lies ahead before the next home game on the 17th. Take care, thanks for reading.
