March 25-31

The last week of March was completely bereft of any notable athletic activities. Had my income tax return prepared on Monday, there's no point in waiting any longer than necessary because they're going to get you one way or another. Jenny had an appointment in Willow Street on Thursday morning, the access van took her there and I brought her home. We did our lunch date on that day and on Saturday as usual, on Sunday the month ended quietly with the Easter holiday. I was with Jenny and her mother for supper, Helen made ham and scalloped potatoes with broccoli plus chocolate ice cream pie with whipped cream for dessert. Jenny's older sister Carol lives in the same complex (different building), she was there as well since she joins her mother and sister for weekend supper on a regular basis. I was there for about three hours myself and did not go home hungry. The Royals played the front leg of their six-game road trip during the week and went 1-2, three games remain during the first week of April before the club returns home on April 12. Take care, thanks for reading.

March 18-24

Another relatively quiet week led into a very busy weekend, after two weeks and five road games the Royals were back in town for a three-in-three at the Arena. This was the last of two such weekends the club had at home and ironically both were with the Worcester Railers as the opponent. It's the time of year when players from University and Junior programs begin to filter in, on Friday the Royals lineup featured five players making their professional debuts. The Good Guys fell behind 1-0 but drew even on a Devon Paliani score in the last minute of the first period. Worcester took a 3-1 lead in the second period and added four more in the third, the Royals replied with scores from Jake Smith and newcomer Tyler Gratton but it was nowhere near enough, Anson Thornton was goalie of record in the 7-3 loss. Saturday was "St. Hattricks Night", a lucky fan was eligible to win $10,000 if a Royals player scored three goals. The team as a unit did not score three goals but what they managed was good enough. Worcester once again led early and held that 1-0 lead into the closing minutes, Joseph Nardi lit the lamp with four minutes left in regulation to tie the game. In overtime the Royals were awarded a power play and it took just twenty-three seconds to cash in, Jake Smith rifled home the OTGWG giving the club a 2-1 win. In the rubber match on Sunday Joseph Nardi gave the Royals a 1-0 first-period lead but from there the game was eerily reminiscent of Friday. The Royals were outscored 6-2 over the last two periods and lost 6-3, Jake Smith and Tag Bertuzzi both found the net in the third. Nolan Maier was in net on both Saturday and Sunday as the club falls to 26-31-7, 15-16-3 at home. If the playoffs began tomorrow the Royals would be on the outside looking in, there are eight games left on the schedule with the next six on a virtual make-or-break road trip. Take care, thanks for reading.

March 11-17

The mid-March Black Hole is in full force, with high school winter sports long since completed and spring sports not yet in full swing all we have going right now is the Royals and they are not home again until the 22nd. On Monday the 11th the baseball team at McCaskey had its first preseason scrimmage, York High came east across the river to serve as the opponent. Gilbert Vega is back for his third season as the head coach, on this day temperatures were in the 50s but the wind was at a gale from the northwest. I'm obviously in the PA booth during games but on this day I watched from inside the dugout which afforded some shelter from the wind but it was still chilly. That's the funny thing about high school baseball season: by the time the weather begins to turn and it actually feels like baseball season it's all over. The club's first home game is on the 22nd but I'm out because of the Royals, my season debut will have to wait until April 2nd. Jenny, her mother and I did our usual lunch dates on Wednesday and Saturday, after lunch on Saturday we came back to town for a birthday party. Jenny's friend is the mother of three small children that Jenny used to babysit, since Helen had her episode back in October the babysitting has ended because Jenny is needed more at home (for the record Helen has had no recurrences but the idea is to make sure there won't be any). The youngest child is named Abrielle (Abby for short), she turned three in January but circumstances didn't allow for an official celebration until now. We were there around 4:00 or so and stayed long enough to eat, socialize and give the Little One the present Jenny bought for her. The Royals wrapped up their road trip on Sunday with a record of 2-3, that aforementioned home date on the 22nd begins a three-in-three with the Worcester Railers. Take care, thanks for reading.

March 8-10

Back at the Arena on Friday night for game #2 with Norfolk. It was Wall Of Honor night, former Royal defenseman and assistant coach Nick Luukko (2015-2020) was enshrined in pregame ceremonies. As they did on Wednesday the visiting Admirals took a 1-0 lead into the second period. The Royals pulled even on a score by ex-Admiral Tag Bertuzzi but surrendered the lead thirty-five seconds later, another Norfolk marker fifty-three seconds after that made it 3-1 and put the Royals squarely behind the proverbial 8-ball. Six minutes into the third period Shane Sellar brought the club back to within one, goals by Mason Millman and Ryan Cox thirty-seven seconds apart midway through the period gave the Royals a 4-3 advantage. Norfolk did not go away (not that anyone especially expected them to), they netted the tying goal in the final three minutes to send the game into the dreaded overtime. In the ECHL regular season overtime is a seven-minute period played three-on-three plus goalies. just under five minutes in newcomer Dajon Mingo lit the lamp to give the Royals a huge 5-4 victory. Mingo is a nine-year veteran with over 360 ECHL games on his resume, he was added to lend some veteran stability to a defense corps thinned by injury and recall. Nolan Maier was the goaltender of record as the club improves to 23-26-7, 14-14-3 at home. There was little rest for the weary, the Royals were immediately back in action on Saturday night in the first of a five-game road trip, the next home date is on Friday the 22nd. Saturday night was the semi-annual clock change, we all lost an hour's sleep that we won't get back until November. It always takes me a few days to adjust although it's easier at this time of year simply because sunset comes a hour later. Take care, thanks for reading.

March 4-7

Wednesday night hockey on Penn Street for the third straight week, the Norfolk Admirals sailed into town for the first of a two-game series. The Royals are still in contention for a playoff spot but nothing is settled yet, if the club misses out we may very well look back at this game as a turning point. The visitors from Virginia led 1-0 early in the second period before newcomer Jake Smith knotted it for the Royals, two more Norfolk goals sandwiched around a Tag Bertuzzi marker put the Royals down by one entering the third period. Fifty-one seconds into the period Joseph Nardi tied the score 3-3, thirteen seconds later Devon Paliani lit the lamp to put the Royals ahead. At this point the club had battled back from three one-goal deficits to take the lead, everybody in the building is standing up and roaring, you figure all the momentum is clearly on the home team's side, right? Wrong. The Admirals proceeded to score five times in the next twelve minutes to put it out of reach, Jake Bricknell's cosmetic score with thirty seconds remained brought the final score to 8-5. Anson Thornton suffered the loss as the record drops to 22-26-7, 13-14-3 at home. Game #2 is at the Arena on Friday the 8th, from there the club embarks on a five-game road trip, Take care, thanks for reading.

March 1-3

Friday night at the Arena, the Royals continued their five-game homestand with the first of two against the Adirondack Thunder. ADK has been the division leader for most of the season, on this night they took a 1-0 lead before most of the crowd was even in its seats. Late in the second period Joseph Nardi pulled the Royals even 1-1, in the final period five goals in the span of seven minutes put the Home Team over the top. Midway through the period Devon Paliani and Justin Michaelian scored less than three minutes apart giving the Royals a two-goal lead, forty-five seconds later Ryan Cox upped the advantage to 4-1. Less than two minutes after that Shane Sellar netted goal #5, Cox finished the onslaught ninety seconds later with his second of the game bringing the final to 6-1. Saturday was a busy day and it started early, at 1:00 at the Arena the gang got together for the eighteenth annual Battle Of The Badges game. This event is always highly anticipated and this edition featured a new format as Reading City Fire and Police met their brethren from the rest of Berks County. The County team won the game which was a spirited affair as it almost always is, there were three fights including two in the last thirty seconds. At 7:00 the Royals and the Thunder finished the weekend with a game very different from Friday. The Royals fell behind 3-0 in the first fourteen minutes and never recovered in a 7-3 loss. The club scored once in each period with Devon Paliani, Tyson Fawcett and Mason Millman doing the honors, Nolan Maier was goaltender of record on both Friday and Saturday. The club's mark stands at 22-25-7 overall and 13-13-3 at home, the homestand continues with the Norfolk Admirals in for a two-gamer starting on Wednesday the 8th. Thake care, thanks for reading