Depth and resiliency have been pillars of the Long Island Royals 2012-13 season, and last weekend's series sweep of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights was no different. The Royals won the games by scores of 5-1 and 4-2 respectively with spectacular performances from their backup goaltenders and a wide array of scorers. The team currently sits atop the Mullen Division and the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League with a record of 26-3-0 and 52 points.  

The Royals took an early lead in the first game of the weekend Jan. 19 with an unassisted goal by forward Joe Slevin. Forward Anthony Koslow extended the Long Island lead to 2-0 with a power play goal that was his 11th score of the season. Knights forward Justin Higgs responded by scoring on a feed from forward Chandler Yakimowicz to make the score 2-1. 

One goal would be as close as the Knights would get to earning their ninth win of the season however, as goalie Nathan Gliedman let Royals shots by forwards Jake Bichko, Andrew Veglucci and Koslow slip past him. Bichko's goal was his league leading 37th of the regular season. 

Patrick Cavanaugh made 23 saves to secure his first victory this season. 

Slevin struck first again with his seventh goal of the season in Sunday's game as the first period wound down and forward JT Hall opened up the second period with his 26th goal of the year, but the Knights were quick to pull even. A hooking penalty on defenseman Joe Maguire and a roughing call on forward Joe Bonsignore came back to haunt the Royals, as both calls resulted in two Knights goals with the man advantage in a span of six minutes. Defenseman Joe Cashman and forward Dustin Mattern scored one goal each on feeds from Yakimowicz. Hall and Bichko then rattled off two straight scores within 20 seconds of each other to extend Long Island's winning streak to five games. 

Royals goalie Trevor Von Kampen preserved the two-goal lead, making 36 saves on 38 shots while playing in a game for the first time since Nov. 25. Daniel Ernandes stopped 28 of 32 for the Knights. 

Ken Hoey's squad extended its winning streak to five games heading into a busy final month of the regular season. The team has one last contest against the Knights on Saturday in Scraton, Pa., to complete its four-game road trip. 

Article  by Kevin McCall

The Ronald McDonald House  Long Island Cup Championship Game will be held at Dix Hills Ice Arena on Feb. 6th at 8:20pm.

The yearly event that benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island  has all four Long Island Junior Teams compete for the RMH Cup.     Earlier in the season the Jr. Royals defeated Suffolk PAL 2-0 putting them in the final.   Applecore then defeated the Metro Moose 4-1 to set the final two.

Come on down and watch two of the best compete in their only matchup of the season. 

Long Island Jr. Royals vs. New York Applecore 

Tickets are $5 will all proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island.

WELCOME OUR NEWEST SPONSOR

The Jr. Royals are proud to welcome our newest sponsor ROAR Sport Drink.  ROAR’s Andrew Zambratto, Vice President of Sales, has offered to provide the new sport drink to our Jr Royals, Lady Islanders, and Rebel players for select home game weekends and special events. 

                  "Roar is the latest, highest achievement in peak-performance sports drinks.  Crafted for fast assimilation and long-lasting energy, it replenishes the body and mind, sharpening focus, quickening muscular response.

                  We’ve selected vitamins and minerals proved to boost metabolism and blended them with pure coconut water for its detoxifying effect.  Roar is naturally healthy, great tasting nutrition – a sports drink with a very big kick.”

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Check out the comparison chart below:

Erasing any memories of their first loss of the season back on Dec. 1, the Long Island Royals earned four more points with the help of defenseman Joe Maguire and rock solid goaltending from Corey Cairo.  Long Island picked up two wins against the New York Fighting Metro Moose this weekend in a home-at-home series. Game 1 was a 5-4 overtime decision, while goals from four different players in yesterday's game vaulted the Royals to a 4-1 victory.

Ken Hoey's squad maintained their perfect mark in Dix Hills Ice Arena with Saturday's win. The Moose outshot the Royals 31-24, but the spectacular play of Corey Cairo in net and an overtime score from Maguire proved to be the difference in the contest.  

Zach Zaroba fired two goals past Moose goaltender Joe Santiago, the first coming on a power play midway through the first period. Forward Paul Vella cut the Long Island lead to one with the first two scores for the Moose before Moose forward James Bobb tied the score at three at the 7:08 mark of the third. Jarett Meyer responded to Zaroba's second goal with an equalizer of his own to send the game to overtime for the second time in three games for the Royals.

Royals forward Kyle Twining finished the game with a team high two assists.
 
Sunday's game in Brooklyn opened with a scoreless first period before the Royals offense rattled off three straight goals in more than four minutes in the second period. Jake Bichko led off the scoring spree with his MJHL best 35th goal of the season and ended with a short handed goal by JT Hall, which was his 25th.

Hall also assisted on a goal by Maguire with one minute to go in the game after Vella was sent to the penalty box for tripping. The assist gave Hall 49 points this season, which is good enough for fifth in the league.      

Cairo was 90 seconds away from earning the shutout when CJ Totillo scored his 10th of the season for the Moose lone goal. Cairo stopped all of the other 26 shots he faced in his 26th game this season.

The matchup with riddled with penalties, including two bench minors for Moose Head Coach Craig Doremus. The Royals had 12 penalties of their own to go alongside the Moose 16.
 

The Royals go into this weekend's two game set as winners of six of their last seven games. They will face off against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights in Pennsylvania.

Story by Kevin McCall
Photos by Joe Bichko

Thank you to the players and parents that helped out at Buddy Skate 2012.

For the tenth consecutive year Buddy Skate  was held on Saturday evening at the Dix Hills Ice Rink.    Players and families from the Long Island Rebels, Long Island Jr Royals, Lady Islanders, and the Dix Hills Junior Synchronized Skating Team hosted over 50 students, siblings and families from the Genesis School for Autistic Children and Special Needs Students from the Half Hollow School District for a night of ice skating, food and fun.

This was the second year the event was sponsored by Mutual of Omaha who not only sponsored the event  but also arranged for  the Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Experience who brought an 8 week old lion cub, an owl, a black and white lemur, and ten foot boa that were a big hit with all attending.

On the ice the students enjoyed the skating assisted by the experienced skaters in a safe setting.    With parents pinned to the glass watching and taking photos it was great fun for all.    A student mom wrote in a thank you note “I wanted to thank you for a wonderful event and a fantastic experience last night! My son, who started off protesting and didn't even want to get on the ice, had the best time and didn't want to get off!.......”

The students all had a great time. Thanks to all the players for not only taking the time to make a difference but to really caring, and it showed. From tying skates to  helping kids skate, you were great. The event would not have been possible without the help of so many people.  Mark Keating and the Mutual of Omaha staff,  The Tedaldi Foundation, Salpinos Italian Deli, Matt Napels and the Dix Hills Ice Rink staff, Erin Sparacio from Genesis School, Debbie DiFillipo from Half Hallow School District, Rebel/Jr Royals Coaches Tony Colombo and Ken Hoey,  Tony Ambrosio Jr. Royals Team Videographer, Players and parents Long Island Rebels, Long Island Junior Royals, Lady Islanders and the Dix Hills Synchronized Figure Skaters.

 There are so many  more to thank I would not know where to begin, on behalf of the students and their families... thank-you.   There were many special moments with new friends made, we all got more than we could ever give. 

Check back for the Buddy Skate 2012 video that I will post in a few days.

Some new faces stepped up for the Long Island Royals during the Hartford Showcase at the end of November. The team did show its mortality entering the final month of 2012 however, falling to the New York Metro Fighting Moose 5-1 on Dec. 1 and dropping its second matchup against the New Jersey Rockets 5-3 yesterday.

The Royals were not sluggish coming off their Thanksgiving holiday, registering back to back 8-1 victories against the Philadelphia Junior Flyers to open up their fourth showcase of the season. 

Long Island's 16 goals came against Flyers goalies Mike Durofchalk and Andrew Depuy respectively. Mike Fogarty had a hat trick in the Black Friday game. Third string goalie Patrick Cavanaugh came on in relief of Corey Cairo, stopping eight of the nine shots he faced in 25 minutes of ice time. 

Backup Trevor Von Kampen filled in for Cairo the following day and stopped five Flyers shots. Most of the offense came from the Royals defensemen, as Chris Zaverdas scored the first two goals of the game and David Melnyk had his first pair of scores this season while playing in just his fifth game. Forward Matt O'Shaughnessy also added a late short-handed goal for good measure. 

Ken Hoey's squad capped off its Thanksgiving weekend with a close 4-3 win against the Francis Division's Laconia Leafs. JT Hall erased a 1-0 deficit in the first with a power play goal, but the score was tied midway through the second period after a penalty shot goal by Leafs forward Chris Irwin. Hall sealed the game with a second power play goal on a feed from Anthony Koslow to give Long Island its 18 consecutive win. Cavanaugh and Von Kampen split time in net and finished with identical numbers—nine saves on 10 shots.

Man advantages dictated the tempo of the Royals first loss of the 2012-13 regular season against the Metro Fighting Moose on Dec. 1 at the Aviator Sports Complex. Though the Royals outshot the Moose 42-38, Long Island went 0 for 5 on the power play and the defense allowed two short-handed goals to extend the Moose lead to four in the third frame. Jake Bichko scored an equalizer in the second period, but Moose forward Derek Caruso fired one past Cairo on the power play a couple minutes later and the Royals trailed from that point on. Caruso was a thorn in the Royals' side, ending the game with three assists.

In yesterday's game against the Rockets, the Royals took a 3-2 lead into the final period after a goal from Joe Slevin. The game slipped away as the Rockets launched three goals past Cairo in the third period for their 13th win in 17 games. New Jersey forward Cameron Klein scored the final goal of the contest, ending up with a hat trick. 

The Royals will face the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Junior Knights on Saturday. The puck drops at 8:50 p.m. at the Dix Hills Ice Arena.

Story by Kevin McCall

Penalties and timely scoring told the story of the Long Island Royals’ two victories this weekend in the face of arguably their toughest competition so far. The Royals escaped with a 4-1 win against the New York Fighting Metro Moose Saturday before defeating the New Jersey Titans 4-3 in overtime. Their flawless regular season record is in tact and now stands at 15-0.    

Royals forwards JT Hall and Jake Bichko remained in the top six in the MJHL in points. Hall scored a power play goal to build a quick 1-0 lead, then Moose captain Brian Scheher beat Corey Cairo on a shorthanded breakaway to even the score. But Ken Hoey’s squad wasn’t deterred by Scheher’s equalizer. Bichko scored a go-ahead goal in the second off a rebound and ended up hitting the empty net for the game-winner, his 24^th goal of the season, to earn Mutual of Omaha Player of the Game honors.   

Long Island’s defense also showed fortitude down the stretch killing three penalties while Hall, Zach Zaroba and captain Mike Cartwright were in the box. The Moose were unable to capitalize on a 5 on 3 during that span, which was eerily similar to the Royals in the second period.

The puck skipped the Royals way in the team’s 4-3 road victory against the New Jersey Titans in overtime on Sunday. The Titans built a 3-1 lead 13 minutes into the third period after goals from three different players, including one from Andrew Yasenchock. New Jersey continued to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties however, registering four in the third period that would ultimately cost them the chance at handing the Royals their first loss of the 2012-13 season.

A delay of game call on Titans defenseman Ryan Burr set up Bichko’s penalty shot score with 1:28 remaining in regulation, which followed Zaroba’s unassisted goal. Greg Pick handed the Royals a power play to open the extra frame when he was called for roughing and sent to the penalty box for the fourth time, but the Titans were able to kill it off.

Hall completed the Royals’ comeback, firing a one-timer past Titans goaltender Trever Ralph 3:50 into overtime. The assists went to Bichko and Joe Maguire.

Cairo stopped 31 of 34 shots for the Royals and Ralph had a season-high 66 saves in the contest for his team in what turned out to be a losing effort.

The Royals will face the Metro Moose for the third time this season at 7:10 on Saturday, December 1. The Moose are 4-2 in their building, the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, N.Y., this season.

Story: Kevin McCall

The top two teams in the Mullen Division faced off against one another Saturday night at Dix Hills Ice Arena, with the Royals extending their winning streak to 13 games to begin the season. 

The Royals defeated the New Jersey Titans 8-5 in a see-saw contest on Pink the Rink Night. Five of the game's 13 goals were scored on the power play. 

Ken Hoey's squad jumped out to a three goal lead in the first period with scores from JT Hall, Mike Fogarty and Joe Maguire respectively. Maguire also assisted on Hall and Fogarty's goals. 

The Titans quickly struck back with two power play goals of their own, one in the first and the other in the second. Titans defenseman Ryan Burr assisted William Dovenero on the first score before forwards Todd Unger and Andrew Yasenchock fed him for the only goal of the second period. Second period shots were even at 11, but the Royals still held a 3-2 lead and 29-16 overall shot advantange heading into the final frame.

Long Island scored four more goals in the first 10 minutes of the third period, with Kyle Heiss assisting on two of them. The Royals let their momentum slip away once more however, committing four more penalties and surrendering Titans forward Andrew Vovk's seventh and eighth goals of the season. The Royals' too many men on the ice penalty also led to a power play score by Dovenero to cut the Royals' lead to 7-5 with four minutes remaining. 

Titans Head Coach Brandon Kape pulled goaltender Joe Licata with a minute and a half remaining, but Jake Bichko ended any hope of a New Jersey comeback with an empty net goal. The score was Bichko's league leading 22nd of the season.        

The Lady Islanders made signs for the Royals players, collected $5 admission that went toward the American Cancer Society and breast cancer research, and participated in a team shootout during the first intermission as part of the Pink the Rink ceremonies.  

Sunday's game against the Titans in Dix Hills was postponed because of the threat of Hurricane Sandy hitting the New Jersey area. No makeup date has been announced. The Royals will host the New York Saints for the third time this season at 8:50 p.m. Saturday.