Recent Articles Featured in Publications
Please make sure to visit Publications page on my site to see the list of stories published in newspapers and magazines.
Here are the 10 latest stories of mine:
- S-F nips Phantoms in softball – April 26, 2013
- Phoenixville community gathers for Kunsch’s roast – April 19, 2013
- Phoenixville community members to roast Kunsch – April 8, 2013
- Yorgey returns home, wins split decision – March 21, 2013
- Phantom girls bow to PJP, beat Trojans – December 21, 2012
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: Pope John Paul II tops Phoenixville – December 14, 2012
- Rallying Point – December 3, 2012
- Phoenixville Area Time Bank: Trading time benefits members – November 7, 2012
- Pottsville beats Twin Valley 30-16 – November 3, 2012
- Berks Catholic routs Kutztown – October 27, 2012
Flyers Drop 4th in a Row
This article can be found published on Center Ice Hockey Magazine’s website.
By Candice Monhollan
Captain Claude Giroux had two assists and a stellar move in the shootout Thursday night. (Candice Monhollan)
PHILADELPHIA – Two days ago goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov couldn’t remember the last time the Philadelphia Flyers won a game, and the date becomes even more hazy after a fourth straight loss, this time by a score of 4-3 to the New York Islanders in the shootout.
All the Flyers needed was a good start in which they scored first.
They got just that Thursday night, but seemingly faltered after a late goal from the Islanders in the second period and played a poor third, which cost them.
“It seems like we just freeze,” forward Scott Hartnell said. “That’s when their skill kicks in. Boom, boom, boom, and you’re down and you’re like, ‘Oh, what happened?’”
Instead of finding ways to win, the Flyers are finding ways to lose. They can’t play catch-up, they can’t hold a lead and no one can point a finger at where the problem may lie.
One thing is for sure, even though the Flyers may have a young roster, veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen refuses to blame them.
“We can’t put the blame on the kids,” Timonen said. “They have to learn and maybe this is the learning period. There’s us older guys, we’ve got to be better, we’ve got to be the leaders out there.”
The Flyers looked to have been better against a team who was five points ahead of them in the standings. A quick start with a power-play goal on a flubbed shot from Hartnell 4:14 in led to a build from the team. They closed the period with a great pass from Claude Giroux to Mike Knuble, who deked goaltender Evgeni Nabokov out of the net for an easy goal with 2:45 left in the period for a 2-0 lead.
The game leveled off in the second, but with exactly a minute left in the period, a backhander from John Tavares hit off Luke Schenn’s body and Erik Gustafsson’s skate into the net. Read more »
Leafs Have Flyers Number Again
This article can be found published on Center Ice Hockey Magazine’s website.
By Candice Monhollan
Jakub Voracek continued on his hot streak with another goal Monday night. (Candice Monhollan)
“It’s like one step forward and two steps backwards.”
It was the sentiment felt by Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette after his team came out flat for most of the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday night in a 4-2 loss.
This was the sixth chance this season for the Flyers to reach the .500 mark, but they failed once again to achieve it.
“It’s not like we’re shooting for .500 in the room,” Laviolette said. “We’ve just got to get back…It’s got to get to the point where we put together three out of four, five out of six, six out of seven, and start to get the win column going in the right direction.”
The loss was attributed to the lacking play during the first 50 minutes of the game.
“We need to learn to play 60 minutes a game and that hurt us again tonight,” said Flyers captain Claude Giroux. “It’s the same story. We need to play as a team and get four lines rolling.”
The Flyers dominated the last 10 minutes of the game after a power-play goal drew them to within one, but it was too little too late and they were unable to get one past goaltender Ben Scrivens.
“I don’t know if [Toronto] had a shot in the last 10 minutes,” Scott Hartnell said. “Teams, when they have a lead like that in the last 10 minutes, they buckle down and sometimes you’re lucky to get a goal and sometimes you’re not. Tonight wasn’t that night.”
The Flyers showed up to begin the game, but quickly disappeared and let the control fall to the Maple Leafs. A lackluster power play, which managed just one shot through four opportunities in the first two periods, didn’t help matters. Read more »
Royals Enter Christmas on High Note
By Candice Monhollan
Philipp Grubauer has been a key piece to the Royals record-breaking streak. (Candice Monhollan)
At this point in the ECHL season, it’s hard to remember the start the Reading Royals got off to back in October.
It took four games for the Royals to find themselves in the win column – and with a shutout – but it took another four games for them to taste another victory.
The 1-5-0-1 start was mind boggling, to say the least. The Royals roster may not have been made up of superstars, but it sure wasn’t bad enough to have that record.
After the win on Oct. 21 against the Wheeling Nailers, they faced off again five days later and were trounced 7-3. After the game, the players called a team meeting, and though nothing has come out about what was discussed, suffice it to say it did the trick.
Though the wins didn’t start coming for another 12 days – or three games – head coach Larry Courville saw a noticeable difference with his team.
No longer were the losses by a large margin. From Oct. 12 through Oct. 26, the Royals had a minus-8 goal differential and in the two games after the meeting, they were a minus-2.
Then in November, the Royals decided they wanted to make history.
LET’S GO STREAKING
After the terrible 1-5-0-1 start, the Royals turned around and did the improbable by winning 11 in a row.
And they didn’t even stop there. Read more »
Cruthers Returns to the Place He Calls Home
By Candice Monhollan
Ryan Cruthers has scored eight goals and eight assists through 28 games for the Orlando Solar Bears. (Mike Ashmore)
He may have been born in Farmingdale, N.Y., but after spending three years playing for the Royals, Ryan Cruthers considered Reading, Pa., his home.
So when it came time for him to pack up and move to Alaska, it was tough for him to swallow.
The former captain of the Royals was traded to the Alaska Aces late last season and had to leave behind not only the place he knew, but also his wife and young son.
“Alaska is a place I wanted to go and I was grateful that Reading traded me there,” Cruthers said. “It was a great experience, but it was far. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be being that far away.”
The move didn’t come as a shock as the Royals were struggling to get wins and fight their way into a playoff spot. Changes and shakeups were going to have to be made, but Cruthers wasn’t happy by the way it happened.
“I heard from another player and I was just disappointed that I didn’t hear it from them,” he said. “I understand it’s a business and they’re going to trade guys and do what’s best or just try to shake things up, but I just wanted to hear it from them first. But I think we left on good terms.”
Once the Aces were knocked out of the playoffs in the conference finals, Cruthers had some thinking to do about the upcoming season. Alaska wanted to re-sign him right away, but there were possible issues he had to face if he was to return.
“I just wanted to go home and think about it and think about being that far away again,” Cruthers said. “I knew the lockout was looming and I know there’s a bunch of NHLers that live in Alaska and they like playing for that team.” Read more »
Galiev’s Hat Trick Propels Royals to Win
By Candice Monhollan
Teddy bears were thrown onto the ice after Stanislav Galiev’s first goal of the game Saturday night. (Candice Monhollan)
READING, Pa. – The Reading Royals may be a dominating 11-0-0-1 when they score first, but it’s a very different 6-7 when they don’t, and that’s is the situation they faced Saturday night against the Orlando Solar Bears and the return of former captain Ryan Cruthers.
On a night where seven minutes of penalty time in the third could have proven costly, the penalty killers and goaltender Philipp Grubauer stood tall and the Royals extended their latest win streak to five with a 5-3 victory.
“Taking a five-minute major penalty with 14 minutes left in the game wasn’t a smart decision by us,” head coach Larry Courville said. “They may have had one or two chances on that power play, but we used…a good rotation. Guys kept it short. Our PK has been solid the last seven or eight games.”
Since going 1-5-0-1 to start the season, the Royals took off the next 19 games with a record of 17-2, something Courville has not recalled ever being a part of before.
“Maybe my Bantam A team in Lancaster,” Courville said. “It’s a great run. I give those guys the credit because they’ve been working hard in practice and it’s resulting in games right now.”
The Royals weren’t fortunate to get the first goal of the game, which instead went to Orlando’s C.J. Severyn. Grubauer made the initial save and Bryant Molle did his job trying to tie up Severyn, but he was able to get his stick free and push it past Grubauer at 9:02 of the first.
Just over three minutes later, the Royals came back with a score of their own. Stanislav Galiev needed only 18 seconds of power-play time to slap a puck from one knee past goaltender John Curry. The goal brought a rain of teddy bears onto the ice that took several players and members of our Armed Forces to clean up. Read more »
Interview with Royals Scott Wietecha
This article can be found published in the April issue of Center Ice Hockey Magazine and on their website.
By Candice Monhollan
Scott Wietcha has played a role in the upgraded Royals defense in 2012-13. (M Richter)
Scott Wietecha is not new to the ECHL. The 25 year old has spent time with the Elmira Jackals and now-defunct Chicago Express before joining the Reading Royals.
Wietecha, who hails from Wolverine Lake, Mich., signed with the Hershey Bears of the AHL over the summer, but because of the trickle-down effect of the NHL lockout, he was assigned to the Royals.
In his 16 games with Reading this season, the defenseman has tallied three goals and two assists.
Center Ice caught up with Wietecha after a win over the divisional rival Trenton Titans.
Center Ice: Was it pretty much destined for you to become a hockey player in Michigan?
Scott Wietecha: “Yeah. I had a lot of roller hockey games in the neighborhood growing up as a kid, but I actually couldn’t tell you how I got into hockey. No one in my family played hockey before me. I fell victim to the [Detroit] Red Wings success in the ‘90s and stuck with it.”
Center Ice: Did you always want to be a defenseman or did you switch?
Wietecha: “I played a little bit of both growing up with skill development. I turned into a defenseman when I was about 14 years old and stuck with it.” Read more »
Reading Royals Report – December 2012
This article can be found published in the April issue of Center Ice Hockey Magazine and on their website.
By Candice Monhollan
Goaltender Philipp Grubauer set a franchise record in his first season with the team. (Mike Ashmore)
It was a slow beginning to the 2012-13 season for the Reading Royals, to say the least.
The team, pieced together by head coach Larry Courville and assignments from the newly-affiliated Hershey Bears took four games until they were in the win column and another four to reach that point again.
The Royals looked dismal with a lowly 1-5-0-1 record and sat in the basement of the Atlantic Division and 13th in the conference, but it all changed after a meeting Oct. 26 and turned the hopes of the season around shortly after.
“The guys showed a lot of character and had a team meeting after the Wheeling game where we lost 7-3,” Courville said. “I know we lost the two games right after that, but we played really hard and really well.”
So well, in fact, that the team went on to break a franchise record and win 11 consecutive games to catapult them to top of the division and second in the conference.
The Royals shattered the previous franchise record of nine straight set in the 1993-94 season and matched in 2004-05.
The Royals faced their first loss of the month on Nov. 24 against the Evansville IceMen, but bounced back quickly four days later with their 13th win of the season.
Philipp Grubauer also placed himself in the record books as the first goaltender in team history to win 10 straight games. He also sits fourth in the league with a 2.19 goals-against average, ninth with a .913 save percentage and second in wins with 10.
During the streak, Courville made one of his characteristically dazzling trades by sending rookie Jesse Todd out to the San Francisco Bulls in return for veteran Evan Barlow. Read more »
Royals Enter Franchise Record Books with 10th Consecutive Win
By Candice Monhollan
The Reading Royals celebrating their franchise record breaking 10th straight win. (Candice Monhollan)
READING, Pa. – It was the same black suit and purple shirt Reading Royals head coach Larry Courville has worn since Nov. 2.
“I haven’t cleaned it yet,” Courville said. “It’s a mindset. When I was a player, I was the same way. If I was being successful or the team was being successful, I didn’t change very much.”
Courville wasn’t going to risk changing something like his suit in the midst of a stellar streak by his team, who won its 10th consecutive game Wednesday night against the South Carolina Stingrays, setting a franchise record.
The Royals got off to a commanding 3-0 lead, but let it slip through their hands. Their fate in the franchise history books came down to a shootout, but they prevailed.
“Ten in a row – we’re not going to complain for right now,” Yannick Tifu said. “We’re back on top of the league, two points behind Gwinnett. It’s great.”
The presence of new players was felt on the ice. Evan Barlow, who was added to the team Nov. 15 in a trade, and Barry Almeida, sent down from Hershey, found their way onto the score sheet.
“It’s nice coming in when a team is on a roll because everyone is a lot nicer to you,” Barlow said. “It’s a great group. It’s an easy transition when a team is winning, but when they make you feel at home, it’s a lot easier to perform.” Read more »
In-Game Blog: Game 17 – Reading Royals v South Carolina Stingrays
By Candice Monhollan
Royals celebrate their 10th consecutive win. (Candice Monhollan)
FINAL:
Royals win 5-4 over the Stingrays and make franchise history with 10 consecutive wins.
SHOOTOUT:
Round 5: REA Stanislav Galiev – save, SC Chris Langkow – save (3-2 REA)
Round 4: REA Yannick Tifu – goal, SC Daniel Koger – goal (3-2 REA)
Round 3: REA Denny Urban – goal, SC Tyler McNeely – save (2-1 REA)
Round 2: REA David Marshall – goal, SC Hunter Bishop – miss (1-1)
Round 1: REA Evan Barlow – save, SC Matthew Pistilli – goal (1-0 SC)
OVERTIME:
1:56 – Brett Flemming tries for a home run pass, but ices the puck instead. Royals call a timeout.
THIRD PERIOD:
0:00 – Game timed at 4. Lone goal from Tommy Cross. Shots in the period were 12-9 in favor of the Stingrays and 28-25 overall in favor of the Stingrays.
41.1 – Stingrays call a timeout after icing the puck.
2:45 – All even on the ice. No goals from either side.
4:45 – Interference minor to Tyler McNeely. 4-on-4 hockey for 1:49.
4:54 – Slashing minor to Stanislav Galiev. Stingrays power play. Read more »
Capitals Goalie Coach Kolzig Discusses Royals Netminders
By Candice Monhollan
Goaltender Brandon Anderson is in his first year of pro with the Reading Royals. (Mike Ashmore)
READING, Pa. – Washington Capitals associate goaltending coach Olaf Kolzig has been a figure seen numerous times in the boxes at Reading Royals games, keeping a close watch on prospects Philipp Grubauer and Brandon Anderson.
I caught up with the veteran of 719 NHL games Saturday night during the 4-1 Royals win to see what he thought about the progression of the goaltenders and what the future may hold for them.
Candice Monhollan: Lately, it seems the Washington Capitals have taken pride in stockpiling their system with capable, strong goaltenders. Would you agree?
Olaf Kolzig: “The last half dozen years, I’d say that. Fortunately when I played, that really wasn’t the case. We didn’t have a lot of goalies in the system at the time and it allowed me to have a long career with Washington. Obviously, starting with [Michal] Neuvirth and [Semyon] Varlamov, and now we’ve got Grubauer, [Braden] Holtby, Anderson and [Sergey] Kostenko. It’s a nice luxury to have.”
CM: With the NHL lockout, how has it changed plans on where goaltenders were going to start the season? Have Grubauer and Anderson been taking this as a positive starting out with the Reading Royals?
OK: “It’s the only way they can take it. Ideally, we’d like to have Holts up in Washington and Philipp up at Hershey and have Andy play the majority of the games here with Sergey trying to get in as many games as he can. Unfortunately, those aren’t the circumstances and they’ve had a fantastic attitude. I don’t think Philipp was rewarded for the way he played early on in the season in the fact he wasn’t getting the wins. As a young guy, sometimes that can affect you, but Phil’s pretty mature beyond his years and didn’t let it deter him and now he’s rattled off four wins in a row. Andy started out with a shutout, had a rough second game and has really rebounded well tonight. As a coaching staff, we really couldn’t be prouder of the way the guys are playing.”
CM: Have you been able to watch Grubauer and Anderson develop over the last couple years?
OK: “Andy, not so much. The only time I saw Andy when he came up to Hershey at the end of his junior season. He really played well when he was there. In practice, he was always tough to beat for the guys. I just noticed from training camp until last week when I was here at practice how much he’s improved. That’s really good to see because I haven’t see a whole lot of him. I worked with Phil last year when he was with South Carolina and, realistically, he should have played in the American League last year, but it was a numbers thing. He went down to South Carolina with a fantastic attitude, played a ton and had a fantastic year. Unfortunately he got injured at the end of the season, but he worked hard in the summer to rehab his injury, came in great shape with a positive attitude, knew the situation and he came down here and it was business as usual. He still knows what he wants. He wants to make it to the NHL. He knows it’s a process and instead of coming down here with a pouty lip, he looked at it like, ‘Hey, it is what it is and I’m just going to do what I can do.’ When this lockout ends, he knows he’ll be in Hershey.” Read more »
About
“Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside, you join it in progress, just as players do – jumping onto the ice for their shifts as the game swirls around them.
“On that ice the action moves at high speeds. The punishment doled out can be staggering and the very best in the world form bands of brothers as authentic as any in sports.
“Virtuoso talents alongside distinctive leaders, fearless combatants and relentless competitors. They play with an intensity from another age. A passion invulnerable to cynicism and an energy that embraces whatever the ice offers next. Through heights and depths, lengthy streaks and sudden turnarounds and the spirited collision in the national spotlight, they have revealed a portion of a season in progress.
“Hockey won’t hold still to give you a better look. You wouldn’t want it to anyway. It’s the action that makes the possibilities endless. The next practice, the next city and the next game await.”
-24/7 Penguins-Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
I have decided to turn this site into more of a resumé for prospective employers and a place to keep links to all of my stories published in other places, such as newspapers and magazines.
I have now created a separate place for all my feature and profile articles from around the sporting world. Make sure to bookmark the link to The Sports Lair!
Candice grew up and still lives in Philadelphia, Pa., although she did spend one year in the hockey hub of Boston, Mass. She graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a degree in journalism with a focus on newspaper and sports.
She is a freelance writer for The Phoenix newspaper in Phoenixville, Pa., covering high school sports at Phoenixville and Spring-Ford and also entertainment pieces in the area.
Candice is also a football stringer with the Reading Eagle, covering high school teams in Berks County and continuing coverage on the Reading Royals and some Philadelphia Flyers for Center Ice Philly Magazine.
Her work can be found published in multiple media outlets, including the Trenton Titans official website, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and The Hockey News magazine.
She is a former American Military History major and still likes to dabble in history when she can find the time, from reading books by the dozen and trying to travel to battlefields across the country, and hopefully soon, the world. Though her attention is mostly focused on writing about sports, she still hopes to one day research and write a book on the American Civil War.
Read more about her here.
Check out a feature about Candice on D-Zone Hockey.
YouTube Page
Please visit my YouTube channel to see goals, fights and more from the ECHL along with highlights from other sports. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated!
Photography Page
For photographs ranging from sports to animals and more, make sure to visit my Behance page.
Here’s a preview of one of my many photographs:
High School Sports Coverage
A list of teams I have covered this school year.
Berks Catholic Saints varsity football
Boyertown Bears varsity football
Daniel Boone Blazers varsity football
Exeter Eagles varsity football
Fleetwood Tigers varsity football
Kutztown Cougars varsity football
Phoenixville Phantoms girls varsity basketball
Phoenixville Phantoms boys varsity soccer
Phoenixville Phantoms girls varsity volleyball
Phoenixville Phantoms girls JV volleyball
Pottsville Crimson Tide varsity football
Reading High Red Knights varsity football
Spring-Ford Rams boys varsity soccer
Twin Valley Raiders varsity football
Reading Goal
My progress in an attempt to read 30 books by December 31.Currently Reading
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