The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks defeated the Reading Express earlier this season at Stabler Arena and were looking to go ahead 2-0 in the 2nd of 4 games vs. their neighbors down route 222.
A Noise Nation contingent made the trip to Reading, the first at Sovereign Center for most of us, and we were impressed. Several parking garages nearby offered safe parking for $5 (discounted this season for Express and Royal’s hockey games) and it was a short walk to the arena.
Inside we were greeted by friendly fans and employees alike. A little ribbing here and there but all in good fun.
Some things I like about the Sovereign Center:
– The cheesesteak. It was good. Very similiar to what is served at CCP. Sauce mixed in real chopped steak meat and the cheese wasn’t of the plastic yellow variety. (I’m more a provolone guy)
– There is a luxary box that looks just like someone’s back porch. It is beautiful. If I ever win the Powerball.. I’d reserve that one for life.
– The dangling scoreboard at mid-field was pulled into the rafters allowing long field goals.
Some things that the Allentown Arena could improve on looking at the Sovereign Center:
– Bigger and better placed video board
– Multiple entry points
– Better scoreboards. Granted, those from last night were designed for hockey.. a more multi-function scoreboard will be appreciated.
Overall, a fun time.
We ran into our friend Willie the Clown! It’s great to see others out there who share our passion for local sports. The Reading Express group is known as the “Da Railyard” and is just about as loud as us during games.
Two peas in a pod, Willie the Clown and Jimmy T!
Game review courtesy of the Steelhawks:
After a long bye week, following a tough 36-34 loss at the hands of the Bloomington Edge, the Steelhawks headed across Rte. 222 to face their cross town rivals the Reading Express (0-5) for the second of four matchups on the 2012 season. The final result ended the same as the first meeting as the Steelhawks were able to even their record at 3-3 with a hard fought 62-41 victory.
This game however, was vastly different then the first matchup in the first half. The Express this time were able to see their offense and Special Teams click early and went into half time with a 34-28 lead. The Express were able to return two kickoffs on the evening for scores, but were unable to stop the Steelhawks potent offense.
The ‘Hawks were lead by Quarterback Bryan Randall and standout Wide Receiver Irani DeAraujo Jr. on the night. DeAraujo put in one of the top performances on the year offensively hauling in 12 Randall passes, for 134 yards and FIVE touchdowns. Randall finished the evening 23 of 33 passing for 236 yards and seven touchdown passes.
“Irani busted out in a big way tonight,” stated Steelhawks Head Coach Chris Thompson. “He and Randall were on the same page and were able to find some great throwing lanes and get the offense in a rhythm. The Express came in hungry in this game and gave us a run for our money, but I am very proud of the way our guys buckled down and made adjustments at halftime. One game at a time is our mentality going forward.”
The Steelhawks now set their sights on a rematch with the Cedar Rapids Titans back inside the Stabler Arena this coming Saturday night, April 14th at 7 p.m. The game is being deemed Youth Sports Night and is presented by TeamX Sports, the local chapter of NFL Flag Football.
I have to say the game was hard fought and although the final score leaned heavily to Lehigh Valley, it wasn’t until late in the third quarter before the game was out of hand.
Another great time and I encourage you to check out this exciting sport!
ScreecH!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
I too was impressed with the Sovereign Center. Really makes me look forward to the new Allentown arena. Great to see our counter-parts, Willie Da Clown and the rest of Da Railyard. Good times had by one and all and special Thanks to Amanda Leigh our Noise Nation Reading rep. for hooking us up with the tickets!! Looking forward to round 3 of the 222 Bang-a-thon!!
Oink, Screech, and Roll on!!
JImmy T’s (insert “T” sign here) take!
Yeah, I was impressed with the Sovereign Center, too, on the two occasions when I went for hockey this winter. I didn’t expect to like it more than the Mohegan Sun in Wilkes Barre, but I did. The seats are closer to the (ice), the concessions are better quality and more available, and the bars on the suite level and at ice level are cool. I thought the staff was nicer and friendlier as well.
In Reading, one HD screen is located at the end of the area. It’s difficult to look at quickly, unless you’re seated at the very opposite end of the arena. Normally, arenas have the screens on the drop-down scoreboard over center (ice). But, as noted, this is not terribly compatible with football. Also, in Wilkes Barre, they are Standard Def screens, which don’t look too hot. This is why I recommended over-spending on technology in my “Open Letter to the Brooks Group” column. Better audio and video adds to the experience and makes the game easier to “sell.”