While still far from formally flushed, a three game slide had Captain Bryan Ossa’s ‘Dookey Kong’ feeling sad and swirly coming into Week Six play. Captain Jeremy Copp’s ‘Coppa Troppas’ had fared only slightly better, with their stunted scoring ability the primary limiting factor in a 2-3-0 start. While neither team was ‘desperate’ for a win, two points at this point in the proceedings would go a long way to providing some playoff comfort. The Brown bench certainly brimmed with plenty of comfort and confidence on discovering that Orange would be without the services of Justin Hepler and Aaron Cooney, with the former having accounted for four of Orange’s six total goals coming in, and Cooney certainly well overdue to crack open a can of contribution to the cause. Orange would FINALLY get some scoring from players other than Hepler and Fiore, with ‘The Other’ Justin (Stege) slipping home a tough angle shot at 7:25 (Gordon Schmidt). Captain Ossa would find the equalizer at 1:04 in the first (Mark Nagy & Leah Gonzales), but another impressive pressure play led to a late second goal from Stege to wrest the lead back for Orange (0:06 from Gordon Schmidt and Kristin Sigler). Brown would rebound in the second, with a point shot from Captain Ossa leading to a sublime tip in tally from super sub, Pat Gladstone, to knot the score at 2-2 (Josh Wirt with the second apple). It was anyone’s game heading into the final ten minutes of play, but Orange was doing more with less, and felt destined to pull off something of a coup as the second break wrapped. Mark DeGraffenreid gave Brown some confidence to the contrary at 7:31 in the third (Wirt & Gonzales), finally solving Chuck Bender (26/30), who was once again in fine fill-in form in the first of yet another tending triple header. Jim LaGrossa would respond for Orange at 5:45 (Chris Fiore), and defensive-dust-collector-turned-power-forward, Gordon Schmidt, put the Troppas back on toppa with 3:00 to play (Captain Copp). Brown were down, but Mark Nagy made sure they were not out, ringing a post-and-in point shot home with Mason Holcomb (11/15) pulled to set the score level once again at 0:39 (Wirt). So…a 4-4 draw…a ‘not too shabby, all things considered’ result for a short-benched Orange, and a ‘well, we technically snapped our losing streak, at least’ shoulder slumper for Brown. While Green remain the odd team out at this point at 1-4-0, Brown’s Week Seven throwdown with fellow-three-pointers, Red, is certainly a ‘big game’ for both sides. Orange slide into their bye week in mid-pack position, with the holiday off week giving them plenty of time to rest and ready themselves for their final playoff push in mid-July.
Both Captain Lena Amelang’s ‘Kirby Enthusiasm’, and Captain Zach Siemer’s ‘Puck Hunt’ found themselves on the cusp of officially clinching playoff passage with twin 3-1-0 marks coming into the marquee Week Six match. I interrupt this recap to relay a ‘The More You Know‘ moment…Captain Zach’s last name is pronounced SEE-MER! I have pronounced is ‘SIGH-MER’ from day one, and I am still recovering from this revelation…not sure I can adapt, at this point. Anyway, potato, tomato…back to the action. Eric Willard’s eighth of the season had Pink in front at 5:14 in the first (Scott Wieland & Brennen Abel), and the matching half dozen shot total from both sides seemed an indicator that this ‘mirror match’ would indeed be close throughout. I interrupt this recap to remind you all that Scott’s last name is pronounced ‘WEE-LAND’, not ‘WHY-LAND’ like the famous frontman. That one I did know, but…just passing that along. If I am butchering anyone else’s last name out there (aside from Tomaszewski, because…I concede defeat) please let me know. Anyhoo…back to the action. Kalen Hunter posted the lone goal in the second, pushing Grey even at 6:50 (Sean Kelly & Captain SEE-MER). and with once again dead even shot output (five a piece, this time), the stage was set for a tight third. The first half of that third was too-tight-to-tally for either side, but Abel finally broke through to push Pink to their second lead of the game with 4:49 to play (Willard). Exactly two minutes later, it was Hunter’s second of the game to again draw Grey level (Kristin Sigler & Sean Kelly), and while Pink enjoyed an 11-7 edge in shots over the last ten minutes of play, the one-to-one scoring meant a two-to-two tie. Mason Holcomb (20/22) was sharp in a sub stint for the injured Jon Cima, adding a second tie on the evening to his personal ledger. It was just another strong showing for Chuck Bender (16/18), playing his second of three, with this point counting for his actual team. It’s beyond safe to say that neither team needed a win in this one, and (outside of honoring the World Cup with a second straight draw) the stalemate adds a bit of spice to the storyline for a possible second season meeting between these two clear Cup contenders.
Two teams at opposite table termini took to the court next, with Captain Rob Gaudio’s 0-4-1 ‘Red Joshi’ looking for their first win, and Captain Eli Schonbrun’s 3-1-0 ‘Blue Schelbies’ looking to rebound from their first loss. With fellow struggle bus riders, Green, having dunked on them the Sunday prior for their first win of the season, Gaudio & Company found themselves alone below the cutline. With their Week Eight bye week yet to come, and their closest rival holding a head-to-head tie breaker, it is safe to say that there was some additional heat on the Red ranks, however pleasant and breezy the dusk conditions may have been at 7:00. Captain Gaudio wasted little time cooling any concern for his mates, scoring just 1:06 into the first to give Red the early lead (Will Heinl). Darin Cerasuolo (who expressed exasperation on learning that he would be facing nemesis netminder, Chuck Bender, AGAIN) was quick to double the damage at 8:11 (Ramsey Ksar & Hima Joshi), serving notice to Blue that Red was all in for the win in this one. Brendan Jew would answer for Blue at 5:46 (Josh Tran), but Cerasuolo’s second at 2:49 (Sean Bathgate) restored the two goal edge and (I’m sure) also restored Darin’s faith in his ability to best Big Bad Bender™. When Dan Jurgens made it 4-1 at 9:18 in the second (Heinl), Red’s humble redemption bid began to look more like a ‘statement’ body slam. A powerplay conversion from Jason Lee at 6:02 stopped the bleeding for Blue (Jew & Shelby Shattuck), but Nick Meglich (33/36) was not about to let another monster effort go to waste. Meglich was VERY busy from start to finish, and nearly finished the job without another blip, but a Kyle Snyder strike at 0:31 (Lee) had the Megician™ and his hatful of Red rabbits gasping and grasping to the bitter end. At long last, that end would not be bitter for Red, with their first win of the season coming in 4-3 fashion over a very strong Blue side. Meglich earned first star of the game honors for his sparkler, and the two points moves Red back ahead of Green and above the cut line with two games remaining in their season slate. Chuck Bender (13/17) finally suffered a loss in his third of three games on the evening…if you pass this man at the rink, be sure to give him HUGE thanks for helping us all out so much this season! As noted in the opening recap, this Sunday is another big game for Red, as they look to make it two wins in a row against their three point neighbors, Brown. A two game slide would give any team the blues, but Blue are still in a very healthy place in the standings, and a bounce back win over 1-4-0 Green this week would officially push them into late July pastures.
I was recently approached by a pair of threatening young lads who, for privacy’s sake let’s call them William T. and Grant G….no, that’s too obvious…let’s say W. Teglia and G. Goins. These two punks more or less demanded to be ‘glossed’ (to pull a very old Jim Rome term)…they were unimpressed that I had never given them proper nicknames. So, I know these kids are violent, and have pretty extensive underworld connections, which left me no choice. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ‘Big Willy T’™ and ‘G-Dub’™ to the league! Captain Big Willy T’s Purple came into Week Six play already at the top of the pile – the first team to officially clinch a playoff perch, and the Pink v Grey tie, and the rather stunning Blue loss left the door open for Purple to create even more space in the attic. Captain Carl Vankoughnett’s Neon entered in relatively safe playoff position at 2-1-1, but an upset win over Purple would move them into a three-way tie for second with Pink and Grey heading into their final three games. A scoreless first saw Neon hold a slender 9-8 edge in shots, and when Captain Vankoughnett stuck bright at early in the second (9:27, unassisted), it looks like Neon may just find their way to that upset win. Owen Perks adjusted those expectations with his eighth of the season at 3:57 (G-Dub™), Big Willy T™ dampened Neon’s spirits further at 1:47 (G-Dub™), and a second strike from Big Willy T™ at 1:04 (Perks & Sadie Hellstrom) had the top dogs on top by two through two. It was…who else…Big Willy T™ to open the scoring in the third, capping his hat trick at 7:37 (Chad Goins & Owen Perks) and pushing Purple lead to three. The elder Goins wrapped the streak of five unanswered goals for Purple with 7:15 to play (Big Willy T™ & Tim Vick), and a late solo strike from Parsa Mostafavi did little to soften the blow of the 5-2 Purple push past Neon. Chuck Bender…did NOT appear in this game! It was Will Heinl (22/24) collecting another Purple win at one end, and Don Tran (22/27) absorbing the loss for Neon at the other. Now at 5-1-0, it will be no easy task catching Purple, but Grey and Pink both have a game in hand on the front runners, and (as the ever-mischievous SDFHL scheduling gods would have it) Pink and Grey stand as Purple’s final two opponents. Neon also have Grey and Pink up next, just in reverse order, and while they are technically still cut line vulnerable, it really seems like the fight to stay out of that last spot will be decided in the Red/Brown/Green trenches.
