TOMORROW NEVER TIES

Our two cover teams were first to clash in Week Three, with both Captain Dorothy Kline's Teal and Captain Bryan Ossa's Charcoal putting their identical twin 2-0-0 records on the line in the week's only battle of unbeatens. Not a single tie was registered over the first ten games of the season coming in, and while a draw was certainly a possibility in this one, the final whistle would more than likely serve as the heralding of one less lossless Fall 2026 team. It was...a scoreless first period...the trend now back in full bloom, though Charcoal did hold a decided shot advantage (10-3), and was certainly the 'puncher' to Teal's 'counterpuncher'. The shooting trend continued in the second, with Charcoal enjoying a 9-2 margin, but not so much enjoying the fact that one of those two 'counterpunches' actually landed...Josh Tran from Adam Schindler at 6:30. So, in spite of being outshot 19-5 through two periods of play, Teal found themselves in front, and basking in the glow of a white hot Chuck Bender. Bender was sharp from the start, but was most notably 'locked in' on a sequence of three or four golden chances for Owen Perks. His heroics were very nearly enough to steal a win, but an unassisted Gary Peters strike at 9:15 in the third would finally soil his clean sheet and set up a fight to the finish that saw chances traded both ways. Lo and behold, neither Bender (25/26), nor super sub, Will Heinl (9/10), would concede any further damage, leaving both teams undefeated after battling to a 1-1 stalemate. Attendance asterisks were certainly in play for both sides (Teal without Andy Strathman, Nick Vacchio, and Jackson Tomaszewski, while Charcoal was without Chris Tran and Joel Gattey), and Teal's vacancies in particular certainly shaped the rather slanted flow of this game, but I for one cannot wait for the playoff rematch between these two...an encore that cannot end in a winless whimper.

Teal and Charcoal continued their respective loss-free campaigns with the first sister kiss of the young season, while Captain Shawna Hamon's White hoped for their first taste of the sweet nectar of victory in their third try. Captain Wasif Hussain's Brown had savored both the sweet (a 5-1 win over Maroon in their opener), and suffered the sour (a 6-0 beatdown at the hands of Charcoal in Week Two), so while White was a touch further down desperation alley at 0-2-0, both teams were in need of a win and a little positive momentum to close out the first third of the season. It was super (duper) sub, Jenna Chercoe, who was first to provide a push for White, scoring in Kimberly Hernandez' stead at 7:00 in the first (Luke Wolmer & Andrew Becker). Both sides were missing bodies (stupid non-SDFHL hockey on Sundays), but it is safe to say that Brown suffered the more significant offensive atrophy in the absence of Shelby Shattuck, Brennan Abel, and Eli Schonbrun. Hussain & Associates would muster just three shots in the first, and just TWO in each of the remaining periods for a total of SEVEN. Neither team could turn a shot into a goal in the second, but Luke Wolmer followed his first goal of the season at 8:53 (Alex Rockoff) with his second assist of the game (Rockoff from Wolmer and Chris Fiore at 2:30) to round out the scoring for White in a 3-0 win. John Kushneryk (7/7) was perfect, but it's hard to earn a game star with such a meager workload. Will Heinl (17/20) was plenty busy at the other end, and the lack of offensive support meant that even perfection could not have prevailed in his (and Brown's) second loss in three games. The win moves White out of the gross, overcrowded NWBG (No Win Basement Gang) flop house, and has them (ironically) moving in with Brown and Blue one floor above at 1-2-0.

There is an interesting subplot developing this season, with 'Thanos' returning to action and leading a downright nuclear Neon outfit, and Kyle 'Threatening Nickname Pending' Snyder, usually content to idle at a lower gear, now seemingly intent on matching Giummo's intensity and output as the season progresses. The former entered Week Three play with a league-leading eight goals...accounting for literally every goal scored by Captain Mason Holcomb's Pink over their first two games. Captain Ryan Karns' Blue were first to face (and first to fall to) Giummo and Neon back in Week One, and after a bounce back win over Green in Week Two, they now turned to face the other slice of brutal bread in this super scorer sandwich (I'll have the soup, please). Snyder was in on the initial scoring for Pink, but this time as a helper monkey, providing the lone assist on Sean Kelly's first of the season at 5:11. Snyder would settle back into scoring mode in short order (fear not), snapping home his ninth of the season at 4:58 (Arnold Gonzales & Craig Russell), his tenth at 4:10 (Gonzales), and his eleventh at 1:35 (Russell). So...therein lies my exhibit Q that Snyder is 'intent on matching Giummo', and meanwhile, a Wirt-less Blue had to be thinking 'what did we do to deserve this' heading into the first break down 0-4. Brendan Jew provided an all-too-fleeting bright spot for Blue, cutting the lead to three with his second of the season at 8:52 (Captain Karns), but it was more Pink 'secondary scoring' from there out in the second, with John Kushneryk notching his first of the season at 5:19, and Kristin Sigler potting her FIRST CAREER SDFHL GOAL at 0:35...a short-handed strike from Kushneryk and Snyder. CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTIN! With the game well in hand, the third period was decidedly more settled and subdued, but Jason Lee did add his name to the growing list of Pink goal scorers with his first at 2:27 (Kushneryk & Kelly) to put the final nail in an already-over-nailed-Blue coffin and leave the final lopsided ledger at 7-1. Captain Holcomb (15/16) and Pink improve to 2-1-0 with the war hammer win, while Matt Henderson (15/22) and Blue fall to 1-2-0, while also 'winning' in the sense that they have seen the last of the two most dominant players in the league...at least until the playoffs. For the rest of us...get your popcorn ready for Week Seven...October 18th...Neon v Pink...'Thanos' v 'Snyder Man'...I'll keep working on that nickname.

Captain Jeremy Copp's Grey escaped with a win in their opener, and Week Three had them in the 'meat' portion of the aforementioned 'super scorer sandwich'. Coming off a 6-3 loss to Pink (Snyder with all six strikes), and 'looking forward' to a Week Four meeting with Thanos (the 'other brutal slice of bread'), this matchup with Captain Grant Goins' Maroon felt a bit like a 'must win'. It was certainly no less important for Maroon to come out on top in Week Three, with the hope to escape the bottom top of mind after dropping their opening two games of the season 5-1 and 5-0. Steve Goncalo made the first shot of the game count...a wrist flick from the left half boards that somehow found a home to put Grey in front at 9:45 (Captain Copp). A goal that early in a game can have a dizzying effect for both sides, with the scoring team feeling like the game is already theirs to lose, and the conceding team reeling and feeling like 'maybe this is not our night'. Jon Zygelman quickly washed any such sad sack sentiments off the hearts and minds of his Maroon mates, scoring his first of the season at 7:48 to even the score (Joe Malki & Janet Goins), then providing the primary assist on Joe Malki's first of the season at 2:26 to give Maroon their first lead of the season (Chad Goins with the second apple). That Maroon lead was short-lived, however, as Mark DeGraffenreid found a ball 'somewhere under the rainbow' pass from Jordan Pynn and tucked home the game-tying tally at 1:47 (Pynn & Goncalo). Another patented 'Pynnbow Pass'™ hit DeGraffenreid's blade at 3:25 in the second, deflecting to Chris Koziol who promptly ripped a wrister past Gabe Davenport to push Grey back in front, 3-2. Neither Davenport (11/14), nor Jon Cima (23/25) would allow any further damage in the third, in spite of a feverish press from Maroon that left them with an impressive, but ultimately futile 8-1 edge in shots over the last ten minutes of play. The 3-2 win leaves Grey at 2-1-0 heading into their 'auto loss' week (Neon), while Maroon turn to face 'Snyder Man' (still working on that) in Week Four, hoping to finally break out of the cellar home that their 0-3-0 start has afforded them.

The 3 and 2 outburst from Snyder Man™ left him alone atop the scoring charts with thirteen points (11 and 2), but the nightcap between Captain Carl Vankoughnett's Neon and Captain Emily Bennington's Green would serve as 'fair ups' for Thanos, who came in languishing with a mere 6 and 3 through two games. Neon would be without the second tier services of Steve Pugliese and Matt Drake, but the real absence of note fell on the other bench, with Kalen Hunter out of action for Green. I've made it pretty clear that I cannot see any team beating Neon this season, but attempting to do so without your first round pick (and also one of the most talented scorers in recent league history) is like trying to bake a cake without an oven. Marc Lapointe, the (still) injured Wendy Enright, and Captain Bennington herself were also out of action for Green, but with Hima Joshi and Pat Gladstone checked in to fill their shirts, the ball dropped on a two-subs-per-side showdown to close out Week Three. Alex Giummo wasted (almost literally) no time getting on the board, snapping his first of the game past Don Tran at 9:13 in the first (Captain Vankoughnett & Scott Wieland). Vance Morra drew Green level at 4:43 (Dan Jurgens), but it was Giummo again at 1:06 (Vankoughnett), then again to complete the ho hum hat trick on the powerplay at 0:14 (Jim LaGrossa). The middle frame saw the sides exchange one goal apiece, with Weston Nawrocki acting first for Green with his first of the season on the powerplay at 3:27 (Steve Linke), then Steph Palomo Schmidt responding for Neon at 1:56 (Vankoughnett & LaGrossa). The third period played out as a one goal exchange as well, but this time Neon acted first...Giummo with his fourth of the game on the powerplay at 5:31 (Vankoughnett) before super sub, Pat Gladstone, answered for Green on the powerplay with 0:55 to play (Linke). I have a few observations before wrapping this recap -- first...this is almost certainly a record for powerplay goals in an SDFHL game with FOUR. A powerplay in this league is typically about as likely to result in a short-handed goal as it is a powerplay conversion, but I would say that 90% or more of these 'advantages' result in...nothing. Second...Giummo's four goals tie him (because, of course) again with Snyder at the top of the scoring pile. Third...were it not for the stretch of 1:06 at the end of the first period, Green went toe-to-toe with Neon WITHOUT KALEN. So, maybe there is hope for us all, but...probably not, as Neon punch their way to a third straight win to start the season, 5-3 over Green. Don Tran (19/24) did his belated birthday best, but Thanos be Thanos, keeping Green basement bound at 0-3-0 with another banger while Nick Meglich (15/18) and Neon (unsurprisingly) remain the only team without the slightest record blemish through the first third of the season.