Week One boxes are up…recaps to come.

BACK ROW L>R: Pat Gladstone, Sadie Hellstrom, Captain Bryan Ossa, Josh Wirt (MVP), Mark Daquipa

FRONT ROW L>R Mark DeGraffenreid, Will Heinl, Chuck Bender, Mostafa Azab, Carl Vankoughnett, Elyse Shattuck

At the risk of beating a (very) dead bird, the Wing League 2025 playoffs will easily go down as one of the weirdest and wildest stretches in SDFHL history. Upset after upset…nail biter on nail biter on nail biter…OT’s galore…SO’s galore…a VERY literal ‘any given Sunday’ smorgasbord that ultimately led to a Final featuring Captain Joel Gattey’s SEVENTH seeded challengers, ‘Malkiwis’, taking on the Captain Bryan Ossa’s SIXTH seeded Final incumbents, ‘FlamingOssas’. Lime would need to repeat their Week Four feat and manage two wins to capture the Cup, while Pink would just need one more winning effort to complete a perfect playoff run and turn a so-so season into a sensational success saga. Given the unprecedentedly unpredictable trajectory of the playoffs to this point, the only sure bet seemed to be on more twists, turns, and tension on the final night of play. Josh Wirt put Pink on the board first at 6:53 in the first (Sadie Hellstrom & Mostafa Azab), and in spite of being outshot 20-10 over the first two periods, Chris Malki’s equalizer at 9:23 in the second (Joe Malki) meant another tight, tense playoff battle would wage into the third. Neither team could finish the job in regulation, so it was on to YET ANOTHER overtime period. Lime finally found a shooting edge in that fourth frame (6-1), and one of those six shots, a bouncing pinball swat off the blade of Craig Russell (Joe Malki), worked it’s way over the goal line to end things in Lime’s favor in the opening game, 2-1. Matt Henderson (27/28) was spectacular in the must-win win, and while Chuck Bender (18/20) was less busy, he was no less impressive in the Pink’s first losing postseason effort. Much of the capacity crowd headed for the exits at that point, and Ossa’s troops (and the officials, no doubt) heaved a heavy sigh at the prospect of having to start all over with a second game to decide it all…

The second game opened in eerily similar fashion, with Sadie Hellstrom giving Pink the first lead of the game at 7:23 in the first (Carl Vankoughnett & Josh Wirt), and when Jordan Pynn evened the score with a point snipe at 3:17 in the second (Joe Malki & Leah Gonzales), it looked like we were headed for another 1-1 battle to the tape in the third. The game one parallel was broken, however, when Mark DeGraffenreid tucked home the go-ahead goal for Pink with just 0:11 remaining in the second…a lead that Pink’s ranks hoped would hold through ten more minutes of play, with the Cup awaiting their eager hands on the other side. Nope…Jordan Pynn blasted home his second of the game to knot the score at twos with 8:50 to play (Joe Malki & Chris Malki), and Joe Malki gave Lime their first regulation lead of the night just 1:22 later (Chris Malki & Leah Gonzales). There was some controversy about that third Lime goal, with Pink alleging goaltender interference on the goal scorer, but the officials deemed it a valid goal, and the Pink push was on to salvage their Cup run with seven minutes left to play. Neither team would budge, and with time winding down, Pink pulled Bender for an extra attacker. With Joe Malki working to possess a loose ball and deposit the would-be-game-and-Cup-icing-empty-netter, Captain Ossa took a well-advised hooking penalty to prevent the chance. Unfortunately for Pink, he then threw his stick in frustration, which earned him another two minutes in the box. Short handed, short on time, and beyond desperate, Pink pushed on…and that is when this insane Wing League 2025 playoffs took its final stunning twists. SIX seconds left…ball pops out to Josh Wirt at the point…FIVE…Wirt shoots…FOUR…GOAL! Yes, loyal reader, Wirt had found the game-tying, short-handed tally (Mostafa Azab) to lift Pink back to level at 3-3 and force YET ANOTHER OT period…the OT period to end all OT periods. Wirt was not done playing hero, and with 3:05 remaining in overtime, he shot from nearly the same spot into the same net and that was game, set, and Cup for Pink…4-3 winners in the most thrilling conclusion to a season imaginable for Pink, and the most crushing finish imaginable for Lime. Sadie Hellstrom and Mark Daquipa collected assists on the Cup-winner, with Daquipa collecting his first ‘ring’ in what I am told is seventeen years of SDFHL play. Chuck Bender (14/17) is no stranger to rings…collecting another for his collection with brilliant night of work after coming on as a mid-season replacement for Pink’s Michael Haine. Matt Henderson (17/21) was as gritty and great as ever, fighting through more shoulder issues to shoulder his team to the brink of an end around Cup run…super impressive, Matty! It will be tough, if not impossible to top the drama that Wing League 2025 has laid out, particularly the five weeks of pulsating playoff play, but it is time to look onward to Summer 2025…get ready to rumble in Week One this Sunday!

The Wing League 2025 playoffs were already WAY off script coming into Week Four of playoff play. With Captain Ossa’s sixth-seeded Pink already through to the Final and surviving a harrowing bye week that no one enjoys, Captain Joel Gattey’s seventh-seeded were primed to perpetuate the spate of upsets that had landed both the one and two seeds on the chopping block. While this postseason has proven that anything can happen (and will), and while Lime had proven just three weeks prior that they could best the second best team in the regular season, back-to-back elimination games against the top two seeds is a gauntlet for the ages, and it would take two A games, plenty of grit, and a bounce or two for any team to survive. For Captain Ryan Karns’ Flint Blue, this was an opportunity to avenge the loss that put them in this position, with the hope to then take out the all powerful ‘end boss’ in advance the Final battle. The teams exchanged similar shot totals in a scoreless first (8-6, in Lime’s favor), and the second period (which saw Lime outshoot Flint 10-5) was very nearly scoreless as well. Joe Malki put Lime on the board first with 0:38 remaining in the middle frame (Jerry Gonzales & Captain Gattey), but John Boddy answered for Flint Blue just eight seconds later (Erin Plone & Ramsey Ksar) to leave things back on even footing heading into the third. Jerry Gonzales reestablished Lime’s edge with 7:15 to play (Chris Malki & Joe Malki), and while Flint Blue pushed hard to equalize, Vance Morra’s strike at 6:02 (Sean Bathgate & Leah Gonzales) seemed to spell doom for a Wolmer-less Flint Blue with everything to lose. Matt Henderson (18/19) stayed hot in playoff play to preserve the 3-1 win for Lime and eliminate Flint Blue. The result was the SIXTH ‘upset’ in twelve playoff matches to that point, and the second time in April that Lime prevailed over their higher bracket counterpart. Nick Meglich (22/25) was strong as ever (he’s so good), but it was clearly not meant to be for Flint Blue, who became the fifth team on the playoff scrapheap with the loss. A second win over the second seeds probably felt amazing, but there was no rest for the weary, as Lime took just enough time to sit, stretch, and slug down some hydration before heading back onto the court to take on top-seeded Orange…

Captain Jeremy Copp’s Orange had already secured a playoff spot at 5-0-0 coming into the Week Eight regular season match with Captain Joel Gattey’s Lime (!). It could be argued that Orange were at the height of their power after besting Lime 4-2 to move to 6-0-0 on that day, as they finally conceded a point in the standings to Red the very next week. That 3-3 tie proved the smallest of speedbumps though, as Orange went on to two more wins to finish the season a near perfect 8-0-1, very comfortably the top seed, and the clear and overwhelming favorites to win it all when playoff play began. The regular season is one thing, but as noted repeatedly in previous weekly recaps, this season’s playoffs have been an absolutely unpredictable fun house, and while Orange survived two close calls in their first two games (a 2-1 shootout win over #8 Brown, and a 1-0 squeeze past #5 Blue), they were finally dealt a loss in their third game, with Pink pushing past them into the Final with a 3-1 win. Lime’s regular season was uneven to say the least, as they leaked into the playoffs at 2-3-4, NINE points back of Orange, who would now stand as their opponents in the Losers’ Bracket Final, AKA The Citrus Bowl™. The capacity crowd (I’m told) settled in for what was sure to be a thrilling duel, with playoff death awaiting one team, and a date with destiny the other. It was POTW Joe Malki again, with an unassisted effort at 6:04 to stake Lime to the game’s first lead, but reigning scoring champ and all around WMD, Owen Perks, answered at 3:32 (Maureen Ruchhoeft) to leave the score level through one. The second period saw just one goal scored, and…yes…it was Joe Malki again, this time at 4:35 (Jordan Pynn) to push Lime back in front 2-1 heading into the second break. It’s worth nothing that Orange was absolutely dominating in shots at this point, having outshot their opponent 8-3 and 9-3 in the first and second, respectively. The third period shots were also in Orange’s favor (8-5), and Orange managed to find an edge in goals in the final ten minutes, as well. Christopher Fiore knotted the score at twos with an unassisted strike at 8:24, then it was Papa Chris Malki’s turn to play hero and give Lime back the lead at 6:23 (Pynn), then Fiore again on the powerplay with 2:04 to go (Aaron Cooney & Owen Perks) to make it a VERY tense 3-3 with minutes to play. Orange continued their shot dominance in the overtime period, but their 5-1 edge in extra time bore no fruit (see what I did there), and it was off to YET ANOTHER Wing League 2025 shootout…this the weightiest of all. Owen Perks…automatic…Orange up 1-0…Chris Malki quick to respond…1-1 through one round. Silas Perks…no…Joe Malki (for once, on the night)…no. Aaron Cooney missed, then Jordan Pynn converted to give Lime their first shootout lead through three. Christopher Fiore missed, then Jerry Gonzales stepped up…and iced the 3-1 shootout winner, and in turn the 4-3 game-winner for Lime. Neither Maureen Ruchhoeft nor TK Mason would shoot…it was all over for Orange…Lime had finally driven the final dagger through the heart of an absolute beast of a team. Matt Henderson (27/30 – 3/4) was a beast himself, keeping Lime in this one from start to finish in spite of being outshot 30-12, then slamming the door shut in the shootout. Mason Holcomb (9/12 – 1/4) had a sparkling season undone by everyone’s least favorite method of settling a game, let alone ending a season. So, Lime survive, and the seven seeds march on to face the six seeds (Pink) in the Final…because everything is upside down and backwards in this, the wackiest post season in SDFHL history.

Captain Karns’ Flint Blue force fed a four goal third period ‘dessert’ to Captain Gaudio’s Blue to rally to a stunning 4-3 comeback win in Week Six, and Gaudio’s Gang were ready to serve cold revenge in a playoff elimination table for two blue, part deux. The twisted ‘new math’ that seems the basis for the course of this playoff season means that terms like ‘favorite’ and ‘underdog’ are about as applicable and descriptive as the word ‘fact’ in modern parlance, so the only safe bet here was that this rematch would be an absolute dogfight from start to finish. Dan Jurgens put the ‘favorites’ in front first at 6:34 in the first (Luke Wolmer & Erin Plone), and Ralph Feuer equalized at 4:29 (Jason Remple & Trevor Vick) with his first of the playoffs and just his second goal (indeed, second point) of the season. Trevor Vick put the ‘underdogs’ on top for the first time at 9:22 in the second (Tony Thinh & Captain Gaudio), but Emily Bennington made her playoff return to the Flint fold fruitful with her first to make it 2-2 at 5:47 (John Boddy & Wolmer). Jason Remple put Blue back on top at 1:22 in the second (Trevor Vick & Rob Gaudio), making Gaudio & Company the ‘favorites’ heading into the final ten. It’s probably an appropriate point to mention that the fear of the lights going out on this night of playoff play was high. With the first game starting at 6:30, the final game scheduled to get underway at 8:30 (at best), and the lights set to go off at 10:00pm sharp, the slate could ill afford more of the OT/SO drama that prevailed in the first two weeks. Mark Nagy proved he cares not about late nights and no lights, snapping home the 3-3 knot with 3:48 to play (Wolmer), and sending a FOURTH of the first nine playoff games to overtime. A frantic, frenetic OT period produced no winner, so…on to the third shootout in as many weeks. When even the shootouts go into OT, it really start to feel like the clock gods are mocking us. Captain Gaudio was first to shoot, and he promptly hit pay dirt. A Boddy miss and Remple miss were followed by a Jurgens conversion to bring the string level. Trevor Vick, Mark Nagy, Tim Vick, Luke Wolmer, Dorothy Kline, Erin Plone…all turned away by a clearly determined Nick Meglich and Don Tran. Gaudio made it 2/2 at the top of the second go around, but this time (of course) Boddy would match him. A second Remple miss left the door open for a (merciful) kill shot…and Dan Jurgens delivered! Jurgens secured first star honors with one of his team’s three regulation goals, and two of his team’s three in the shootout, sending Flint Blue on to another ultra tight, ultra tense 4-3 win over their color rivals. Nick Meglich (12/15 – 5/7) earned the win with his gritty play, but Don Tran (22/25 – 4/7) certainly did not deserve to lose…such is the nature of the shootout. Blue become the third team out with the loss, while Flint Blue move on to enter a Week Four Citrus Gauntlet™…facing Lime for a third time with the hopes of earning an immediate date with an on-tilt Orange.

Tick tock…the second game got underway at nearly 8:00…but surely this bottom seed middle match between Captain Joel Gattey’s Lime and Captain Shawna Hamon’s Brown would be decided in regulation, putting any fears of a lightless late game to rest. So what if the regular season meeting ended in a 1-1 tie, and so what if EVERY game in this post season has been a nail-biting thriller, SURELY this would just go down as a clean and easy win for one side or the other. Nope. Lime were on the front foot in the first, holding a 9-3 edge in shots, but Kalen Hunter made one of those three Brown shots count with a solo effort at 1:35. If you haven’t checked the POTW blurb yet…check it, then come back to read this next bit…Lime outshot Brown FIFTEEN TO ONE in the second period, and Sean ‘Da Kid’ Kelly just pretended that statistics and odds do not matter in the slightest, stopping everything he faced to keep his team on top 1-0 going into the third. Kelly was truly (and fittingly, on this day of all days) a ‘savior’ for Brown, but because Jebus ‘is risen’, and because he clearly hates me for my lack of faith, he ‘blessed’ this game with a game-tying goal early in the third. Jerry Gonzales finally found twine behind Kelly to make it 1-1 with 8:17 to play (Captain Gattey), and…you already know that this game just HAD to go to overtime, then just HAD to go to shootout. We’re now wending on towards 9:00, as Kalen Hunter stick-handled in with the first shootout effort…a miss. Joe Malki made good on Lime’s first attempt, and (merciful Jebus…perhaps I should have faith) that would be the only successful strike in this, the FOURTH shootout in ten playoff games. Jim LaGrossa, Jordan Pynn, Andy Strathman, Jerry Gonzales, Glenn Pinto, Chris Malki, Shawna Hamon…all thwarted, meaning TK Mason would not need to shoot, as Lime had already locked up a 2-1 shootout win, keeping their playoff drive alive, and eliminating a hard-luck Brown and an even harder-luck Kelly (29/30 – 4/5) as Pink and Orange rushed the court to get in a VERY quick warmup. Matt Henderson (12/13), while decidedly the less busy of the two tenders, did earn his paycheck in a flawless shootout, helping his team earn a third go at Flint Blue this Sunday.

Captain Bryan Ossa and Captain Jeremy Copp met briefly as yet another shootout unfolded and the clock wound towards the witching hour, wondering whether or not it was worth even trying to get in a game with the prospect of a blackout now threatening in earnest. It was agreed that we would try, with Week Four available as a handy (albeit awkward) safety net. The final period of an unfinished game could be tacked on to the front of a Week Four schedule, leaving the winner free to leave, and the loser left to watch and wait for their next opponent. So, a very short warmup (kudos to the officials for their efficiency) led directly into the final clash of the night. Pink had dropped a 7-6 slugfest to Orange way back in Week Two, but felt confident that things could go their way in a playoff rematch with a full bench, a renewed swagger, and a ticket to the Final on the line. The runaway regular season scoring champ was first to act, as Owen Perks opened the scoring with an unassisted effort at 5:40. The run of play remained rather even through the first ten minutes of play, and Mark DeGraffenreid made sure the scoreboard reflected that parity, wresting a 50/50 ball from Orange’s goal-scorer along the far boards, then wristing a long distance prayer between Zach Siemer’s pads with 0.7 seconds remaining to draw Pink even at the first break. Carl Vankoughnett gave Pink the lead at 7:17 in the second (Sadie Hellstrom & Josh Wirt), and the pace and passion of this match rose to new levels as Orange’s vaunted offense pushed to equalize. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, and DeGraffenreid’s second of the game was certainly proof of that. An innocent backhand flip into the zone found the same hole as his first scoring effort, sliding between Siemer’s pads and trickling past the goal line to give Pink a two goal lead (a VERY rare feet against the as-yet-undefeated Orange). Chuck Bender (10/11) was sharp, and Pink’s defense was stout and stingy, keeping Orange at bay the rest of the way to stun the entire SDFHL, and FINALLY topple the top seeds, 3-1. Zach Siemer (10/13) put forth a solid effort in Mason Holcomb’s stead, but the VERY late first period strike, and the fluky third period flip were his undoing, and spelled the end of Orange’s reign of terror. Actually, this courageous Pink coup may serve as a mere pause in Orange’s reign of terror, as Copp & Company are but one win away from a chance at sweet revenge, a double dose of redemption, and the Cup glory which has seemed their destiny from mid-January on. They await the winner of Flint Blue v Lime this Sunday, and Pink await the winner of that spicy menage in the final Sunday of play as the wacky, wild, Kool-Aid style Wing League 2025 playoffs rise to a (no doubt) teeth-clenching, toe-curling climax…