Not A Drill

Week 4:

Captain Joel Gattey’s ‘DWhite Schrutes & Scores’ took a page from their namesake, and treated their 0-2-0 record with the critical urgency that it deserves. After all, while it is technically ‘still early’, any one game can be the difference between in or out, come playoff time. That is particularly true when you are facing off against your standings neighbors, whichever rung of the ladder you may find yourself on. A big 1-0 win over a desperate Purple side proved that White is not taking anyone lightly, and is definitely not messing around when it comes to their playoff safety

Our cover team kicked off a night of close, low scoring games with a…very close, very low scoring game. Minutes after Steph Palomo Schmidt quipped ‘you better not let Gordon score, Pope’ Gordon Schmidt (naturally) scored to finally blow the literal pounds of dust off his SDFHL stat history and give White a 1-0 edge with 2:30 to play in the first (lone assist to another famous SDFHL spouse, Jeannine Stuzka). Purple poured on the pressure, and worked up a lot of quality scoring chances, but a-las…Si-las. Perks’ perfect performance (28/28) meant that Purple would be shut out for the second time in three games, with just one lonely goal to show for nine periods of play to date. Chris Tran (16/17) was heroic yet again, but had yet another L hung on him by another Silas silence job and one seeing eye shot from an washed up old man (no offense, Gordo). The 1-0 win is the first of the season for White, and an important one for their confidence and cut line comfort. Purple will look to finally generate some offense and get a first win of their own against a 1-1-1 Neon, while White will look to build back to .500 in Week Five with an upset win over 3-0-1 Blue.

Captain Luke Wolmer’s Green had visions of becoming the second 1-0 Week Four winners, after a scoreless first bled into a second period that saw Joe Malki stake his team to a 1-0 lead (from Ramsey Ksar). Those visions looked like a lock to become reality as the third period clock dripped down to the final minute, and Brown pulled Nick Meglich in a last ditch effort to salvage a 1-1 tie. Brennen Abel (from Vance Morra…Vance Refrigeration and Captain Rob LaVigne) would give them that 1-1 tie with just 0:18 to play (I think…could not read the score sheet), then shocked all involved by rattling home the ultra upset special with 0:01 to go! The 2-1 winning coup for Brown made Meglich (9/10) the brow-wiping winner, and Sean Kelly (23/25) the VERY hard luck loser, with Brown evening their record at 2-2-0, and Green dropping to 1-2-0. Brown will look to run their winning streak to three against fellow 2-2-0ers, Grey, while Green have a tough challenge in 4-0-0 Orange.

The ‘big blow out’ in Week Four was (much) more about the ridonkulous resurgence of Orange’s Matt Henderson than anything else. Captain Kaitlyn Brusso’s Gold outshot the favorites 26-10, but we all know it’s the ones that go in that count, and the count was once again in the favor of Captain Geoff Downes & Company. Justin Ker broke the scoreless draw with a nasty top shelf snipe with just eleven ticks remaining in the first (from Mostafa Azab), Chad Goins doubled the lead with a nifty breakaway burial at 6:21 in the second (from Captain Downes), and Glenn Pinto capped the scoring at 6:40 in the third (from Ker and first time sub, Kaela Martin). Again, though…the story here was Henderson, who stopped 26/26 to preserve the 3-0 win, improve his season line to .935/1.25/1 SO, and help Orange to their fourth straight win to start the season. It’s safe to say that Orange is already a lock for the playoffs, and they may well have what it takes to take down the Cup. Don Tran suffered his second loss of the season, as Gold dip to 2-2-0 heading into their bye week. Orange will look to stay perfect this Sunday against a tough, and triggered (see previous recap) Green side.

Two teams moving in opposite directions kept that inertia intact, as Captain Jon Salt’s Blue crew proved that they can spell ‘W’ without him in the lineup. It certainly helped Blue’s cause that Kyle Snyder was also elsewhere for this particular meeting, leaving Black with much less of a knack for attack. Kalen Hunter opened the scoring for Blue at 3:12 in the first (from Tim Hamon and Janine Ulloa), and closed the scoring with a solo shorty in the second, all while Nick Vacchio (16/16) was keeping the ‘lack’ in Black, and enjoying the Kalen Cruise Controlâ„¢ . Don Tran (14/16) performed admirably in a pinch hit role for the ailing Jimm Reifsnyder (best to you, buddy), but he could not keep Captain Rob Gaudio’s group from slipping below the cut line at 1-3-0. The 2-0 win keeps Blue loss-free and still very much in striking distance of attic-dwelling Orange. They will look to keep pace (or pass) the only other undefeated team this Sunday in a showdown with White, while Black will look to put themselves on track before it’s too late against Old Man Linke’s 1-2-1 Red.

The nightcap was another tight tilt, with two middle-of-the-packers hoping to build points, momentum, and a (possible) tie breaker tipping result, as Captain Steve Linke’s Red brought their 1-1-1 record in to face Captain Kyle Prior’s 1-2-0 Grey. We had a Jordan Pynn sighting at 1:06 in the first, as the uber-skilled veteran blueliner converted a Dan Jurgens pass into paydirt to put Grey in front first. Actually, he put Grey in front first, and last, as that would be all the scoring that POTW and early ‘comeback player of the season’, Cory Brin would need to steal a win for his team. Brin was sensational in his return, stopping 24/24 while his team mustered just SEVEN shots the other way. Jon Cima (6/7) allowed just the Pynnpoint strike past him late in the first, but Leah Gonzales did add some icing with an empty netter with 0:26 remaining. The 2-0 win levels Grey’s record at 2-2-0, and they’ll look to make it two in a row before their bye as they take on Brown this Sunday. Red will look to bounce back in another pivotal match against a beleaguered Black in the Week Five early game.

Mixology

Week 3:

When it comes to chemistry and ‘just a splash’ and ‘half a dash’ knowledge, some people have it, and some people don’t. Early signs point to Captain Geoff Downes being amongst those ‘haves’…maybe even at rarely-before-seen genius levels. His ‘Orange-Vod-Juice-Ka’ concoction is sipping pretty at 3-0-0, while some other teams are still trying to find their way off the rocks…

Apologies for the lack of recaps last week, and the delay this week…I am struggling to keep up with life, of late…

Admirable

Week 2:

Captain Jon Salt’s team has been anything but impish in the early going of the Winter 2023-24 season, confidently dispatching Brown and Gold in the first fifth of their season slate to stake a shared claim to the top spot in the standings at 2-0-0. We know that the hockey fates can be as fickle as Belsnickel himself, but Blue is doing all the judging, and handing out all of the punishment, so far…

Boxes are up…recaps to come…

Parity Planning

Week 1:

The PPC couldn’t have done a better job creating even teams this time around, if the Week One games are any evidence of how the season will go. The season opened with a 0-0 draw, followed by three games decided by one goal, and the fifth by a two goal margin in a tight opening (TWSS) week of Winter League 2023-24 play…

Apologies…still a very busy time for me, so…stripped down recaps this week…back to full power next time, complete with plenty of riffs and reference to The Office…

The new season got off to a low gear start, with Captain Steven P Linke’s Red and Captain Mark Nagy’s Purple slogging to a 0-0 stalemate. This was perhaps as lopsided a draw as this league has ever seen, with Red generating twenty-six shots to Purple’s FOUR. Folks, Purple did not produce a single shot for the first two full periods! Meanwhile, Chris Tran (26/26) put on a ridiculous POTW performance, making several circus saves, and frustrating Red’s resident goal scoring machine, John Boddy. Elyse ‘Sweepy’ Shattuck was a standout for Purple’s defense, which was overworked from start to finish. A point is a point is a point, and it looks as though Purple will need to steal all the points they can get if they are going to survive the next nine encounters with their playoff pass intact.

Mostafa Azab finally broke the season scoring seal with 0:26 remaining in the first period (from Ryan Karns) to give Captain Geoff Downes’ Orange a 1-0 lead over Captain Sean Bathgate’s Neon. Weston Nawrocki answered on the powerplay at 2:44 in the second (from Shawna Hamon and Carl Vankoughnett), and as the clock ticked past the midway point in the third, this game looked destined to be a deja vu deadlock. Glenn Pinto had other ideas, circling behind Neon’s net and depositing a rather weak wrap around waffle past Chuck Bender to give Orange a 2-1 lead that would hold as the final score. Matt Henderson (13/14) was steady and solid as ever in the season opening win, while Chuck Bender would have little time to lick his wounds before stepping back in nets for this third game of the night…

The pace of play, intensity, and goal scoring finally hit stride in the middle match, with Captain Rob Gaudio’s Black squaring off with Captain Luke Wolmer’s Green. Both teams flashed their speed and flexed their skills throughout, with Jim LaGrossa (from Rob Gaudio) opening the scoring for Black, and Matt Rogers (from Chris Malki) responding to close the first period book at one apiece. Erick Zawislak made his (hulking) presence felt early in the second, converting a Joe Malki feed to give Green their first lead, but Kyle Snyder (speaking of hulk) responded for Black less and a minute later (from Mason LaGrossa). Both teams had their share of great plays and glowing chances, but it was Captain Luke Wolmer who found the game-winner on the power play with 5:06 to play in the second (with Rogers collecting a begged-for assist). A scoreless third was icing on the 3-2 winning cake for Sean Kelly (13/15), while a tired and tested Chuck Bender (17/20) absorbed the loss for Black at the other end in Jimm Reifsnyder’s stead.

The low scoring parity party continued into the 7:00pm showdown, with Captain Kyle Prior’s Grey grappling with Captain Kaitlyn Brusso’s Gold. This was an ugly one for all involved, with EIGHT penalties called…nearly triple the number of goals scored…yikes. Jordan Pynn had Grey in front just one minute in (from Alexis DaCosta), but Andrew Jacobsen equalized later in the first (from Alan Razoky and Zach Siemer). There were SIX penalties in that first period alone, and amazingly enough…neither of the goals was on the PP/PK. A scoreless second was also a kinder, gentler second, with just one penalty posted (super goon, Leah Gonzales, with a roughing penalty…naturally), and the third period saw one more penalty, and one more goal. The penalty belonged to Mr. Razoky (his second roughing minor of the night), and the goal belonged to Zach ‘Don’t Draft Me As A Defender’ Siemer. Siemer’s game-winner came courtesy of a Jacobsen feed with 1:32 remaining, and Don Tran (16/17) and Gold walked away from SDFHL’s best impression of WrestleMania with a 2-1 win. Nick Vacchio (15/17) battled hard, but ultimately took the hard luck loss in a fill-in roll for Cory ‘Mayor Of Halloweentown’ Brin.

The penalty box remained empty, but the offensive flood gates finally opened in the Week One finale, with Captain Jon Salt’s Blue taking on Captain Rob Lavigne’s Brown. It was Captain LaVigne himself leading the charge for Brown, notching two solo strikes in the first. Those strikes with interspliced with a pair from Kalen Hunter (the first from Captain Salt and Mark Ennsmann, and the second an unassisted effort), leaving the score knotted at 2-2 going into the middle frame. Captain Salt (from Ennsmann) gave Blue a one goal lead, and Hunter completed his hat trick and doubled that lead (from Salt and Joe Nguyen), putting Blue well in command with ten minutes to play. It was Salt again to balloon Blue’s lead to three with 9:28 to play, and a too little, too late response from Brennan Abel (LaVigne and Leah Gonzales) to bring about the 5-3 final, Blue over Brown in game that equaled the total goal scoring output from the first three games on the slate combined. Nick Vacchio (16/19) rebounded from his sub duty loss to record a win for his team, while Nick Meglich (19/24) was left digesting a very bitter, very salty meal in the debut loss for Brown.