Red continued to ride high on brotherly love in Week Five, as The Gaudio Boys™ carried the day yet again in a 4-1 win over Neon. Joe struck on the power play to open the scoring late in the first (from Rob and Bao Nguyen), then it was Captain Rob fourteen seconds later (from Joe and Andy Strathman) to give ‘Robby Reddy Piper’ a 2-0 lead, all in the final minute of the period. Captain Luke Wolmer responded for Neon in the second, but it was another bro fest in the third, as Joe rebuilt the two goal lead (from Janine Ulloa and, of course, Rob), and Rob capped the scoring with a late empty net marker (from Joe, of course). The twin 2 and 2 efforts have the brothers sitting (fittingly) in a tie for second in the scoring race with twelve points each. Don Tran (19/20) kept himself and his team spotless in the L column, while Sean Kelly (10/13) suffered his second loss of the season (*gasp*). If The Gaudio Boys™ can keep it up, and Tran continues to hold the fort at the other end, Red would have to be considered one of the Cup favorites, as we slope down into the playoffs.

There was a bit of a ‘blowout’ theme to Week Five, and Black set aside their penchant for low scoring ‘efficient’ wins in favor of taking part in the trend. Having scored just seven goals in their prior four games, Captain Ian Crooks & Company racked up a six spot against Purple, and (finally) started veering off the ‘Carl or bust’ scoring schema. Ryan Loughran recorded his first career SDFHL goal (CONGRATULATIONS!), putting Black on the board at 7:49 in the first, Brennan Abel followed suit minutes later, and Sadie Hellstrom rounded out the rally with the game-winner late in the frame. Carl Vankoughnett DID NOT SCORE in the period, although he did assist on the Abel and Hellstrom strikes. Vankoughnett DID score in the second to make it 4-0, and Abel’s second of the night made it 5-0 through two. The Purple comeback started early in the third, with Captain Matt Rogers solo effort, but unfortunately for Purple, it ended with a goal from Aaron Cooney’s replacement, Steve Goncalo. Vankoughnett snatched another goal in the waning minutes to bring the final damage to 6-2…a romp for the front runners, Black, over the precariously-perched Purple. Chris Tran (14/16) was steady as ever in the win, running his league leading numbers to 4-0-1/.935/1.00/2 SO in five games…wow!

The only non-blowout in the Week Five books belonged to the ‘marquee matchup’ between White and Navy. Both teams entered without a loss, and both teams planned to keep it that way. Zach Salt broke the scoring seal with ONE second remaining in the first. White’s lead would be short-lived, however, as Joe Nguyen answered at 9:36 in the second. If you thought Vankoughnett or The Gaudio Boys™ had a monopoly on their teams scoring, you should check White’s team page. It was Zach Salt again to regain the lead for White in the second, then Salt again early in the third to make it 3-1. Mark Nagy would respond for Navy to keep things tight and tense to the end, but Chris Tran (23/25) stood in for Matt Henderson, and stood tall to preserve the 3-2 win for White. So, outside of an (obviously fluky) hat trick from Steve ‘Fat & Old’ Linke, there has been very little secondary scoring for White. Salt (the good one) leads the league in soring with 11 and 5 in five games, outstripping The Gaudio Boys™, and willing White to hang around in striking distance of the top spot. The loss is hardly devastating for Captain Arnold Gonzales’ Navy, as they remained safely tucked in the middle of the pack at 2-1-2. With the likes of Wirt, Vacchio, LaGrossa, and Theis in the mix, I think it’s safe to say that Navy will have a chance to avenge this loss sometime in November…

You can always count on Blue to bring the blowout back. There is not a lot to say about this game…it could barely even be considered a game. Captain Jon Champine opened the scoring for Green, then Jon Salt, Kerri Sevenbergen, Gary Peters, and Kim Hernandez piled on to make it 5-0 after one period of play. Eric Willard made it 6-0, then Salt and Hernandez each scored a second time to bring the final to 8-0, Green over Blue in a boat race. Rookie John Hwang racked up FIVE assists in the beat down to put him just one of the league lead in that category with seven (David Schlatter leads with eight). Silas Perks (13/13) was hardly tested in the win, and really, this game wasn’t even as close as the ridiculous score suggests. Blue has A LOT of work to do if they have any hopes of salvaging their season. If they can beat basement buddies, Gold, this Sunday, they have a chance. If not, then they are well and truly fucked. Green look to be a lock for the second season, but face a nice challenge in Neon in Week Six…a team that sits just one point back of them, and a team that is hungry to avenge the 4-1 loss that Red put on them in Week Five.

The other blowout magnet, Gold, capped the evening by…getting blown out. Grey, a team that has faced their share of struggles this season, seemed to exorcise any inadequacy demons in this one. The first period was actually rather quiet, with Phillip Nguyen’s early tally (from Eric Herrmann and Pat Gladstone) standing alone. Captain Brandon Olsen notched the game-winner unassisted early in the second, with Harsh Wanigaratne’s goal three minutes later standing as the only measure of pushback for Gold. From there, it was the Eric & Alexis Show™, as DaCosta rattled off four goals, and Herrmann added a goal and two more assists to grind Gold into a fine paste, 7-1. Nick Meglich (18/19) was as cool as the other side of the pillow in the win, which moves Grey a safe distance (for now) from the grey area along the cut line at 2-3-0. They face a tough challenge this Sunday in White, while Gold enter a do or die battle with Blue in the Toilet Bowl™, with redemption or resignation handing in the balance.

You can’t spell ‘the blues’ without ‘blue’, and Captain Chuck Bender’s ‘Blue’ knows has been singing a sad song from the start this season. A Week One blowout, a stirring, come from behind win-turned-tie in Week Two, then another losing laugher in Week Three…not a lot of high notes to hit. Neon rolled into Week Four with the proverbial ‘sample platter’ (1-1-1) to show for three weeks of play, and with super sniper, David Schlatter, in the lineup, and super stopper, Sean Kelly, between the pipes, the stage was set for Blue’s blues streak to continue. Captain Luke Wolmer put his team in front first in the first, and added a second later in the frame, both with a little help from the aforementioned Schlatter. Blue are no strangers to falling behind, and they drew on their Week Two resilience to mount a second period comeback. Kyle Prior continued his strong play, scoring his first career SDFHL goal to cut the lead in half, then John ‘Dr. Dangles’ Boddy brought the ledger level with just 0:04 to play in the middle period. Alas, that would be all the counter punch Blue could muster, and Neon had saved some punches for the third period (when it hurts the most). It was Nik Thompson’s turn to pop a pair, with a game-winning solo effort in the first half of the third, then an empty-netter in the waning seconds to seal Blue’s fate, 4-2. Schlatter collected a third assist on that insurance tally, bringing his totals to 3 and 7 through three games, good enough for second on the scoring slate. Sean Kelly (20/22) was cool as ever in the early afternoon heat, while Captain Bender (22/25) was solid, but not sufficiently supported in yet another loss. The time to panic is now for Blue. They enter into a midway battle with Green with pure desperation pulsing through their collective veins. Neon hope to continue their standings climb, as they face upstairs standings neighbors, Red in the Week Five opener.

Our cover team, Navy, remained afloat as one of only four teams without a loss this season after a tight, tough tussle with Captain Jon Champine’s Green gang. Goaltending has been the real anchor for Navy this season, and a Week Four fill-in turn for Chris Tran (19/20) was no exception. Jon Salt was the only Green player to clutter Tran’s clean sheet, netting his sixth of the season in the second to tie the score at 1-1. Josh Wirt had Navy to a lead in the first, and he put them back on top for good at 4:23 in the third. A late non-empty-netter netted Wirt a hat trick (along with POTW honors), and ran the final score to 3-1, Navy over Green. Silas Perks (13/16) and Green dropped back to 2-2-0 with the loss, and find themselves in the muck at the middle of the standings as we come to the midway mark. Not to insinuate that all Green’s eggs are in one basket, but Salt has now scored six of his team’s seven goals. Navy’s scoring is a bit more balanced, with Jim LaGrossa and Nick Vacchio both doing their share of damage, even when Josh Wirt isn’t hammering home a hat trick. Vacchio was the only non-J player to make the score sheet in this one, collecting a second assist on the game-winner (Joe Nguyen, John Hwang, and Jim LaGrossa represented J Nation™ with one assist apiece).

If ever there were an enigmatic front-running force, it is Captain Ian Crooks’ Black. The team has scored just seven goals in four games… no more than TWO in any game, and yet…3-0-1. Of course, the math here requires gaudy defensive numbers, and they have indeed allowed just THREE goals through four games. So, while their match with first half foils, Gold, was perhaps a bit too close for comfort, it’s no surprise that they shut the challengers down and out to maintain their lofty standings perch. Silas Perks (18/19) was suited up as a sub for the injured captain, Parsa Mostafavi, and both he and Chris Tran (9/9) made this one a scoreless stalemate through two. Young Canuck™, Brennan Abel, became just the third different scorer for Black with his career first early in the third (from Sadie Hellstrom and Captain Crooks), and that would hold up as the game-winner. It was back to the usual suspect, Carl Vankoughnett, for the empty net icing at 0:27 (from Abel and Hellstrom), and Black walked off with another win, this one a 2-0 wiggle past Gold. Black will look to continue their success, and keep Purple on the struggle bus, while Gold face Grey in a very important meeting that could either see them finally escaping the basement, or bottoming out even more than before in Week Five.

White are part of the lossless elite nipping at the heels of Black, and unlike Black, their scoring pace to date is second to none. Zach Salt has half of his team’s leading total of sixteen, but four other teammates have scored at least once…even the very fat, very old Steve Linke. Justin Stege made his season debut, and promptly potted a pair (with primary assists to Salt, of course), equalizing Chuck Russell’s opening salvo in the first, then putting White on top (very) early in the third. Maureen Ruchhoeft restored equal footing for Purple at the 4:09 mark, but Salt shook that off with his seventh of the season less than a minute later, then added an empty net nail to produce the 4-2 final. Leah Gonzales earned her first career SDFHL point with a helping hand on the final goal, and Don Tran (20/22) secured a surrogate win for White in place of the still-injured Matt Henderson. Purple face top dogs, Black, in Week Five, and a willful win would go a long way mending their meh mojo. White face standings-mates, Navy, in what is certainly the game of the week…possibly the game of the season, thus far.

Captain Rob Gaudio and his ‘Robby Reddy Piper’ rode into Week Four as one of four lead horses in the standings, while Grey crawled in, gasping and grasping for grip in the standings after back-to-back losses. Captain Brandon Olsen put the underdogs on top just over a minute in, but Andy Strathman converted a Dan Jurgens pass to put Red on track, then handed the baton to the Gaudio Boys™ to do the rest. Captain Rob made it 2-1 Red (from brother Joe, and Brian Sheptycki), then it was Joe from Rob (and Joel Gattey) to make it 3-1 early in the second, and Rob from Joe 0:22 later to build the lead to 4-1. Eric Herrmann responded late in the period for Grey, but neither Nick Meglich (21/25), nor Don Tran (16/18) would yield in the third, and Red cruise controlled their way to a 4-2 win. The Gaudio Boys™ sure seems to love playing together, as both brothers have eight points through four games, good enough for a share of third place in the scoring race as we hit the turn. Red faceoff with Neon this Sunday in an intriguing Week Five duel, while Grey have a should-win/must-win meeting with Gold on the books. Grey will need to hope for better attendance (I am looking at you, Gottfrieds), and increased scoring (six goals, so far…second worst in the league) if they hope to right the ship and sail on playoff tides.

Two of the four lossless teams coming into Week Three left lossless, and remained in the lead pack after a tight, thrilling tilt that ended in a 2-2 tie. Carl Vankoughnett remained the top story for Black, having scored all of his team’s goals coming in. He got his team on the board first in the first (with the assist to his right hand man, Brennan Abel). Captain Tomáš Jankovic responded for White with just 0:21 to play in the period (from Steve Linke and Zach Salt), and Rich Shane flipped the lead in White’s favor with his first career goal (from Sally Jackson and Linke). Chris Tran (21/23) would batten down the hatches for Black from there, while Matt Henderson (16/18) ultimately ceded the equalizer to…Sadie Hellstrom (NOT Vankoughnett!) midway through the third. Of course, Hellstrom was assisted by Vankoughnett and Abel (those two just HAVE to be involved), but it is a positive sign for Captain Ian Crooks & Company that somebody…ANYBODY else on the team is capable of scoring a goal. As noted, both teams entered and left the meeting without a loss, though Black still find themselves on top of the pile at 2-0-1, while White have proven to be competitive, but not quite closers at 1-0-2.

Purple entered Week Three still in search of their first win, while Neon looked to double their double-U’s coming off a 4-0 romp over a short-benched Grey. Both benches were lacking in this match, with Cooney, Northrup, and Winstead out for Purple, and Captain Wolmer and Nik Thompson out of the lineup for Neon. The biggest guns were geared up, though, and this one was a battle from start to finish. Chuck Russell kicked off the scoring with 3:27 remaining in the first, then, less than a minute later, THREE more goals were scored in the span of FOURTEEN seconds! First came an answer from Neon’s David Schlatter, a Purple pushback from Kalen Hunter, and yet another response from Schlatter. The 2-2 tie held until midway through the second, when Joe Malki put Purple on top, but Tom Darlington (from Schlatter) equalized again at 6:48 in the third. Captain Will Heinl gave Neon their first lead of the game at 2:23, and it looked like Captain Rogers & Company would surely suffer their second loss in three tries. It was Joe Malki to the rescue, tucking home the game-saving goal at 0:49 to knot the score for good at 4-4. Chris Malki (15/19) moved his personal record to 0-0-2, with special thanks to his boy for bailing him out, while Sean Kelly (23/27) hit a rare rough patch in allowing more than a goal or two in the draw.

Grey and Green both entered their match with 1-1-0 records, looking to take a turn for the better it what was expected to be a close contest. It was close, but no cigar for Captain Brandon Olsen and his crew, who have been bitten by the poor attendance bug so far this season. Jon Salt was in attendance for Green, and he had the first and last laugh for Green. The first came at 9:19 in the second, with assists to Josh Tran and John Hwang. Captain Olsen would even the score himself later in the first, and both Silas Perks (10/11), and Nick Meglich (20/22) remained sharp and stingy through two. It was Salt again early in the third, this time from Captain Jon Champine and Eric Willard to boost Green to a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. The win has Green one of (surprisingly) only two team with two wins over the first third of the season. Grey will look for better attendance, and better results going forward, starting with a showdown with a tough, and tenacious Red side this Sunday.

Sometimes, you make the paper for all the wrong reasons. Such is the case with our cover team, Gold. Captain Parsa Mostafavi and ‘My Harsh Will Gold On’ have struggled to score, and struggled to prevent scoring to this point, with a 2 GF/11 GA/ -9…not a winning string of numbers. Add to it the fact that Mostafavi is now injured, and you’re looking at an uphill climb every week. That climb looked to be reaching a promising peak in Week Three, as Silas Perks (12/13) held the fort against the Naval attack, and Mark Ennsmann finally struck Gold against Alex Theis midway through the second. Theis (25/26) was otherworldly in this one, but the hockey gods seemed to have other plans for him and Navy…or maybe not. A frantic and furious final frame reached a crescendo, with Nick Vacchio found a will and a way to put one past Perks to even at 1-1 with just 0:17 left on the clock. Gold, who would have been the ones to win, settled for a woeful 1-1 waffle, and have to be wondering what, when, and how they are ever going to overcome. They now sit at 0-2-1, sharing basement floor space with the beleaguered Blue, and running (captain-less, again) toward a Black brick wall. Navy, meanwhile, continue to compete (to the bitter end, clearly). finishing the first third of the season without a loss, and looking to improve their standing in the…standings in a marquee matchup with Green in Week Four.

Did someone say (write) ‘woeful waffle’? Blue began their season-long deflated death march with a 7-3 Week One thrashing, could not stick the comeback landing in a 4-4 Week Two tie with Purple, and…thrashed again in Week Three, this time at the hands of Captain Rob Gaudio’s Red. It was the captain himself opening the scoring (with the assist in the form of his brother, Joe). It was Joe’s turn in the second (from Sheptycki…who of course made his season debut in time to face Blue), then Dan Jurgens to make it 3-0 at just over the half way point. Vance Morra deflected home a Kyle Prior shot/pass to account for Blue’s token tally late in the second, but any hope of a comeback was snuffed out just fourteen seconds later with another Rob-from-Joe production. Red’s captain would complete the hat trick in the third (this time from Andy Strathman), and Don Tran (15/16) stood tall to the end to preserve the 5-1 win. The win is Red’s first, after opening the season two hard-fought ties. Blue…they will need to figure something out if they hope to save their season. The scoring is there (eight goals in three games), but they have surrendered a league-leading sixteen…math is a cruel mistress…

Captain Luke Wolmer and super stud, David Schlatter, were not in the lineup for Neon’s 1-0 season-opening loss to our cover team, Black, so the pair were eager to show Grey what they could do in Week Two. What they could do was power Neon to their first win. Wolmer opened the scoring for his team (for the game, and the season), with the powerplay game-winner midway through the first (from Rob LaVigne and Will Heinl). It was Wolmer again to double the lead in the second, this time on a feed from Schlatter, then Heinl from Schlatter and LaVigne to make it 3-0 in the third. Schlatter added an empty-netter to round out the scoring in the 4-0 walk in the park win, leaving both Neon and Grey at 1-1-0 to start the season. Sean Kelly was…Sean Kelly, stopping 16/16 to collect the SO, even his record, and dip his GAA to 0.50. Nick Meglich absorbed the loss, in spite of a valiant 18/21 effort, while still maintaining a stake in the upper half of the goalie stat pile.

Getting old sucks, but Carl Vankoughnett is taking it in stride…and then some. The half century old Canadian relic led his team in scoring last season, and has carried his new team, Black, to a 2-0-0 start, having scored all of their goals to this point. Granted, Black has only scored three goals, but…scoreboard…standings…only team with two wins through two weeks. Carl put Black on the board first at 6:06 in the first, with first year Young Canuck™, Brennan Abel, collecting his first career point, and Black’s first non-Vankoughnett point with the lone assist. Jon Salt answered just over a minute later (from Gary Peters and new comer, Justin Ker), and the 1-1 tie limped along through the second, and deep into the third. You already know how this ends…Vankoughnett (from Abel, again) at 1:55 to bounce Black to a 2-1 win over Green. Young Canuck™, Silas Perks, suffered his first career loss with a 15/17 line, while Chris Tran (21/22) suffered his first goal against in six full periods of play, jumping out to a nutso .966/0.50/1 SO start to what looks to be an incredible season.

Our creamy middle game was completely devoid of any semblance of our league’s trademark parity. Both sides were short-benched, but White made it a long night for Gold…whom they made short work of…words are weird. Don Tran (18/18) and Alex Theis (5/5) combined on a shutout in a sub role for the still-sidelined Matt Henderson, but the real stories in this one were Zach Salt and Steve Linke. The scoring went Salt (from Andrew Wong and Linke), Linke (from Salt), Salt, Salt, Linke (from Captain Tomáš Jankovic), Salt (from Jankovic), and Linke (from Sally Jackson and Jankovic). If you’re scoring at home (which would be weird, but…you do you), that is seven goals for two dudes, one of whom is ancient and obese. The 7-0 shellacking came at the expense of Captain Parsa Mostafavi, his pride, and his season stats, and Gold now find themselves at the bottom of the pile as the only team with no points in the early going. White remain lossless at 1-0-1, with a big game against 2-0-0 Black up next. Gold will hope for a full bench, and a resilient captain in nets when they take on Navy this Sunday.

The parity that briefly departed in the previous game returned in all its glory in game four, as two titans of the twine battened down the hatches in a heated battle between Red and Navy. A scoreless first saw plenty of action, but few recorded shots (six…total), and not much of note beyond Janine Ulloa’s first career penalty. The shots ramped up in the second (six for each side), and the scoring came with it, as Dan Jurgens converted for Red at 9:21 (from Bao Nguyen) and Mark Nagy responded for Navy at 2:06 (from Jim LaGrossa). That would be the only scoring the Don Tran (13/14) and Alex Theis (17/18) would allow, however, leaving both teams with a bittersweet one point in the 1-1 draw. The result preserves the ‘no loss’ record for both teams, although Red remains one of four teams without a win at 0-0-2. They have their chops pre-licked for their run at fellow winless wonders, Blue, this Sunday, while Navy hope to prolong the misery of 0-2-0 Gold to cap the first third of their season in style.

The nightcap was a blowout-to-be turned barn burner that was worth the wait for eight (PM). After an embarrassing/demoralizing 7-3 loss to Navy in their opener, Captain Chuck Bender and Blue were hopeful that the debut of their first round pick, and first season star, John Boddy, would change their early season course. The first period saw no such shift, as Young Canuck™, Kalen Hunter, set out on his seek and destroy mission with a pair of goals in the first. A third Hunter tally late in the second had Purple up 3-0, and Blue wondering just how bad and how long a season could be. Mark DeGraffenreid deposited an end board Alan Razoky rebound past sniper-turned-stopper, Chris Malki, to cut the lead to 3-1 late in the second, then set up John Boddy for his first career goal early in the third to make it 3-2. Razoky fired another long shot at Malki midway through the third, and this one found home to knot the score at threes. It was Boddy from DeGraffenreid again at 1:55 to give Blue their first lead of the season, and set up an improbable come from behind victory story to tell the grandkids one day. One problem…the very same problem for Blue from earlier in the story…Kalen Hunter. Hunter’s fourth of the night came at 0:55…somehow finding a path through legs and feet to stun the stunners, and leave both teams wondering what just happened in a 4-4 tie. Chris Malki (17/21) was sharp and solid in his nets debut, and Captain Chuck Bender (21/25) was back on his A game, making several crucial stops to preserve the point.