A short bench, tournament-tired legs for those suited up, and Sean Kelly patrolling the pipes at the other end…not exactly a winning recipe for Captain Ryan Karns’ Brown as they warmed up for their first ‘do or die’ playoff match. Captain Geoff Downes’ White, by contrast…a full compliment of players, Da aforementioned Kid in nets, and a prime opportunity to avenge a 3-1 Week Four loss, eliminate Karns & Company, and generate some positive momentum going into the heart of the playoff push. Brown embraced the ‘nothing to lose’/’backs against the wall’ energy, outshooting White 7-3 in a scoreless first frame, and Karns’ crew maintained that pressure in the second, with shots still counting in their favor over the middle period, 8-5. One of those second period shots found a home behind Kelly…a screened snipe off the stick of Kalen Hunter giving Brown the first lead of the game at 3:29. That lead would hold, with Mason Holcomb reportedly ‘standing on his head’ to preserve Brown’s narrow edge deep into the third. Hunter’s empty-netter at 0:42 (Andy Strathman & Mario Peia) would allow Brown teeth to unclench and lungs to exhale, with the heroics of Hunter and Holcomb (12/12) proving just enough to push Brown past White in a stunning 2-0 coup. Kelly (18/19) absorbed the hard luck L, and White whimpered out of the playoff picture after a second straight shutout shortfall. Brown will look to continue their plucky playoff push in a Week Three rematch with Captain Nick Meglich’s Green, to whom they fell 4-1 back in Week Five.

Captain Jon Salt’s Heather Blue reaffirmed their ownership of Grey in their playoff opener, dispatching the bottom seed 5-2 as an echo of their 6-1 regular season ransacking. Outside of those two very convincing wins, Heather Blue’s campaign credo has been ‘Just Enough’. The proverbial ‘other shoe’ for Salt’s crew is that there are no ties in playoff hockey, and while their regular season loss column was spotless, the tie column was packed tighter than a Tokyo subway. Captain Nick Meglich’s Green accounted for one of the FIVE Heather Blue regular season ties, with the teams each taking a point away from a 3-3 Week Nine affair. The second season rematch would unknot things and (finally) produce a winner…and (of course) a loser. Captain Salt put his team on the board first late in the first, converting a helper from Alexis DaCosta at 0:46 to cap a period that saw Heather Blue outshoot Green 6-1. The shot totals balanced a bit in a scoreless second, and Josh Wirt finally put a shot past super sub, Mason Holcomb, to even the score at ones with 7:36 to play (Erin Plone & Trice Harvey). Ty Pereira wrested the lead back for Heather Blue at 3:17 (Bryan Ossa & Captain Salt), and Salt would seal Green’s fate with his second of the game just thirty seconds later. Holcomb (9/10) was solid in Eric Kroeker’s stead, locking down the 3-1 win to move Heather Blue on to the Winners’ Bracket Final, while Captain Meglich (12/15) shouldered the loss for Green, who now must navigate the Losers’ Bracket should they have any hope for redemption. A heavyweight bout is up next for Heather Blue, as the the top seed takes on second-seeded Orange with a ticket to the Final on the line. Shockingly, the regular season match between these two did not end in a draw…Heather Blue bested Orange 3-1 back in Week Five. Green’s first lower bracket opponent is the sixth seed, Captain Ryan Karns’ Brown…a team they handled with relative ease in a 4-1 Week Five win.

The regular season installment of ‘The Citrus Bowl’™ was a 6-4 run and gun win for Orange, but an attendance asterisk (Lime was without Dan Jurgens, Brian Baker, Shelby Shattuck, and Troy Ohlsson) could be appended to that result. To be fair, Orange were missing Jackson Tomaszewski in that first meeting, and JT would definitely be a factor in the Week Two playoff rematch which (spoiler alert) ran a nearly identical course to the first. Eric Enciso kicked off the scoring for Orange with an unassisted effort at 3:30 in the first, and Tomaszewski followed with his first of the game just ten ticks later (William Teglia). Maureen Ruchhoeft cut the lead in half exactly a minute later (Eric Willard), and the teams moved into the second period with the scoring seal broken. It was all Orange in the second, as Teglia made it 3-1 at 7:12 (Brennen Abel & Steve Linke), Tomaszewski’s second at 4:38 made it 4-1 (Abel & Linke), and Abel made it 5-1 at 2:54 (Steph Palomo Schmidt & Enciso). Chuck Bender (17/20) remained steady through the final period of play, but did allow two late Lime strikes…a Glenn Pinto solo effort at 1:11, and a Justin Ker tally at 0:20 (Captain Zach Salt) to make the final appear a bit less lopsided…5-3 Orange over Lime. Jon Cima (15/21) suffered the loss without the benefit of his customary safety net, Lime’s league leading offense, as the ‘too little, too late’ charge was…well…too little, and too late. Orange move on to face their standing attic mates and natural rivals, Heather Blue, while Lime will look to recover their swagger in a Losers’ Bracket liaison with Grey.

The Week Two nightcap was an elimination bout that had all of the makings of a big screen ‘feel good’ sports flick. Well, it was ‘feel good’ (or, rather, ‘feel great’) for one team, and ‘feel shellshocked’ for another, but…potato/tomato. Captain Jeremy Copp’s Grey came in still licking their wounds from another wound-ful defeat at the hands of Heather Blue in Week One, while Captain Rob Gaudio’s Atomic Blue was ready to reverse the ‘close, but no cigar’ trend after back-to-back low-scoring non-wins to Green. The Week Two meeting between these two was very much a non-win for Atomic Blue, with Grey breaking their meager offensive mold (six games with just one goal, and two with just two) to drop a half dozen on Gaudio’s Gang in a 6-1 romp. A scoreless first set the tone for a much closer match than last time, and Captain Gaudio’s first of the playoffs (his team’s first, from Vance Morra and Mostafa Azab) had Atomic Blue in control at 4:29 in the second. Silas ‘The Silencer’™ Perks continued to flex his rediscovered fine form, deflecting all twenty-two Grey shots through the first twenty minutes of play, including a fifteen spot in the second alone. Grey kept the shots cranking in the third, and FINALLY found a crack in Perks at 1:20, with Jon Zygelman converting a feed from (et tu) Owen Perks to save Grey’s season, and flip the final minute of this game into a frenzied fight for life. The stage was set for the aforementioned ‘feel good’/’feel shellshocked’ moment, and Dan Soar seized that moment, snapping home the game-winner for Grey with just 0:20 to play! The 2-1 Grey over Atomic Blue stunner was all of the thrill and all of the agony of playoff hockey on display, with Matt Henderson (15/16) continuing his spectacular play to keep his team in it to the bitter sweet end. The Silencer™ was otherworldly (33/35), but no manner of miracle could save a suddenly-unable-to-score Atomic Blue, as they became the fourth team cast to the curb at the CrossBar™. Grey have a tall task ahead in three-seeded Lime this Sunday. The two did battle to a 1-1 draw back in Week One, but personnel and playoff passion are considerations that must be, well, considered in this rematch (to the death).

The 2024 SDFHL Fall League playoffs kicked off with the first of two insta-rematches, as regular season finale foes Green and Atomic Blue looked to settle an unsettled score after battling to a 1-1 draw seven days prior. Both goals in the first meeting came in the third period, with Josh Wirt and Rob Gaudio trading one early (9:15), and one late (1:45) goal to spoil a rather ho hum donut for Green Captain Nick Meglich (12/13), and tame a monster effort from Silas ‘The Silencer’™ Perks (42/43). The shot totals were a little less lopsided in the rematch, and the scoring was even scarcer. Josh Wirt reprised his role as torch bearer for Green’s offense, putting his team on top with an unassisted marker at 4:40 in the first. By now, a clever reader would realize that the 1-0 Green lead would hold as the final score, with Captain Meglich (9/9) handling the light load with relative ease to guide his team to an opening win. The Silencer™, who really found his legendary form late in the regular run, continued to show that he is ‘back’, but a 23/24 night would not be enough to keep Captain Rob Gaudio & Company out of the Losers’ Bracket. Atomic Blue will start the fight for their playoff lives against bottom-seeded Grey, while Green turn their attention to the top-seeded Heather Blue on the Winners’ side.

Captain Jon Salt’s Heather Blue played a lot of close games in the regular season, with one win by one goal, two wins by two goals, FIVE ties, and one blowout win. Unfortunately for Captain Jeremy Copp’s Grey, that one blowout win was a 6-1 Week Four boat race at his team’s expense. Fortunately for Captain Copp, Matt Henderson was not suited for the first meeting, and Matt Henderson happens to be having a VERY good season. With their horse back in the stable, Grey hoped to serve cold playoff vengeance to Salt & Company…a first loss of the season at the worst possible time. Jon Zygelman started writing that twisty tale, opening the scoring for Grey just 0:26 into play (Dan Soar), but Joe Nguyen quickly countered with a solo strike just thirty-six ticks later. It was Nguyen again at 8:36 in the second to give Heather Blue their first lead (Captain Salt), and Salt doubled the difference at 3:57 in the second (Ty Pereira & Luke Wolmer). The 3-1 lead turned to 4-1 with 4:27 to play (Julie Ott from Wolmer and Craig Russell), then 5-1 at 2:37 (Pereira from Bryan Ossa), putting the rematch on track to end a carbon copy of the first go around. Zygelman would close the scoring that he opened in the first at 2:19 (Owen Perks), but that would be all the resistance Grey would muster in the 5-2 loss. Nick Meglich (10/12) kept his evening on a winning note in a fill-in stint for Eric Kroeker, and kept Heather Blue out of the loss column and ushered them into the Winners’ Bracket where, ironically, they will face his Green team this Sunday. Henderson (26/31) was nearly thrice as busy as his counterpart, and battled hard, but ultimately met the same fate as his regular season fill-in, Chuck Bender. Grey will look to stay alive in the late game this Sunday against Captain Rob Gaudio’s Atomic Blue.

It was another tiebreaker take two in the 7:00pm slot, with Captain Geoff Downes’ White taking on Captain Janet Goins’ Orange. The two teams met back in Week Eight, with both team taking a point and leaving a point in a 2-2 no decision. While a tie is a tie is a tie, the balance of the season for both teams left Orange the decided favorites in the rematch. A scoreless first saw Orange holding just the slightest of edges in the shot column (6-5), but a a drastic second period shift in shots (16-2 in Orange’s favor (!)) finally bore fruit for the favorites. Brennen Abel was first on the board at 8:40 (William Teglia & Alan Razoky), and first year sensation, Eric Enciso, made it two-nil at 2:14 (Leah Gonzales & Razoky). Teglia put the game out of reach with his first career playoff goal at 8:27 in the third (Gonzales & Abel), and Chuck Bender (10/10) handled the modest, Meglich-esque (if you will) workload at his end to preserve the 3-0 win for Orange. Silas Perks was valiant, but his 26/29 Perks-esque (if you will) sub spell for Sean Kelly was in vain as White slipped into the win-or-go-home battle trenches to face Brown. Orange move on to face Lime in a redux of the Week Six ‘Citrus Bowl’™. Orange got the better of the initial encounter by the count of 6-4, but the rematch between the two seed and three seed is predicted (by me) to go the distance and then some…expect a high scoring, slug fest OT thriller, fans.

The first week of playoff action finished how it started, with an insta-rematch of a regular season finale. Captain Zach Salt’s Lime got the better of Captain Ryan Karns’ Brown in the late October clash that will go down as one of the craziest goal fests in league history (10-7!). While you could hardly expect another near-scorekeeper-death-from-writer’s-cramp street fight with playoff pride and passion in play, it was equally safe to say this would not be a mirror of the 1-0 game that kicked off the opening evening slate. If you haven’t already heard me say it (I do at least once, every time I see the man play), Christopher Fiore is a bad dude, and easily one of the most underrated players in the league. His draft stock continues to climb with each game of super steady lockdown defense he plays, but he has also taken his offensive game to new heights (4 and 7 this season with Lime). Some good luck is a nice compliment to great skill, and while Fiore definitely has the latter, he benefited from the former on the game’s first goal…a wide point shot that bounded off Mark DeGraffenreid’s leg and around Mason Holcomb to make it 1-0 Lime with just thirty seconds to play in the first (Captain Zach Salt). Eric Willard snapped home Lime’s second goal at 4:50 in the second (Salt), but Brown finally found an answer in the form of a pretty Pat Gladstone pearl at 4:17 (Mark DeGraffenreid). The 2-1 lead held through the first half of the third, with the next goal really feeling like THE goal to decide who would ultimately prevail. That goal came at (or around…no time was recorded) 4:12…Fiore’s second of the night on the power play to put Lime on top for good…3-1 over Brown. Both goalies faced the same number of shots, and both had a much better game in the sequel, but it was another win for Jon Cima (17/18), who handed another loss to rookie Mason Holcomb (15/18) and kept his team moving onward and upward to the Winners’ Bracket. As noted above, Lime will square off with Orange in what is sure to be a good one, while Brown will look to stay alive against one of only two teams ranked below them in Captain Downes’ seven-seeded White.

Dan Jurgens watched in street clothes (shirt and all!) as Glenn Pinto took the court in his stead for Captain Zach Salt’s Lime in a Week Nine showdown with a down and desperate White side. Jurgens’ nagging injury had finally landed him in surgery, but Lime had survived his limited capacity and significant attendance issues elsewhere in the ranks to find themselves just a point or two away from a locked and loaded playoff bullet. Captain Geoff Downes’ White were in a considerably more desperate position, with their 2-4-1 record leaving them just one rung off the bottom of the standings ladder, still below the cut line with five points, and in desperate need of a win. Sean Bathgate and Captain Downes himself were out of the lineup for this crucial clash, but Lime (of course) obliged with the absences of Troy Ohlsson and (make sure you are seated, please) Justin Ker. A scoreless first saw both teams trading chances, and it wasn’t until the latter half of the second that Carl Vankoughnett would finally break the scoring seal (4:08, from Zach Siemer and Wendy Enright). White’s lead lasted less than two minutes before Captain Salt drew Lime even (2:17, from Eric Willard), and the teams would head to the third period in a 1-1 deadlock. Zach Siemer struck bright and early in that third period (8:51), converting a Mark Scelfo feed into a 2-1 lead, and brimming White’s bench with hopes of redemption for a season of coming up short. The one goal edge would hold, then hold some more, forcing Lime to pull Jon Cima and send everything in an effort to steal a point. Not all heroes wear capes, but at least one wears novelty shorts emblazoned with dozens of lime margaritas. That person…Shelby Shattuck…Lime’s hero, and White’s hated heel…turning and wristing home a backhand from the slot to tie the game at 2-2 with 0:47 to play (Eric Willard & Captain Salt), lick Lime’s playoff envelope, and leave White very much in playoff peril. Both Lime’s Jon Cima and White’s Sean Kelly posted identical 15/17 lines, but the late strike and the significant stakes makes the latter sting (appropriately) like salt and lime poured on an open wound. It was a special moment to watch for one of my favorite Shattuck sisters, but an absolute dagger for Downes & Company, who must now hope for points and/or help to survive the season. The good news…their destiny is in their hands as they face Gold in the biggest game for any team all season. Lime have a drastically less dramatic denouement on tap, as they take on fellow nine pointers, Brown, in a low key playoff tune-up.

Kalen Hunter’s Week Eight heroics finally snapped Brown’s three game losing slide, and left them primed for a playoff ticket punch as they lined up to face Captain Jeremy Copp’s Grey. Grey carried a matching record (3-3-1) coming in, but found themselves in the throes of their own slide, thanks to a 3-2 Week Seven loss to Red, and a 3-1 Week Eight loss to Green. A win for either side in this one meant playoff safety, while a loss meant at least some measure of genuine cut line peril. Jokes of an agreed-upon tie were batted about as the teams met to face off in the first, with three wins and eight points projected to keep both teams safe from regular season elimination. No such deal was struck (nor seriously considered, lest you are a crazy conspiracy theorist at heart), though the first and second periods wore by with the rivals locked in a 0-0 tie. Owen Perks finally found paydirt for Grey at 9:38 in the third (Jon Zygelman), and quickly followed with a second just fifty-one seconds later (Dan Soar & Hima Joshi) to give Grey a two goal edge. Mark DeGraffenreid eased the tension for Brown at 8:25 (Kalen Hunter & Andy Strathman), and Mario (pronounced MAY-rio) Peia brought Brown even with a crazy, bad angle bat from along the goal line (Pat Gladstone & Strathman). This was a huge goal for Brown, and a milestone for Peia…his first career SDFHL goal! CONGRATULATIONS, MARIO! The tie lasted just a few more minutes before DeGraffenreid slapped a second home at 5:12 (Sadie Hellstrom & Hunter), and Hellstrom would punctuate the 4-2 win with an empty-netter at 0:24 (Captain Ryan Karns). Mason Holcomb (13/15) collected his second straight win, while Matt Henderson (20/23) suffered his third straight loss, tempering his stellar early season shine a touch. The loss is a setback for Grey, for sure, but they remain in playoff position, and only a double dose of wins for White over Gold, and Red over Heather Blue can put them in a position to NEED a point (or more) against Orange in their finale. As the scheduling fates would have it, Grey will know where they stand when they take to the court for warmups. Speaking (well, typing) of warmups, Brown will take on standings twins, Lime, in their finale, with little more than pride and playoff positioning on the line.

I’m not sure what the league record for ties in a season might be, but Captain Jon Salt’s Heather Blue has got to be in that conversation. While still undefeated, Heather Blue had not managed to distance themselves from the rest of the pack coming into Week Nine thanks to FOUR ties in seven tries. Keeping the loss column clean is a big statement, but beyond being a fun, fútboltacular feat, and a nod to the ‘slow and steady’ adage, a 3-0-4 record does make the betting world wonder how Salt & Company will fare in the tie-free wilds of the playoffs. Those playoffs have been guaranteed pastures for Heather Blue for several weeks, and Captain Nick Meglich’s Green group was equally comfortable coming in with nine points in the bank at 4-2-1. A win for Green would not only finally hand defeat to the only remaining undefeated side, but would actually vault Green into first, with the total wins and head-to-head tiebreakers in hand going into the final week of play. So, while not quite dripping with the drama of the playoff trench wars, there was enough at stake in this one to make it spicy…the kind of spice that only YET ANOTHER TIE could tame. Josh Wirt began his POTW campaign with an early first period goal (8:09 from Maureen Ruchhoeft and Vinny Santora), and a second at 5:57 (Trice Harvey) to put Green up two. Heather Blue doesn’t even like to leave a given period untied, though, and a pair of Captain Salt shakes–3:45 from Joe Nguyen and Bryan Ossa, and 2:13 from Ty Pereira–had all things even at two going into the second. The second period was another stalemate, this time of the scoreless variety, and the third…also a tie! Ty ‘Even The Players Are Named Tie’ Pereira converted another Ossa apple into the go-ahead goal at 9:15, but Josh Wirt completed his hat trick and saved the day for Green with 0:43 to play (Nick Vacchio). That’s right, loyal readers…ANOTHER TIE for Heather Blue, this one a 3-3 draw with Green to give them FIVE on the season! Mason Holcomb (13/16) was bapTIEzed in Heather Blue’s grand tradition of ‘meh’ in a fill-in stint for Eric Kroeker, while Captain Meglich’s 29/32 sparkler was about as valiant a non-winning effort as one can imagine. The tie keeps Heather Blue on top of the pile, but should they post another tie in their finale versus Red this Sunday (odds currently sitting, fittingly, at 1:1), they will leave the door open for Green to steal the crown with a win over Atomic Blue. A loss for Heather Blue this Sunday actually leaves the door WIDE open for FOUR other teams to claim the top spot, based on the ‘total wins’ tiebreaker…winning has fringe benefits.

Captain Joel Gattey’s Gold limped into Week Nine with a 1-4-2 record, all but left for playoff death, but also knowing that a win over Captain Janet Goins’ Orange would bounce them off the standings floor and actually leave them in a surprisingly solid/strong position to pull the nose of the plane up and land a playoff spot at the last possible second. Orange had rather simple designs on winning a game they expected to win, thereby officially securing a playoff berth, and keeping themselves in contention for the top seed in the process. Any potential for drama in this one was sucked out and spit off a cliff in a seven (!) goal first period. Unfortunately for Captain Gattey’s gang, six of those seven belonged to Orange. Jackson Tomaszewski’s first came at 7:51 (Brennen Abel & Steph Palomo Schmidt), his second at 7:29 (Alan Razoky & Gordon Schmidt), and his third at 5:46 (Abel & Schmidt). Chad Goins wedged one of his own home in that span, the eventual game-winner at 5:46 (William Teglia & Steve Linke), giving Orange a 4-0 lead in the span of 2:05 (!). Kyle Snyder finally answered for Gold at 5:06, but Orange quickly snuffed out any swing in momentum with goals at 3:25 (Abel) and 2:21 (Palomo Schmidt). It’s worth noting (and fretting over, if you meet Orange from here out) that all of this carnage took place against a very good goalie (Alex Theis), and all without the services of Orange’s leading goal scorer, Eric Enciso. A kinder, gentler, saner second saw just two tallies, with Abel notching a second to make it 7-1, and Snyder a second to bring the lopsided ledger to 7-2, which would hold as the final (mercifully, for the sake of the scorekeeper’s wrist). The trouncing may well be the last action of the season for Theis (17/24), who will be spelled in Gold’s finale by Chris Tran, while Chuck Bender (16/18) continued his steady hand in helping Orange to a 4-1-1 record after a tough 0-2-0 season start. Incredibly enough, Gold are still not done! A win over White in their regular season swan song would improve their record to 2-5-2, and drop White to 2-5-2 in the process. If Red then lose to the heavily-favored Heather Blue, it would produce a three way tie for the final playoff spot, and if you can believe it…Gold would advance from that threesome on head-to-head points against the other two! So…brace yourself for the 4:00 and 6:00 games this week, SDFHL fans!

The Week Nine nightcap was rife with playoff implications, with Captain Rob Gaudio’s 3-3-1 Atomic Blue facing Captain Mark Nagy’s 2-3-2 Red. A win for Atomic Blue would seal a playoff seat, while a win for Red would vault them past White and Grey, and put them in a much-improved position to survive the cut line…especially with an auto-tie coming in the form of a meeting with Heather Blue 🙂 . Scott Wieland dipped his toe into the goal pond for the first time since his triumphant return to league play, picking a fine time for this first of the season to put Atomic Blue in front at 4:46 in the first (Shawna Hamon & Mostafa Azab). A scoreless second ended with the teams posting nearly identical shot totals (Atomic Blue with thirteen, and Red with fourteen), but both goalies holding strong, leaving the all important standings points on the table going into the third. Chris Tran capitalized on a rare delay of game penalty with 4:38 to play, with Wieland adding an assist to go with his earlier goal and bump the Atomic Blue edge to two. Vance Morra, who has scored at least one goal in all but ONE game for his team this season (!), closed the scoring with an empty-netter 1:11, capping the 3-0 Atomic Blue win over Red, officially stamping his team’s playoff passport, and leaving Red curled up along the cutline with one Sunday left in the regular season. The win was big for Atomic Blue, but an even bigger potential plus came with the 19/19 shutout return to glory for Silas ‘The Silencer’™ Perks. If Perks really has rediscovered his winning form, Atomic Blue may be the team to beat come November. Gaudio’s gang draw a perfect pre-playoff challenge in Green this Sunday, while Red will fight for their second season lives against the lossless Heather Blue. Don Tran (14/16) shouldered another loss to keep Red out of the postseason picture going into the final Sunday, but there remain a number of combinations of results that would allow for Red redemption. The simplest path is probably a tie (or better) against Heather Blue, coupled with a Gold win over White. If White should beat Gold, Red’s only hope is a win over Heather Blue, and anything but a win for Grey in their finale with Orange.