Most SDFHL pundits pulled no punches when picking over the results of Captain Zach Siemer’s 2025 Wing League draft. Even the staunchest proponent of the ‘defense wins championships’ ideology squirmed a bit at the VERY backend heavy nature of White’s lineup, but a 1-0 win counts as much as a 5-2 win, and Siemer’s strategy was clearly to count on a steady diet of those tight, low-scoring wins this season. The aforementioned pundits (and perhaps even Siemer himself) were not counting on a breakout performance from Janice Darlington in their season opener, a 3-1 win over Black, but the lone goal against (and the winning result) was a sign that Siemer’s scheme might just rebuff all of the post draft scrutiny, after all. Captain Shawna Hamon’s Brown limped into Week Two licking their wounds from a 6-1 licking at the hands of budding offensive juggernaut, Orange. Still without the services of Kalen Hunter and Andy Strathman, but now also bereft of the presence of steady secondary scorer, Kevin ‘The Deputy’ Dinino, and super stud savemaster, Sean ‘Da Kid’ Kelly, things would not prove any easier for Hamon & Company on this day. Chris Tran was nothing short of spectacular for Brown in a fill-in stint for Kelly, but even spectacular has its limitations. A scoreless first saw Tran stop FIFTEEN shots, while Brown mustered ZERO the other way (!). Captain Seimer finally broke the scoring seal in the second with his second of the season at 4:51 (Jon Zygelman), and Silas Perks’ sleepy session at the other end was tested by just four Brown shots, including a rare penalty shot (a failed Weston Oakley attempt). Siemer would cash in again at 3:13 in the third, leaving Tran’s 36/38 effort completely wasted in Brown’s 2-0 loss. While Perks (6/6) was barely needed in this one, it is perhaps worth noting that even a massive, lopsided shot total in White’s favor (38-6) was JUST enough to earn them a win. It will be interesting to see how White hold up against some of the heavier hitting offenses in the league, including Silas’ ‘other team’, Orange.

Both Captain Jeremy Copp’s Orange and Captain Bryan Ossa’s Pink blasted past their Week One opponents with considerable ease, dropping six and seven goals on Brown and Red, respectively. While it is easy to overreact to early season results, I for one (as one of the referees in their debut) was convinced immediately that Orange was an incredibly well-oiled scoring machine straight out of the box. I was no less impressed with Pink’s output, but I had Ossa & Company as underdogs coming into what one might rightly have assumed would be a slugfest for the ages. It definitely was that…one of those games with very little white space left on the score sheet, and one of those games that force me into a rapid fire/lots-of-commas style recap. It was nearly all Orange in a five goal first, with Owen Perks opening the scoring at 4:56 (Aaron Cooney & Silas Perks), then Cooney making it 2-0 with a solo effort just nineteen seconds later, then Owen Perks making it 3-0 just thirty-eight seconds later. Josh Wirt finally answered for a reeling Pink side at 2:31 (Captain Ossa), but Justin Stege restored the three goal edge for Orange at 0:25 (Owen Perks). Pink staged a swift comeback in the second, with Pat Gladstone cutting the lead back to two at 9:23 (Carl Vankoughnett & Mostafa Azab), Vankoughnett notching his first of the game at 8:52 to cut the lead to one (Ossa & Wirt), then his second of the game at 6:44 to draw Pink level (Gladstone & Wirt). The euphoria on the Pink bench after the inspired surge quickly faded, with Orange’s first line taking full advantage of Pink’s second line to convert two quick goals and completely arrest and reverse the momentum in this one…Owen Perks at 6:28 (Cooney & Christopher Fiore), and Cooney at 5:43 (Silas Perks & Owen Perks). Orange padded their lead back to three at 8:05 in the third (Owen Perks from Cooney and Janice ‘The Better’ Darlington), and as the clock wound past the halfway point of the final frame, it seemed pretty clear who would win the big ‘slugfest’. Pink issued a collective ‘not so fast’, with Vankoughnett completing his hat trick at 3:19 (Ossa & Wirt), then Mark DeGraffenreid firing home his first of the season at 1:25 (Azab) to keep things VERY interesting going into the final minute of play. Alas, in spite of a strong press and a number of golden opportunities, Pink’s latest gasp would prove their last in a wacky, wild, Kool-Aid style 7-6 loss to Orange. I try to always include goalie stat lines in these recaps, and while I am sure neither netminder is dying to relive this one, Mason Holcomb (17/23) can at least console himself with the W, while Michael Haine (10/17) will have to hope for a better outing, and a better outcome next time.

Captain Rob Gaudio’s Blue looked to keep pace with the lead pack in the standings with a second win in as many tries, while Captain Hima Joshi’s Black hoped to even their record and move away from the dreaded cutline in a Week Two ‘crossroads’ clash. It can hardly be considered a surprise that the first period bled by with no score, considering the teams combined for FOUR shots on goal, but things picked up in a second period that saw Black outshoot Blue 10-2. Steve Pugliese put Black in front first at 7:55 (Rob LaVigne), but Tony Thinh made one of those two Blue shots count, evening the score at 2:49 (Tim Vick). The shot count flipped back in Blue’s favor again in the third, likely owing to a pair of Pugliese penalties that also led to one Kyle Snyder powerplay strike (6:51, unassisted), then a second (4:57, from Captain Gaudio). Trevor Vick added empty net insurance with five ticks to play (Synder), sealing the 4-1 win for Blue, and dropping Black into the cut line pit with the other two point-free sides, Brown and Green. The shot totals ended up being pretty even in this one, with Don Tran (13/14) besting Will Heinl (10/13)…the lesson is ‘do not give Kyle Snyder four powerplay opportunities in an otherwise close game’. Gaudio & Company will look to stay perfect in a matchup with Captain Razoky’s 0-2-0 Green, while Captain Joshi’s Black brood will look to start their climb to playoff safety against a 1-1-0 Red this Sunday.

The Week Two SDFHL slate saved the best for last, with two hotly contested matches (both featuring dramatic last minute twists) serving as a delicious denouement. First up, it was Captain Chad Goins’ Red facing off against Captain Alan Razoky’s Green. The two captains were taking turns kissing the Cup with last season’s champion Orange just a month or so prior, but now stood in opposition, both looking to capture their first win (or, at least, first point) of the season. Dorothy Kline (apparently) grabbed the ‘Girl Power’ baton from Week One heroines, Janice Darlington and Maureen Ruchhoeft, putting Green up 1-0 with an unassisted strike at 6:57 in the first, then restoring Green’s one goal lead at 5:02 in the second period (Eli Schonbrun & Trice Harvey), after a Jackson Tomaszewski tally at 5:13 had Red oh-so-temporarily tied (Josh Tran & Janet Goins). Schonbrun would make it 3-1 Green at 3:51 in the second (Brendan Jew), and Captain Razoky’s ‘Parrot Heads’ looked primed for paydirt, up two heading into the third. That third period would be ‘The Josh & Joe Show’™, though, as Red’s Josh Tran halved Green’s advantage at 5:56 (Greg Wirth), then Joe Nguyen knotted the score at three apiece with a solo strike with just 1:09 to play! Just as the buzz on both benches was dying down from this dramatic late swing…boom…JT again with the game-winner at 0:58! Eleven seconds, two goals, and this game swung from a 3-2 Green win to a 4-3 Green loss…incredible. Jon Cima (11/14) reaped the benefits of the last minute flip flop, while Chuck Bender (18/22) could only hang his head and tip his cap to Josh, Joe, and most of his mates from the previous season for pulling out the gritty, gut punch win.

As advertised in the recap above, the Week Two nightcap was another tight, thrilling match with a delightful (depending on who you’re asking, of course) twist ending. Captain Ryan Karns’ Flint Blue prevailed over Green with relative ease in Week One (5-2), and they hoped to complete the ‘shades of green’ sweep to start their season, while Captain Joel Gattey’s Lime hoped to shut down that fun little couplet coup and rebound from their opening week loss to, fittingly, ‘the other blue’. Dan Jurgens put Karns & Company in front first at 6:34 in the first (Erin Plone & Captain Karns), but Vance Morra (the man just does not stop scoring) equalized for Lime at 4:21 (Joe Malki & TK Mason) to leave the teams even going into the middle ten. In spite of the even shot count (5-5), that middle ten was dominated by Lime, who somehow managed to score on 60% of their shots. Joe Malki restored Lime’s lead at 9:37 (Jerry Gonzales & Vance Morra), but Luke Wolmer brought Flint Blue back level on the powerplay at 6:32 (Jurgens & Plone). It was another J, this time Captain Joel Gattey, putting Lime back on top at 4:44 (Joe Malki & Morra), and yet another J, this time Jordan Pynn, giving Lime their first two goal edge at 2:42 (Chris Malki & Joe Malki). Mark Nagy brough Flint Blue back to within one at 8:44 in the third (Wolmer), but in spite of the lopsided shot count in their favor (22-11, at game’s end), it was beginning to look like Lime would steal a win based on that pesky, all-important ‘how many actually went in’ bit. The clock wound down toward the final minute of play, when Flint Blue did finally actually put one more in…it was Captain Karns himself at 1:07 (Jurgens), snatching a point from the jaws of defeat, and keeping Lime out of the win column in stunning fashion. The 4-4 tie felt (I’m sure) like a victory for a returning Nick Meglich (7/11), while Will Heinl (18/22) can hold his head high after holding on to a winning line for as long as he could in Matt Henderson’s stead. Lime, while frustrated with the non-win, should consider themselves grateful that superstar John Boddy was out of the lineup for Flint Blue in this one…he may well have added an ‘N’ to the front of that ‘one point’ they earned in his absence.

The Wing League 2025 season cracked open with a battle of birds of similar plumage. Captain Chad Goins was still flying high after a convincing Cup run the previous season, and with most of the same players carrying over (Abel, Tomaszewski, Schmidt, Palomo Schmidt, and of course Teglia and the Goinseses), Red had right and reason to crow confidently coming into a match with Captain Bryan Ossa’s Pink. The ‘FlamingOssas’, while ‘strong on paper’ were in the proving position, but appeared loose and ready for their opener, anxious to debut their ‘stand on one leg goal celebration’™. While said celebration certainly needs some work, Pink were able to practice it bright and early in this one, with Josh Wirt poking home his own rebound to put Pink on top (Mark DeGraffenreid & Sadie Hellstrom). Carl Vankoughnett provided a second opportunity to practice the pose, striking at 4:53 (DeGraffenreid & Mostafa Azab) to double the lead and send a surge of confidence through the Pink bench. That confidence ebbed a bit after 2024 Fall League Final MVP, Jackson Tomaszewski, broke loose on a counter attack and deposited Red’s first response past rookie netminder, Michael Haine. Vankoughnett would restore Pink’s two goal edge at 8:04 in the second (Azab & Captain Ossa), but Tomaszewski was there again to cut it back to one at 2:25 (Josh Tran & Brennen Abel). Late period goals are notorious momentum shifters, and Wirt’s second of the game with just 0:19 remaining would prove no exception (Azab). The late second period strike set off a chain of three Pink goals within the first three minutes of the third…Wirt unassisted…Wirt from Vankoughnett and Pat Gladstone…Gladstone from DeGraffenreid. Steph Palomo Schmidt lodged the only response to this flamingo flurry, converting at 5:36 on the power play (Abel & Tomaszewski) to save some grace and face in an otherwise lopsided 7-3 win for Pink. Jon Cima (10/17) will hope for better from himself and his teammates over the remainder of the season, while Michael Haine (20/23) was steady in victory in his SDFHL debut.

I have always ‘teased’ Tom and Janice that the latter is ‘the better Darlington’, but even the laziest/most biased fact checker in the world would have no choice but to crown Tom’s better half the best player in the match between Captain Zach Siemer’s White and Captain Hima Joshi’s Black. The Associated SDFHL Press (me) went a step further, crowning JD the queen of Week One…and making it a point to ‘tease’ Tom about her prowess after each point she posted. The first such point was the opening goal at 6:40 in the first (Captain Siemer & Steve Linke), and the second was her second of the game less than two minutes later (4:42 from Seimer and Jon Zygelman). Captain Siemer himself would build White’s advantage to three at 2:08 (from Santora, and…yes…Janice ‘The Better’ Darlington), and we all know the odds of rallying from a 0-3 hole with Silas Perks minding the opposing team’s nets. Jon Salt did blast one past Perks with 1:35 to play in the first (Eric Willard & Evan Melcher), but that would be the last ripple of the netting behind ‘The Silencer’™ in this one. Actually, it would be the last goal for either side, as both super sub, Mason Holcomb (12/15) and Perks (19/20) kept clean slates through the remaining twenty to preserve the 3-1 score line, White over Black. While I don’t keep a log, I am guessing this is a first POTW honor for Janice…a very deserving one, and obviously an encouraging sign for a team that is loaded defensively, and somewhat lacking (on paper) offensively. Captain Joshi, meanwhile, will have to hope that the return of Geoff Downes, Wendy Enright, and goalie Will Heinl will produce better results against Blue in Week Two.

Sometimes a loss, and sometimes even a win in sports ‘isn’t pretty’, but Captain Shawna Hamon has guaranteed that none of her team’s games this season will be pretty with the selection of perhaps the most repulsive shirt color to ever (dis)grace our beloved rink. Ugly shirts don’t mean ugly play, per se, and Hamon & Company acquitted themselves rather well through two periods of play, in spite of being rather…grossly outplayed. The combination of Owen Perks, his free-from-the-goalie-gear bother, Silas, and Aaron Cooney was nothing short of a tall, swift, smart, super skilled machine. Mix in a very solid defensive corps with booming point shots (particularly Chris Fiore and Shelby Shattuck), and it is a wonder that Brown held things down as long as they did. When I say ‘wonder’, I mean none other than Sean ‘Da Kid’ Kelly. Kelly was an absolute beast throughout in this one, but the Orange machine pounded two goals past him in a furious, frenetic first. Both of those goals belonged to Silas Perks, with the first assisted by Shelby Shattuck and Owen Perks, and the second by…Owen Perks and Shelby Shattuck. When Brown’s Jim LaGrossa struck for the only goal in the second, it was beginning to look like Da Kid might steal a point (or maybe two) for Captain Hamon’s crew. Alas, that’s when things got ‘ugly’. Orange’s swirling, swarming offensive presence led to one Aaron Cooney goal at 7:55 (Owen Perks & Maureen Ruchhoeft), then a second Cooney goal at 6:46 (Owen Perks & Silas Perks), then (on theme with this recap) the prettiest goal that Captain Jeremy Copp has ever scored (Ruchhoeft) at 6:11, then one final coffin nail from the birthday girl…Ruchhoeft from Owen Perks & Justin Stege at 5:20. When the dust from the four-goals-in-3:35 flurry had settled, Orange had smashed past Brown by a 6-1 total, with Owen Perks collecting FIVE assists, brother Silas recording 2 and 1, and big 6-0 celebrant, Maureen Ruchhoeft, feeling the birthday vibes with a 1 and 2 outing. So…not a pretty night for Brown, but they can take some solace in an incredible performance from Sean Kelly (maybe the best performance in a five goal loss I have ever seen), and the fact that the likes of Andy Strathman and Kalen Hunter were not in the lineup for this one. Orange is definitely looking pretty…pretty…pretty good, having served notice with just one game that they are (at least, in my opinion) a strong Cup contender.

The late slate pair of games featured shades of blue taking on shades of green. The first pairing, featuring Captain Rob Gaudio’s (Royal) Blue and Captain Joel Gattey’s (Lime) Green was an intriguing one, in that the teams appeared (to me, anyway) to be very even/similarly constructed ‘on paper’. With all Lime players present and accounted for, and Blue missing only the new (and apparently slightly confused) Argentine field hockey transplant, Maive Cantarella, this match would serve as a good early test for both ‘on paper’ teams to see how they would fare ‘on court’ this season. The first period saw no scoring, and very few shots (just six, combined), but the teams really began to engage in the second, with a Kyle Snyder solo effort at 8:35 breaking the scoring seal, and a second Snyder snipe at 7:29 (from ironwomen, Dorothy Kline) pushing Blue’s lead to 2-0 in just over a one minute span. Vance Morra continued where he left off in a breakout Fall 2024 campaign, responding for Lime at 5:34 (Jerry Gonzales & Captain Gattey), but Jason Lee restored the two goal edge for Blue at 3:04 (Trevor Vick & Kyle Snyder). The third period saw twenty combined shots, exactly as many as the other two periods combined, but the score remain unchanged into the late going. Chris Malki finally found a way to bring Lime to within one (Gonzales & Gattey) and the comeback was ON…but quickly OFF, as Snyder completed his hat trick with 1:07 to play (Lee), sealing the 4-2 win over Lime for Blue, and making clear who the most important ‘on paper’ and ‘on court’ name was in this one. Veteran Don Tran (20/22) was steady as ever in nets in the win, while Matt Henderson (14/18) had to resign himself to ‘getting Snydered’ in his season debut for Lime.

It was ‘different shade of blue and green, same result’ in the nightcap, as Captain Ryan Karns (Flint) Blue took on Captain Alan Razoky’s (Kelly) Green. While both of these teams have their share of offensive weapons, I was double and triple taking while typing up this box score, just shocked at the draft haul that Captain Karns managed. That is not to diminish Captain Razoky’s squad, but I feel like Vegas would have had Flint Blue as the favorites in this one, and they may well have them as Cup favorites before long. Erin Plone took the ‘girl power’ torch from Ruchhoeft and ‘The Better’ Darlington, cashing in at 5:45 to put Flint Blue on the board first (Dan Jurgens & John Boddy), but Captain Razoky equalized on the powerplay less than two minutes later (Eli Schonbrun) to leave things level going into the second. That loaded Flint Blue lineup unloaded in the second, with a new goal scorer each time. Boddy put Flint Blue back in front at 8:06 (Ryan Loughran & Jurgens), Ramsey Ksar padded the lead at 6:50 (Luke Wolmer & Mark Scelfo), and — after Brendan Jew brought Green back to within one at 6:29 (Schonbrun & Trice Harvey) — Dan Jurgens restored the two goal edge at 3:46 (Mark Nagy). The third period was quiet…too quiet for a Green comeback, with the lone goal coming courtesy of Luke Wolmer at 7:49 (Ksar & Leah Gonzales)…the fifth unique goal scorer for Flint Blue in a 5-2 victory. Chuck Bender (18/23) was twice as busy in the loss as Don Tran (9/11) was in a fill-in win for the absent Nick Meglich, but the real story for me in this one is the thick, diverse Flint Blue attack. It’s a one game sample size, but I don’t envy Lime in the late game this Sunday…

Sometimes, the fates just absolutely spit in your face. Captain Nick Meglich was definitely on the receiving end of said fates’ spit, contracting strep throat in the week leading up the the Final. Meglich had assembled a scrappy, giant killer of a team, and his own outstanding play had driven that team to the last stop on what would have been one of the most magical runs in league history. Alas, he was in no shape to suit up, and would have to remain recumbent and recovering at home, with only Netflix to comfort him, and with his team text thread as the only means of inspiring his crew. Double alas…Rob LaVigne was also out of the lineup. Triple alas…all of Captain Janet Goins’ soldiers were reporting for duty. Still, Green had made a living off of dashing the dreams of higher seeds, and with super sub Chris Tran in nets…perhaps Green had one last pair of stunners in store. Jackson Tomaszewski had the favorites on the board early in the first, tucking home his first of the night at 8:43 (Brennen Abel & Eric Enciso), and Chris Tran kept his surrogate squad close, in spite of a rather lopsided shot count (9 to 3 in Orange’s favor). The shot count got even more lopsided through two periods of play (23 to 6!), but the next goal belonged to Green in the form of a nifty backhand five hole equalizer from Maureen Ruchhoeft (Andrew Wong & Nick Vacchio). The 1-1 tie held through most of the middle stanza, with Tran standing on his head to keep Green poised for the upset, but the upset was Green’s instead, as goals at 1:07 (William Teglia from Alan Razoky and Steph Palomo Schmidt) and 0:05 (Abel from Tomaszewski and Gordon Schmidt) crumpled the crusading spirits of the underdogs. The wheels came off…and rolled far, far away for Green in the third, as three Orange goals rattled past in a 0:51 span to break open a 6-1 lead and leave no doubt that this Final would be a one and done. Chad Goins wristed home a nifty top corner solo snipe at 8:59, Tomaszewksi potted his second of the night at 8:21 (Abel & Steve Linke), then roofed his hat trick capper at 8:08 (Palomo Schmidt & Abel). Linke added a seventh goal for Orange at 6:30 before Green started a too-little-too-late rally, with Nick Vacchio powering coast to cost to make it 7-2, then Josh Wirt blasting home a Wong feed to make it 7-3. Chuck Bender (6/9) could have let nearly all of the shots he faced in and this game still would have been close, and the only reason this wasn’t a 13-3 final was the sublime play of Chris Tran (29/36), who certainly gave everything he had for Green and their ailing skipper. Congratulations once again to ‘Abelol Schmidt’ on the 7-3 win, the captured Cup, and a great story for the Goins’/Teglia holiday table for years to come. Congratulations, as well, to Captain Meglich and ‘Tanqueray & TwoNicks’ for a really impressive playoff run, in spite of the unfortunate ending.