To say that Purple was desperate for a win coming into Week Six would be putting it mildly.  At 0-4-1, and having been outscored by opponents 16-5, the tide would have to turn for Captain Chris Tran & Company, and turn soon.  Two periods bled by with neither Captain Tran, nor Matt Henderson allowing a ball to touch twine. An early third period goal for Ty Pereira had Black on the board, and had Purple gripping their sticks in fretful frustration.  Another tough loss would put them at 0-5-1, all but eliminated from playoff contention going into the final third of the season.  Purple wasted no time rising to the alarm, as Jason Northrup finished an Alan Razoky feed on a pretty end to end rush to tie the score just twenty-six ticks after the Pereira tally.  Carl Vankoughnett slipped a second over Henderson’s shoulder minutes later, and Weston Nawrocki iced the winning cake with an empty-netter in the final minute.  With that, Purple took their first sip of victory punch – a 3-2 season-saver over Black. Tran was near-perfect once again, stopping 28/29, while Henderson’s 25/27 proved second best. Tran’s clan is not out of the woods yet.  They will enjoy an unexpected bye this Sunday, then come back to face a tough challenge in Maroon on the 24^th.  Back to back losses for Black have them up against the cut line, but still in the playoff pack at 2-3-1.  They face fellow five-pointers, Tie Dye, in the early game this week.       

The breaks broke the wrong way for Orange in Week Six, as Jon Zygelman’s hat trick proved just enough to send Captain Kevin Dinino’s side to their first loss of the season.  Zygelman scored on a penalty shot in the first…one of maybe three or four penalty shots awarded in the history of this league.  The culprit, Gary Peters, had opened the scoring just a few minutes prior, but then proceeded to commit two penalties on the same Zygelman rush, earning him a two minute stay in the box, and a great few of JZ’s patience, poise, and precision.  The middle layer of the hat trick came on the very same Peters-produced power play early in the second to give Maroon a 2-1 edge.  Mark DeGraffenreid scored what has become and all-too-rare goal on a wrap around early in the third, but it was Zygelman again on the power play to wrap up the hat trick, and wrap up the 3-2 win for Maroon.  Their first loss of the season was particularly hard to swallow for Orange, who were stung by a no-goal call not long after Zygelman’s final strike.  That goal would have produced their third straight tie, and kept them undefeated in the process, but at  2-1-3, they remain well in the playoff hunt.  The win vaults Maroon into sole possession of second place with eight points (4-2-0). Captain Cohen’s crew has the top dogs up next, in a red on red headliner this Sunday at 7:00pm.

The SDFHL standings have featured a red top all season long.  Unlike Ms. Cates skimpy number in our 1982 cult classic cover photo, however, that top shows no signs of coming off.  Much like that skimpy top, however, Jeffrey Henderson and Connor Miller each netted a pair in Red’s 4-0 Pink punch out.  Miller added a pair of A’s (again…unlike Ms. Cates here), Henderson had a helper, and Ian Crooks racked up three assists in the first period alone.  Captain Nick Adkins was a perfect 19/19 to keep his team shimmery and sexy at 5-0-1, while Zach Siemer followed his first career loss with Orange with a valiant, but ultimately vain fill-in effort for Tiffany Fox (19/23).  Six down, three to go.  Can any of the remaining opponents unclasp Red, and toss them hastily aside like…like…I am struggling to find an appropriate simile here, but you get the idea.  Red will look to stay smoking hot and create some additional distance in the standings over Maroon this week, while Pink look to rebound, and poke another hole in the hull of Salt’s sinking Royal ship.

Two middle of the road teams met and, fittingly, agreed to meet in the middle.  Mind you, the 3-3 tie between White and Green was not without thrilling drama.  Specifically, Green’s late two goal rally, started by Josh Wirt with 3:46 to play, and finished with Matt Hanley’s first career SDFHL goal on the power play with twenty ticks to go.  Wirt had a late goal in the second, as well, after Eric Caligiuri and Brian Sheptycki pushed White out to a 2-0 lead.  Captain Mark Ennsmann gave White the 3-1 lead that was undone by the aforementioned timely Green heroics.  So, as 3-3 ties go…kind of a barn burner.  Melissa Busby continued her two game streak of capable play, stopping 15/18, while Christian LeClair had the W snatched from his sheet in gut-wrenching fashion, finishing with a 14/17 line.  The tie leaves both middling teams middling around the middle, with White at 2-2-2, and Green a touch less stable at 2-3-1.  White will look to jump up in the standings with a win over Orange this Sunday, while Green will enjoy a bye this week before facing the hapless, but not hopeless Royal Blue on the 24^th.

Captain Joe Malki’s Tie Dye took advantage of a listless opponent, and didn’t mind the White/Green tie at all, either, as they nestled into the temporary shelter of the middle of the pack with a 2-0 win over Royal Blue.  It was Joe first, then Chris, as son and father Malki’s made good on first period chances to account for all of the scoring in this one.  Danielle Franco-Morrison had a hand in the GWG, while Kamal Gill (still going strong on the attendance front!) aided in the insurance effort.  Sean Kelly earned his hefty paycheck with his second straight shutout…eerily both 17/17 efforts in 2-0 wins.  Kelly’s perfection has greatly improved Tie Dye’s playoff prospects.    At 2-3-1, they are currently safe, and certainly in the hunt for a second season berth.  Their Week Seven match-up with Black is a big one for both sides, with a win all but guaranteeing a playoff spot, and a loss meaning cut line danger going into the final two games.  Speaking of danger, Royal Blue are entering ‘must win’ country, starting with their tilt with Pink this Sunday.  A loss would have them at 1-5-1, with time and math not on their side.  

Two winless teams entered, one winless team emerged, as Tie Dye shed their ‘Loss Dye’ ways with a 2-0 win over Purple.  Captain Joe Malki finally solved his captainly counterpart in the first minute of the third period.  Yes, Chris Tran continues to be brilliant in vain…now for a second season in a row.  He stopped 22/23 in the loss, while Sean Kelly collected the 17/17 shutout at the other end.  Tyler Winstead found the empty net in the waning seconds to cement a crucial two points in the standings.  Both teams remain in the cut line danger zone, but with just one point in hand and four games to play, it is now or never time for a Purple push.  Scoring more would be a good start for the only remaining winless side in the league.  With just five goals in five games, it hasn’t mattered/won’t matter how great Captain Tran has been/will be.  A win against Black this Sunday would do wonders for the woefully winless, while Tie Dye can lick their chops at the prospect of a two game win streak as they set to face off against fellow 1-3-1ers, Royal Blue.

Captain Kevin Dinino’s crew definitely embodies and exemplifies the SDFHL ideal of parity.  With the exception of a Week Three Royal Blue smash job, their games have been very close, hard-fought, back and forth affairs.  Week Five brought no change to that pattern, as Orange battled Pink to a 2-2 tie, featuring one to one scoring-in-turn and a last minute, goalie-pulled equalizer.  London Peters scored first for Orange early in the second, Captain Chad Goins answered early in the third, and Peters restored the one goal lead with five minutes to play.  Mara Bernd was sent to the box for interference with 1:26 remaining, and Dale Stuzka found the back of the net about a minute later to steal a point in the standings for his team.  Both teams sit in solid playoff position with seven points, with Pink holding an additional win, and Orange holding on to a ‘0’ in the loss column through five weeks of play.  Both teams face a tough challenge in Week Six, with Pink taking on 4-0-1 Red, and Orange squaring off with 3-2-0 Maroon. 

Melissa Busby rebounded nicely from a house of horrors Week Four performance, backstopping Green to a big win over a favored Black side.  Her 9/11 nipped Matt Henderson’s 8/11, as Sadie Hellstrom’s first career SDFHL goal midway through the second proved the game-winner.  Jordan Pynn had Black on the board first with his first of the season on the power play, but Jason Remple netted his first two goals of the season to reverse that lead by the first intermission.  Dan Jurgens continued the J theme by knotting the score early in the second before Hellstrom’s winning strike gave Green the lead for good.  Speaking of J’s, Josh Wirt collected two assist in the winning effort, and Jurgens and Jordan assisted each other to a two point total.  The 3-2 win for Green moves them above the cut line, and should give them some confidence heading into a tilt with their upstairs standings neighbors, White.  Black remain smack in the middle of the slate at 2-2-1, and will hope to improve that standing against ‘the fat kid’, Purple, in Week Six.

Another week, another win for Captain Nick Adkins and Red.  Brian Sheptycki converted a Tom Darlington assist into a 1-0 lead for White late in the first, but it was all Red from that point on.  Julie Ott evened the score in the second, and Melissa Busby netted the game-winner early in the third…that is some hot girl/girl action!  Connor Miller’s empty-netter seemed even less manly with that backdrop, but it all counted in Red’s 3-1 win over White.  Captain Adkins’ 19/20 performance improved his league-leading goalie numbers to .942/0.80/1 SO.  His team remains atop the standings at 4-0-1…all but mathematically assured of an extended season with four games left to play.  White’s season has been up and down thus far at 2-2-1.  They are certainly hoping for an ‘up’ this Sunday against Green, who sit just below them in the standings at 2-3-0.  EDITOR’S NOTE: OK, can we take a poll…who would rather read slanderous Busby sarcasm, instead of this vanilla ‘honest journalism’?  I bored myself typing it, but I am trying to be ‘nicer’.  I’ll take your votes and thoughts on MB (Melissa Busby) the MB (message board)…thanks.

Captain Jon Salt came into Week Five riding one of the driest spells of his life (goal-scoring-wise…I don’t get into his personal life).  He picked the right time to moisten things up (TWSS), scoring twice, and assisting on Wendy Enright’s game-winner in his team’s first win of the season – 4-3 over Maroon.  Both teams were brutally short-benched…reportedly no subs for Maroon, and just one for Blue, so it is a wonder that seven goals were scored…I’d just be curled up in a ball in the corner, huffing and puffing.  Captain Brett Cohen put his team up 1-0, and scored to make it close late in the third (after Jon Zygelman cut the lead to two), but Salt’s pair, Enright’s GWG, and Patrick Fusco’s second of the season were enough to get the job done in front of Nick Adkins (18/21).  This win was not for his team, of course, but Adkins had a great night, and filled in more than admirably for the (still injured) Alex Theis.  Chuck Bender absorbed his third loss of the season with a 12/16 outing.  Maroon face an intriguing challenge in Orange this Sunday, while Royal Blue look to pen chapter two in their cellar to celebration saga in a big match with Tie Dye in the late game.     

The Week Four shuffle to Escondido was not without its challenges.  The opening game between Tie Dye and Pink exposed a gaping crease (that’s what she did), perhaps painted for lacrosse purposes.  Completely tangential editorial here, but lacrosse is the dumbest sport in existence.  Feel free to ask me to share my lacrosse rant with you next time you see me.  Anyhooo, Tie Dye struggled to steer clear of said large crease, causing some further frustration in an already frustrating season for the struggling side.  Kamal Gill put Tie Dye on the board first in the first, but Glenn Pinto and Chad Goins had Pink in the lead by the close of the frame.  Tiffany Fox made sure that lead would hold, securing the 2-1 win for her team with a 17/18 outing.  Sean Kelly deflected 26/28, and was very Kelly-esque in keeping the game close, but no wins through four weeks of play has Captain Joe Malki’s team in a bad place, and Da Kid can’t help their anemic scoring pace (one goal per game).  Pink’s prospects are much rosier, with their third straight win moving them into striking distance of the top spot in the standings at 3-1-0.  Week Five opens with the 0-3-1 Tie Dye facing the 0-3-1 Purple…something’s got to give.

Speaking of the devils, it was Purple’s turn to try to turn their tempestuous tide in game two.  Yes, I just broke out ‘tempestuous’…I have the best words…everyone is saying this.  Carl Vankoughnett put the underdogs on top less than a minute in, but that would be just the first volley in a (prototypically Orange) back and forth battle.  London Peters evened the score minutes later, Weston Nawrocki restored the lead for Purple, and Gary Peters followed in his son’s footsteps to make it 2-2.  A scoreless second period ticked by before Alan Razoky finished a very pretty passing play featuring a freshly-returned Andy Strathman to give Purple their third lead of the game, but Jet Javelet knotted it for good at 3-3 less than two minutes later.  Javelet and the young Peters are clearly clicking as linemates.  The two each put up 1 and 2 to help Orange remain lossless, and both find themselves in striking distance of the top of the scoring table with nine points.  For Purple, the three goal output more than doubled their production from the first third of the season, and while they did not manage a win, they have to take heart and hope with a non-loss result, Andy Strathman back in the lineup, and another winless team up next.

Black met White in the middle game, and the results were, well…grey.  The 3-3 tie featured six different goal scorers (Ty Pereira, Jim LaGrossa, and Trevor Marsolini for Black…Kim Hernandez, Brian Sheptycki, and Eric Caligiuri for White).  White scored the final two goals at 2:28 and 1:16 remaining, forcing a tie that would also keep the two teams tied in the standings with identical 2-1-1 ledgers.  Sheptycki, Hernandez, and Caligiuri each collected an assist to go with their respective goals, and Captain Kayleigh Marsolini assisted on her (new-comer) brother’s first SDFHL lamp lighter.  Trevor’s addition to the team was not without controversy, but this league is about fun, and about magic moments like this Marsolini milestone, as much as it is about winning and losing (at least in my humble opinion).  Whatever your feelings on that matter, this was a tough, close game, and these teams will surely meet again at some point to settle things with proper win and loss outcomes.

Captain Jon Salt’s Royal Blue looked to find a way past their winless woes against Red…the only team to know nothing but winning through three weeks of play.  This one was a goalie duel for the ages, with Nick Adkins looking to keep his team perfect, and Chris Tran looking for a vicarious taste of victory in a fill-in stint for the injured Alex Theis.  Patrick Fusco gave Royal their first lead of the season (!) early in the second, on assists from Steve Goncalo and Wendy Enright, and as the clock spun down to the final minute of the third, it looked as though Royal was set up to pull off a massive upset.  Captain Salt’s bid at an empty-netter-win-sealer hit the post from distance, and…wouldn’t you just know it…Red cashed in the other way with 0:38 left to play.  Joe Nguyen evened the score at 1-1 with a heart-stomper in the waning moments to keep Red undefeated at the top of the standings, and leave Royal wishing, and wondering what happened to that win they just lost.  Still, one point can make a big difference come December, and Tran was the difference maker in this one (27/28). His heroics nearly stole a game that was ultimately stolen back in the final minute of play.

The nightcap was another haves and have-nots affair, as Maroon deployed their overpowering offense against an overpowered Green team.  Jerry Gonzales’ 2 and 1 and Captain Brett Cohen’s 2 and 0 provided most of the fuel for the fire in the 5-3 win, with Jon Zygelman’s 1 and 1 stoking the blaze, as needed.  Josh Wirt’s first two goals of the season (!) and Captain Nick Vacchio’s team-leading third (he’s the only player on the roster other than Wirt with a goal to this point) kept things as interesting as possible in this one, but…too much Maroon.  Chuck Bender notched his third win in four tries with an 8/11 effort, while Melissa Busby (7/12) continued to suffer through the woeful Green yin to her Red team’s successful yang.  Keep your head up, Simma…I have always been your biggest supporter.  I would never take an opportunity like this to highlight your struggles in NETS.  You’re definitely not the worst goalie in the league this season…even if the numbers would indicate that….and they do.  So…yeah, ignore the numbers, or try to…I can see how that might be difficult…I would have trouble ignoring them, if I were you…and focus on my encouraging words. You are a really good goalie, and a great hockey player, at any position. I really, really believe in you, even if you might (rightfully) doubt yourself. So, ignore your self doubt, and ignore those numbers (scroll to the bottom on the goalie stats page, if you’re not Melissa, and want some context for all of this), but NOT YOU, MELISSA…just ignore it all…you are AWESOME!

Girl fight!  Tiffany Fox and Melissa Busby squared off in NETS (capitalized for Melissa’s benefit) in Week Three, and the outcome was…predictable.  Fox stopped all fourteen shots she faced, while Busby managed a meager 9/12.  Glenn Pinto accounted for one of the three nicks in Busby’s numerator, and added an empty-netter to really seal the deal.  To be clear, an empty net allowed fewer goals than Busby…just want to be clear on that.  Tim Vick and Mostafa Azab provided the middle scoring layers for Pink, and Dale Stuzka collected two assists in the 4-0 win.  “I guess I am just really horrible at everything I do”, mused Busby after the loss.  Well, she’s certainly not horrible at self-assessment, and that’s…something?

Red stayed perfect in Week Three, improving to 3-0-0 with a 3-0 win over Tie Dye.  Ian Crooks accounted for the game-winner in the second, Joe Nguyen added late third period insurance, and some callous chick ‘scored’ on a poor, defenseless empty net to really rub it in Tie Dye’s innocent faces.  “It was an empty net goal…she acted like she had just won the lottery WHILE having an orgasm.  I get it…you don’t score all that often, but, I mean…have some class”, quipped Connor Miller, who assisted on the ‘big goal’.  Captain Nick Adkins collected his first shutout of the season, dropping his GAA below 1.00 in the process.  Sean Kelly took the tough loss, deflecting 19/21 real shots…the other ‘shot’ was recorded by the aforementioned female player.  To protect her identity, I will refer to her as M Busby.  No, no…that’s too obvious…Melissa B.  Phew…identity…secured.

The woes continued for Captain Chris Tran’s Purple clan.  Tran (25/28) was outstanding in NETS, flashing from post to post to stop first, second, third, and fourth chances on multiple occasions, but White wore him down and out in a 4-1 win.  Brian Sheptycki factored in all four goals for White (2 and 2), including a crucial empty netter with 1:20 remaining.  You know, people don’t get enough credit for empty net goals…it’s really not ‘easy’, folks.  Kim Hernandez was amazing in her return to SDFHL action, scoring the game-winner, and otherwise making Tran’s life a living hell.  Tom Darlington opened the scoring for White, and Danny Antonelli accounted for the lone Purple goal, as the latter sagged to 0-3-0 out of the gate.  Christian LeClair was steady, but underworked in the lopsided tilt, stopping 10/11 to collect his second win of the season. 

Orange may be the fastest and furiousest team in the league this season.  The top line of London Peters, Jet Javelet, and David Bronstein has more speed and energy then a coked up cheetah, and I’ve seen my share of coked up cheetahs, so…I would know.  That line led the way again, with Peters’ 1 and 1, Bronstein’s  2 and 0, and Javelet’s 0 and 2.  Captain Kevin Dinino snapped home the final nail in Royal’s 4-1 coffin, with the only retaliation coming from Steve Goncalo in the third.  Zach Siemer remained unbeaten in his SDFHL goalie career, stopping 6/7.  Royal falls to 0-3-0 with the loss, but the bigger loss in this one is goalie, Alex Theis.  Theis’ blocker hand was crushed by an opposing player (who shall remain nameless) after a scramble in front of the net.  He suffered significant ligament sprains, and will be out for at least a month.  Chris Tran had to abandon his stripes, and suit back up to finish the game for Theis, who exited with 4:13 remaining in the second period.  Orange continued the onslaught when play resumed, racking up 34 shots in the winning effort that leaves them as one of only two teams without a loss through three weeks of play.

Captain Kayleigh Marsolini is…kind of a bad ass.  Having never played a single minute in an SDFHL game, she eagerly volunteered to be a captain.  She kept her hand in the air, even after I explained that she was probably ‘not ready’ to draft a team.  Unseasoned captains have something of a history of being a draft table disaster, and the league had never before allowed a BRAND NEW newcomer to take the reins.  Well, it is so far, so great for the quick study, proving that confidence and determination is worth its weight in goals.   Speaking of goals, the captain herself netted the game-winner – the first of her SDFHL career – in Black’s 4-2 win over previously unbeaten Maroon.   Jim LaGrossa, Mark Nagy, and Dan Jurgens rounded out the scoring for Black, who improved to 2-1-0 on the season.  Oh…small side note…Jordan Pynn has yet to join the team.  Holy hell…maybe Kayleigh is a witch?  If not, she should definitely dress as one for Halloween.  Matt Henderson evened his personal record at 1-1-0 with the victory, stopping 17/19, while Chuck Bender suffered his first loss behind a rather dismal 7/11 line.  Justin Stege and Jerry Gonzales each scored their first goal of the season to build the hope of another miraculous Maroon finish, but it was not to be in Week Three.