With Captain Salt awaiting his opportunity for a second straight Cup, Captain Ennsmann’s crew backslashed through Pink and Royal to earn a spot in the final. Ennsmann’s White bested Salt’s Light Blue 3-2 back on March 31st. Which feat will repeat, and which team will be left out in the code…

Josh Wirt is a bad man. The lanky and laconic leading scorer for Captain Ennsmann’s (still nameless) side is known for letting his game do the talking, and his Week Four playoff game was chattier than a daytime female talk show host. Wirt provided a primary assist on Eric Caligiuri’s goal to open the scoring in the first, put his team back in front with his first of the night in the second, and willed home the game-winner in OT to keep White moving on up, 3-2 over Pink. Alyce Perry collected an assist on all three goals for White, and Ryan Owen went 1 & 1 in vain for Pink. Stopping Andrew Jacobsen cold (zero points) is never an easy feat. White’s defense allowed just eleven shots, and Steve Testen made the nine saves he needed to make to push his team on to the late game…

Wirt picked up the hammer he forged in the Pink fires and smashed Royal to rags in the nightcap. The pummeling was perfectly paced, with one goal for each period, and an assist for good measure. Elliot Hicks, Captain Mark Ennsmann, and Evan Melcher accounted for the other half of the goal count, as White rolled past Royal, 6-0. Steve Testen was a perfect 15/15, while Jerry Russell’s sparkling rookie campaign fizzled to a finish with an 18/24 line. The win has White marching past Memorial Day and into a June 2nd showdown with Light Blue for all the glory.

Captain Salt has delivered yet another team to the doorstep of Cup glory. ‘AmaJon Prime’ seems to have the whole package, but the porch pirates are lurking, and one of three teams in action this Sunday still has a chance to steal the goods.

The clock struck midnight on Grey’s Cinderella season, and this time, the glass slipper did not fit the next day. A fantastical finish to their regular season, and a first round encore that stunned the wicked Orange stepmother had many of us believing that fairy tales do come true. Not once upon this time. Anthony Cerasuolo’s second of the season gave White a lead in the first, and Justin Stege leveled the sheet at about the same point in the second. Two of the league’s best goalies stood tall, otherwise, and the playoffs saw yet another game bleed into OT…then shootout. The first three shooters found the back of the net, and White shot first, so…2-1 White over Grey. Josh Wirt and Mark Ennsmann did the honors for White, while Jordan Pynn accounted for the lone conversion for Grey. It was definitely a fun and furious fable for Captain Jack Traughber & Company, and the moral of their story is something hackneyed like ‘never give up…follow your dreams’. For White, they face the reality of having to beat Pink, then Royal this Sunday if they hope to see their story through to a happy ending.

The scoring king is dead…long live the king. Steve Jones romped through the regular season with a ‘you-killed-every-member-of-my-family-and-all-of my-pets-for-good-measure’ style fury, racking up 15/8/23. His playoff numbers showed no drop off at 6/0/6 through three games. All great things must come to an end, however, and Week Three was that end for Black and their effusive scoring engine. Jones went out with a bang and a bow, scoring on the power play with 1:19 left, but it was too little, too late to save Black, who were sitting in a 0-4 hole at the time. That hole was dug with expert care by Lena Amelang, Dale Stuzka, and a double shovel effort from Andrew Jacobsen. Ty Pereira collected three assists on the night, including the second on Jacobsen’s game-winner. Captain Sean Kelly led his team to the 4-1 victory from the back, stopping 21/22 to propel his team on to the ménage à trois action this weekend. Pink will need to best White, then topple Royal to earn a shake (or two) with Salt & Sons.

Speaking of Captain Salt, he continued the key captain contribution trend of Week Three, scoring twice for his team in a 5-1 win over Royal. Steph Chen led the proceedings early in the first, followed by Salt’s PPG GWG. ‘Prime’ poured in another pair in the second, with the Malki boys (Chris and Joe) doing the honors. Janet Goins got Royal on the board bright and early in the first, but that would be the only response, and the only blemish on Andrew Lockard’s slate (12/13). Salt’s second of the game rounded out the box score, and punctuated his team’s punched ticket to the promise land. Royal Blue live to fight another day, but after losing their leading scorer, Param Gill, to an MCL tear, this Sunday may be the last Sunday on their Winter League schedule. Light Blue will have the weekend off, then enjoy another week off in observance of Memorial Day, as they lie in wait for a matchup with the sole survivor of White/Pink/Royal on June 2nd.

There are certainly no guarantees in playoff hockey, and even the best of teams can suffer an early exit. You get one retry, but after two losses, there is no going back. Orange stormed through the regular season, but the L’s caught up to them at the wrong time. Gold entered as the three seed, but now share a space in the playoff recycle bin. With number two, Black, on the verge of elimination as well, it could be a good season to be a bad seed.

You cannot stop Steve Jones, but Royal hoped to, and succeeded in containing him. The scoring machine was slowed to a one goal output–the only goal surrendered by first season standout, Jerry Russell (21/22). Mostafa Azab put Royal on the board in the first, and Vance Morra netted the game-winner minutes prior to Jones’ strike, as Royal held on to beat Black, 2-1. Royal advance to the Winners’ Bracket Final to face Light Blue on Sunday, while Black will look to bounce back and avoid elimination on the Losers’ side against Pink.

Captain Ennsmann’s White side was at half staff in Week Two…they literally had zero subs. Gold were once again without their top scorer, Kris Tosczak, but surely their remaining numbers would bear out, and they would find a way to a win and another week (or more) of playoff play. They did not, and don’t call me Shirley. The teams battled through two blank frames, when Captain Ennsmann himself broke the drought, and broke Gold’s spirit with the game-winner at 3:52 in the third. Both goalies were on their game, but Steve Testen (18/18) showed his ever-mounting mettle once again, besting Chuck Bender (18/19) to steal a win, eliminate the three seed, and push his team onward and upward in the tournament. White’s 1-0 win over Gold has them on to face a Cinderella Grey, whom Light Blue brought back from the ball in rags and a rotten pumpkin later in the evening.

Top-seeded Orange suffered a stunning loss in Week One of playoff play, but were primed to bounce back and find their winning form against Pink in Week Two. Pink found that winning form first, snatched it up, and (wisely) decided not to share it with Orange. Pink held a 2-1 lead after one period of play, with Ryan Owen and Andrew Jacobsen providing Pink bookends for Connor Miller’s marker. Miller scored again late in the second, and it was anyone’s game as a scoreless third period came to a close. Nick Vacchio volunteered for the ‘anyone’ role, scoring just 1:12 into OT to squeeze Pink past Orange, 3-2. The stunning two and out turn for Captain Shawna Hamon and Orange definitely stings, but this was a great team, and they should be proud of the season they shared. Pink will look to unleash their freshly bottled lightning against Black this Sunday. Steve Jones shooting on Sean Kelly will be something to behold, folks…don’t miss it!

Captain Jack Traughber and Grey came surfing into Week Two of playoff play having handed Orange their first loss, and still riding high on the wacky winning wave that carried them into the postseason in the first place. Waves crash, and Light Blue made shore of that (sea what I did there?<==see what I did here?!?). Captain Jon Salt is rarely lacking in confidence, and his steady scoring doesn’t hurt his team’s chances, either. Salt put the game-winner past Don Tran late in the first, and Jeff Chen added insurance late in the second. The 2-0 win for Light Blue moves them into a Winners’ Bracket showdown with fellow blue, Royal, while Grey will look to keep that glass slipper on in a loser-goes-home affair with the seven seed, White.

Grey slipped in through the playoff backdoor, and are now a viral sensation. The eight seed toppled previously undefeated Orange in a shootout thriller. Wins, particularly big wins like this one, breed infectious enthusiasm, and Captain Traughber & Company are eager to see how much damage they can do now…

Steve Jones…a great player having an obnoxiously great season. The runaway regular season scoring leader kicked off his second act with a four goal flourish, leading Black to a 4-2 win over White. Brett Cohen, Shelby Shattuck, and Bill Casey each collected two assists, and Cory Brin (19/21) outdueled the ever-steady Steve Testen (19/23) to secure the win. Black advance to face Royal on the Winners’ side of the bracket, while White look to keep their Cup hopes alive against Gold this Sunday.

Timing is everything, and Grey appear to be timing masters. Not only did they sneak into the playoffs with a last minute goal in their final regular season game, but they were ready with an encore coup the very next week. Two scoreless periods elapsed before Connor Miller put Orange on the board at 9:35 in the third. The timing masters allowed that lead to stand for a whopping three seconds, as Justin Stege provided the immediate answer. Overtime gave way to shootout, where Jordan Pynn represented the only successful attempt. Both goalies were stellar, with Don Tran (15/16) earning a hard-fought decision over Fred Fournier (21/23). The 2-1 shootout shocker for Grey gave Orange their first bitter taste of defeat. The top seed will look to start their way back against Pink, while Grey hope to continue their win streak on the other side of the bracket against Light Blue.

Every round one game was close and a little crazy, but the Gold v Royal rumble was a surreal scoring seesaw. Kris Tosczak channeled his inner Steve Jones, scoring all four goals for Gold. His first period pair had Gold up 2-0, before Royal’s Param Gill, Vance Morra, and Mostafa Azab rallied the underdogs into the lead in the second. Tosczak tied things early in the third, Gary Peters untied things :25 later, and Tosczak re-retied it on the power play four minutes later. The second shootout of the night followed form with the first, as only one shooter managed to make good. Param Gill was the first to shoot, and the only to score, as Royal recorded the last punch in an epic slugfest, besting Gold 5-4. Jerry Russell was perfect in the shootout, and stopped a staggering 33/37 through regulation and OT…awesome stuff! Royal move on to face Black, while Gold will look to live another day in an elimination showdown with White.

Parity was certainly paramount in playoff Week One, and Light Blue v Pink capped the evening with another extra time affair. Nick Vacchio put Pink in front late in the first, and Captain Jon Salt responded for his team early in the second. Both goalies held tight through the rest of regulation, even when tested with penalty shots…yes, each team was awarded one! A brief rain delay extended the night even further, but overtime finally arrived, and so did Joe Malki’s game-winner. The 2-1 OT win for Light Blue propels them to a match up with upstart Grey on the Winner’s side, while Pink face a tough challenge in an ornery, out-for-revenge Orange as the playoffs continue this weekend…

Much of the world today has become a popularity contest, with ‘likes’, ‘retweets’, and ‘follows’ the cultural currency du jour. The SDFHL is sticking with good old fashioned wins and losses, and Orange managed to amass seven of the former, and suffer zero of the latter. Captain Shawna Hamon guides her undefeated ‘Freddit’ into the playoffs as the top seed, hoping to cap a near perfect season by defending her team’s position as the popular pick to win it all.

Captain Chad Goins left for his honeymoon knowing that his team would need at least a point in their final game in order to secure a playoff spot. Vance Morra secured two points, for good measure, scoring the unassisted game-winner midway through the third to give Royal the 1-0 win over Dark Green. Tiffany Fox wrapped a statistically sound, but ultimately futile season in nets with a 22/23 hard luck loss, while Jerry Russell concluded his impressive debut regular season stretch with his second shutout (11/11).

Much like Royal, Pink came into their final game knowing that they needed a good result, and likely some help to punch their playoff ticket. Fortunately for them, their opponents punch was sorely lacking in the absence of Captain Jon Salt. Alex Theis filled in more than admirably for Captain Sean Kelly in nets (21/21), while Ryan Irving, Dale Stuzka, and Andrew Jacobsen did the damage at the other end. The 3-0 win for Pink over Light Blue moved them from cut line concern to 5th seed, setting up an immediate playoff rematch between these two teams in the process.

Captain Copp’s Teal was the next batter up in the playoff hopeful lineup. As fate would have it, they were facing a Cy Young ace in Orange. With Royal and Pink already having added to their win and points totals, it was going to take a win and some help for Teal to survive. Jim LaGrossa had Teal on the board first in the first, but Alan Razoky erased that deficit later in the period. Ian Crooks tallied his first of the season at 3:39 in the third, but Nick Adkins brought Teal back to even with a short handed strike just over a minute later. Teal could not find the game-winner, as Andrew Lockard did his best impression of Fred Fournier (21/23) to preserve the 2-2 tie for his surrogate team. Teal joined Dark Green in the regular season recycle bin, leaving just one post season position yet to be determined…

With all but the final playoff spot settled, the outlook was clear for both Grey and Green. Grey needed a win. Green needed a tie. Jerry Gonzales gave Green a 1-0 lead late in the second, but Tom Darlington tipped Captain Jack Traughber’s point shot home to make it 1-1 early in the third. The rest of the period progressed without too much in the way of a clear scoring threat either way, and as the clock wound down, it looked like Green would complete their miracle rise from dead last to middle of the playoff pack. Alas, Julie Ott had different ideas, as she banged a nifty ball off the post and in with :37 to play to lift Grey to an incredible 2-1 win. In spite of their season struggles, Grey had found a way, at the literal last minute, to photo bomb the playoff picture…amazing stuff!

The final game of the season was a mere matter of playoff positioning and momentum for both teams. White was looking for a bounce back after a 3-0 loss to Pink, while Gold looked to build off of their playoff-clinching squeaker over Dark Green. Mark Boulanger (1 and 1) and Mark Nagy (1 and 1) made up for the absence of Kris Tosczak, powering Gold to a 4-1 statement win over White. Gold move into the three seed, while White drop down to the seven spot as the playoffs kick off this Sunday…