The stakes were high for the two lowest teams in the standings. A loss for either side would mean one more nail in the playoff coffin, while a win would give either team new life. The coffin nail went to Dark Green, with Green’s Jerry Gonzales doing most of the pounding. Kevin Dinino opened the scoring for Green late in the first, and Gonzales added the game-winner in the second, and an empty net insurance marker in the third to seal Dark Green’s fate, 3-1. Emily Lincoln had cut the lead to 2-1 with plenty of time left in the third, but Andrew Lockard was strong again in nets (15/16), locking it down from there to earn his second straight win. Dark Green remain in playoff contention, but they will need wins and help to make it now. Green can survive without winning both of their remaining games, but a third win in a row this Sunday will go a long way to bringing their redemption hopes to fruition.

Another crucial cut line conflict saw Pink and Grey battle to a 3-3 draw. Andrew Jacobsen netted a pair for Pink, while Justin Stege and Jordan Pynn each accounted for 1 and 1 the other way. Pynn’s goal was a game-saver, and possibly a season-saver for Grey, coming on a wild scramble in front of the net with the goalie pulled and just :20 to play. That one point gives Grey a little extra oxygen as they enter their bye week at 2-4-3…currently good enough to secure the final playoff spot. The tie, while a deflating disappointment for Pink, keeps them very much in the playoff hunt as they brace for a showdown with a formidable White contingent this Sunday.

The current two and three seeds squared off in Week Eleven, and left the rink all square and still there. Josh Wirt (2 and 0) paced White out to a two goal lead, but Black battled back on the back of…who else…Steve Jones. Jones continued his torrid scoring clip with a pair of goals to match Wirt’s output, and a helper on Mark Daquipa’s second of the season. Captain Mark Ennsmann rounded out the scoring for White, who flirted with an upset win, but ultimately settled for yet another tie, 3-3.

Things heated up as the sun began to set on Week Eleven. Orange and Royal rumbled through three periods of chippy, chirpy hockey, and Royal was lined up nicely to hand Orange their first defeat of the season as time wound down in a 3-2 game. Tyler Dyment saved the day with a timely first career SDFHL goal — a short handed stunner with 1:21 to play. Jon Zygleman and Connor Miller tallied their seventh and sixth of the season, respectively, for Orange, with the latter also racking up fourteen PIMs in the process. Param Gill, Vance Morra, and London Peters each contributed a goal for Royal, who improved their playoff odds in spite of the come-from-ahead 3-3 tie.

Captain Jon Salt and Light Blue found some relief after a 1-3-0 stretch that put them through the gauntlet of the three top teams (Orange, Black, and White). They lost those three games by a combined 13-4 margin, and fell into the middle of the pile in the process. The captain himself secured the 3-1 win over Gold with two goals in the third, after Stephanie Chen equalized Mark Nagy’s first period tally. Both Light Blue and Gold control their own playoff destiny, but with ‘9’ tending to be the magic number, they will both need at least another point or two to punch a ticket to the second season.

Pink remain one of those teams who need to do some work to secure a playoff spot. Andrew Jacobsen had them off to a good start in the first against Royal, but London Peters managed to tie it with just one tick left in the frame. That would be the only damage that either goalie would allow, as Captain Sean Kelly (9/10) earned the same result for Pink with much less effort than his Royal counterpart, Jerry Russell (25/26). The 1-1 tie keeps Royal in the playoff fold, at least for now, while Pink still sit below the cut line at 1-3-3. This week’s Pink v Grey match-up is pretty much the whole ball of wax for both teams…don’t miss it!

Steve Jones is a beast, and he is definitely unleashed this season. He ripped and slashed through Gold’s defenses to the tune of 4 and 1, leading Black to an easy, breezy 6-0 win. Jones now boasts an obnoxious twenty points through eight games, with the next nearest threat to the scoring crown coming from his own teammate, Glenn Pinto (13). Kim Hernandez chased her 2 and 1 Week Nine outing with an 0 and 4 effort in Week Ten, and Cory Brin posted his third shutout of the season, stopping 21/21. The win keeps Black in the hunt for the top playoff spot with Orange, whom they will face in the regular season finale.

It has not been an easy road for Green this season, and just one more loss might bring them to a dead end. It’s a good thing the Gonzales brothers are in the car. Arnold came on board to join Jerry in Week Ten, giving Green a rare full bench. With lots of legs, and a little hope, Green got on the board first. Jerry Gonzales first of the year also gave Green their first (yes, first) lead of the season. Nick Adkins retaliated for Teal early in the first, but Kevin Dinino gave Green their second lead of the season, and, ultimately, their first win, 2-1 over Teal. The win keeps Green alive and kicking, and eager for another good result against Dark Green this Sunday. Teal are moving in the wrong direction, having lost three straight, but they should have enough in both the bank and in the tank to find their way through.

Captain Shawna Hamon’s Orange continued their ho-hum league dominance in Week Ten, throwing some shade on Grey, 2-0. Alan Razoky and Jon Zygelman assisted on each other’s first period goals, and Fred Fournier était magnifique in nets, as usual (23/23). The win keeps Orange loss-less, while the loss puts Grey in tough straits going into their final two games. If Captain Traughber’s side cannot manage a good result against Pink this Sunday, they will have just six points in the standings, and just one game left to prove their playoff worth.

Josh Wirt (2 and 1), and Captain Mark Ennsmann (1 and 1) led White to a 3-2 come from behind win over Light Blue. Steve Testen got the job done again in nets, stopping 17/19 to preserve his top spot in the goalie rankings. The win essentially ensures playoff status for the 3-1-3 White, while Captain Jon Salt’s Light Blue continue to flirt with the cut line at 3-4-0. This Sunday’s showdown with the 3-3-1 Gold has serious implications for both teams…who wants it more?

Black’s momentum continued to mount, as they maintained co-ownership of the top spot in the standings with a 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Royal Blue. Brett Cohen sparked the scoring, Steve Jones added one and one, and Bill Casey collected two assists, including a helper on Glenn Pinto’s power play game-winner. Cory Brin stopped 21/22 in the winning effort, which keeps Black nestled at the top of the pile with Orange.

In the land of the desperate teams, the one-pointed result is king. Both Dark Green and Grey had certainly hoped to find a way to win (and, as importantly, hand their neighbor in the nether neck of the standings a loss), but a point is a point. Justin Stege and Danny Antonelli did the honors for Grey and Dark Green, respectively, and both goalies held the line from there (Don Tran 14/15…Tiffany Fox 15/16). Both teams are still very much in danger of missing the playoff mark this season. To add another fun twist, Dark Green will be without the services of Tony Thinh for the remainder of the season. Sources close to the team have reported that Arnold Gonzales will be the second Gonzales boy to come off the shelf to fill a roster hole this season…

Captain Shawna Hamon continued her campaign of terror, with a goal to start the scoring, and assists on the second and third tallies in a 3-2 win for Orange over Light Blue. Captain Jon Salt had equalized Hamon’s first marker, and had his team up 2-1 with his second of the evening, but Alan Razoky struck on the power play to make it 2-2, and Jon Zygelman’s fifth of the season would be the game-winner. Meanwhile, Hamon is now legitimately a threat to become the first ever female season scoring champ. Her eight points (4 and 4) have her just three points back of Black’s Steve Jones at eleven…and she has a game in hand! Definitely another layer to look for in the April 14 showdown between these two great teams.

Captain Jeremy Copp and his NetsCopp Navigators were looking to clear the cache after suffering their first loss of the season in Week Seven, while Captain Mark Ennsmann’s as-yet-unnamed side were out to prove that they could do more than just not lose games. The latter did just that, as Ennsmann put White on the board early in the first, and Evan Melcher’s strike later in that period stood as the game-winner. Chris Tullio gave Teal life with a late first period goal, but neither goalie would surrender anything further (Alyce Perry’s insurance market was deposited into an empty net). The 3-1 win is just White’s second in five tries, but they remain one of only two teams without a loss. Forgive the PSA, but in case you hadn’t noticed, Steve Testen is damn good goalie. His .976/0.40/3 SO line is tops in the league this season by a good margin. His success should come as little surprise to anyone paying attention to his past few seasons.

The sublime serendipity of the schedule never ceases to amuse me. The St. Patrick’s Day slate wrapped with…what else…a clash between Green and Gold. Unfortunately for Green, it was once again not their lucky day. It has not been their skilly season, frankly. Patrick Fusco gave Green life with his tying goal in the second, but that was just the fourth goal Green has scored in six games, and it was the only goal they would manage against Gold. Mark Nagy netted the game-winner just forty seconds later, and Chris Tran stacked two insurance tallies on top in the third. Philip Nguyen threw one last shovel of dirt on the grave in the final minute, to go with his an assist on Nagy’s GWG, and make the final 5-1. Chuck Bender stopped 15/16, helping Gold move above the cut line and into the middle of the pack at 2-2-1. For Green, a Week Nine bye means one sad truth…at least they will not lose this weekend.

Andrew Jacobsen scored in the first and third periods, and assisted on Ryan Owen’s goal in the second, as Pink cruised to a 3-0 win over Dark Green. Captain Sean Kelly stopped 10/10 to earn his first shutout of the season, and help his team to their first win in five tries. Pink have officially moved above the cut line, as they enter their bye week at 1-2-2. Dark Green remain in deep trouble at 1-4-0, and Captain Vankoughnett & Company will need a good result against standings neighbors Grey this Sunday…or else.

Kris Tosczak made the most of his return from a one game suspension, dropping two and one on Grey, including the game-winner with 3:00 to play. The 3-2 win for Gold has them joining Pink on the right side of the playoff picture, with the added advantage of a game in hand on their nearest rivals. Chuck Bender earned his first win of the season with a 13/15 effort, Eric Willard rounded out the scoring for Gold, and Dan Jurgens and Jordan Pynn tallied for Grey in the loss.

Don Tran stopped 17/17 in a fill-in role, and Steve Testen (14/14) kept his sheet just as clean at the other end, as White and Green battled to a 0-0 draw. The result keeps White out of the loss column, although it is unclear what to make of their Cup hopes with three ties in four tries. Green, meanwhile, remain winless in five tries, having scored a league low three goals through half a season…sad.

Nick Adkins scored just :22 in, and it looked like Teal would be on their way to collecting yet another two points in the standings. Royal Blue had other ideas, with Vance Morra evening the score in the second, and London Peters finishing a brilliant Param Gill feed in a waning seconds stunner. The 2-1 upset win keeps the ‘L’ column clear for Captain Goins’ crew, and knocks Teal from the ranks of the unbeaten in the process. Both teams are solidly entrenched in the top half of the slate, but Royal has served notice that they are not a team to be overlooked.

Glenn Pinto’s legend in this league is now secure, as the man lost his mind and dropped THREE GOALS AND FOUR ASSISTS on AmaJon Prime. Pinto factored in every one of Black’s goals in the 7-0 bitch slap… an appropriate score, considering the Madden-esque ridiculousness of the feat. Brett Cohen (2 and 0) and Steve Jones (2 and 1) accounted for the rest of the scoring, and Jerry Russell yawned his way to a 10/10 shutout in place of the absent Cory Brin.

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Week Five sputtered to a start without the league’s Director Of Operations on hand, but the first game proved to be a gem, in spite of the rough setting. Ryan Owen spent nearly half of the first period in the box, but made the most of his freedom in the second to open the scoring for Pink, then assist on John Gamm’s first career marker, and Ty Pereira’s first since his return on the power play to build a 3-0 lead. Gold would rally in the absence of their suspended star, Kris Tosczak, as Mark Boulanger and Phillip Nguyen closed the gap to 3-2. Captain Chris Tran netted the equalizer with Gold’s goalie pulled, and 0:40 on the clock. The 3-3 thriller gives Gold their first point on the season, and keeps Pink below the cut line, in turn. Neither team has found a way to win, and they will share a fate with the winless Green if they do not find a way to elevate their game in the second half of the season slate.

Julie Ott put Grey on the board first in the second, but London Peters evened things minutes later for Royal. Those would be the only blemishes for either goalie, as both Royal’s Jerry Russell (15/16) and Grey’s Don Tran (17/18) kept the balls at bay the rest of the way. The 1-1 tie keeps Royal out of the loss column and Grey out of the win column. Grey will look for their first win of the season against another winless side, Green, in Week Six, while Royal will face a struggling Dark Green.

There was renewed hope in Green’s ranks entering Week Five, as OG stud, Jerry Gonzales, had joined the team to replace injured rookie, Rick Brutchey. Steve Jones slashed that hope with his first of the night in the first, and dashed it for good with his second on the power play with minutes to play. Cory Brin was stellar in nets, stopping 18/18, while Andrew Lockard absorbed yet another hard luck loss (10/12). The 2-0 win keeps Black in striking distance of the top of the standings while Green remain in a fight for their lives at the other end, now at 0-3-1.

Alexis DaCosta racked up the rare in-vain-hat-trick for Dark Green, as his three goals could not match the four posted by Nick Adkins and Jim LaGrossa in Teal’s 4-3 win. Adkins and LaGrossa also collected a pair of assists apiece, and Adkins game-winner came on the power play with 0:40 remaining in the game (an eerie echo of Gold’s heroics earlier in the evening). The win moves Teal into a tie with Orange atop the standings at 3-0-1, while Dark Green drops closer to the cut line at 1-3-0.

White and Orange met to produce the third no-win situation in Week Five, battling to a 1-1 tie. Evan Melcher broke a scoreless tie midway through the second, and with time winding down, it really looked like the upset result would hold. Rookie sensation, Connor Miller, had other ideas, scoring his third of the season with 0:59 to play (no 0:40 for this kid, folks…he’s advanced) to save a point and preserve first place for Orange. White, while undefeated, have just one win in three goes this season. There are no ties in the playoffs…