‘The Grape Ones’ moved north of the playoff border in Week Seven after mounting a big second period to push past the ‘Mounties’. Meanwhile, Gold is still struggling to secure safe passage to playoff pastures, while Blue has all but officially been bounced, as we enter the penultimate week of play…
Captain Chuck Bender and his Blue crew have had a tough go of it this season. Lava is hot. With examples of gross understatements out of the way, we turn to review the tilt between two teams on opposite poles of the SDFHL standings. Blue entered Week Seven with no wins, and nothing but sheer desperation at their disposal, while White brought losslessness, and the league’s (runaway) leading scorer, Zach Salt. Weston Nawrocki touched off a career night with the first goal of the game for Blue, but White Captain, Tomáš Jankovic, would not allow Blue to escape the first period with a lead. The captain followed his last minute first period tally with the primary assist on Shelby Shattuck’s first of the season early in the second, and the ‘proper’ pecking order was reestablished, with White on top 2-1. Nawrocki’s noteworthy night picked up at that point, as the veteran converted a pair of John Boddy passes into parts two and three of a heroic hat trick to put Blue back in front, 3-2. To say ‘that lead would be short-lived’ would be the third gross understatement of this recap, as Zach Salt brought White back to even footing just 0:13 later. The third period wore on, with Blue pushing for the season-saving win, and White calmly rebuffing the challenger. Math being what it is, it was just a matter of time before White delivered the devastating knockout blow…Zach Salt again…1:10 to go…White over Blue, 4-3. That same unforgiving math has Blue all but officially eliminated from post season consideration. If they win their remaining two games, and get some help, they may have hope, but…yeah…not going to happen. The win has White in sole possession of first with two games to play. They face their closest competition in the Battle Of The Salt Bros™ this Sunday.
The stars shone brightly on both sides of the ball in the second game of the Week Seven slate, as eleven shots found twine in a wild and wonderful monochromatic match between Grey and Black. Alexis DaCosta put Grey on the board at 3:24 in the first, and (clock be damned), THREE more goals were scored between that strike and the buzzer. Brennan Abel notched his first of four on the night to level the score, but a pair of Eric Herrmann hammers at 2:12 and 0:38 had the underdogs on top 3-1 through one. Abel’s second early in the second cut the lead to 3-2, but newcomer, Tim Helmbrecht, potted a pair (to match his pair of first period helpers) to build the lead to 5-2. Abel’s third made it 5-3, but…DaCosta and Herrmann again…7-3, through two. Abel found a fourth in the third, but he and his mates were un-Abel to undo the DaCosta/Herrmann damage…7-4 Grey over Black. If you’re scoring at home (or, if you clicked on the link to the box score, that’s: Herrmann 3 & 2, DaCosta 2 & 4, Helmbrecht 2 & 2, and Abel 4 & 0. I’m not sure either goalie wants a shout out on this one, but Nick Meglich (31/35) did best Chris Tran (28/35) to help his team to an important third win, which all but assures them a playoff berth. Captain Ian Crooks and Black have dropped two in a row, but remain firmly entrenched in the playoff picture at 4-2-1. They face another big test in Red this Sunday, while Grey have the ‘bye week that still earns you points’ against Blue in Week Eight.
Captain Matt Rogers and ‘The Grape Ones’ (I got tired of waiting for a name), will likely look back at Week Seven as the Sunday that saved their season. Entering at 0-4-2, and facing a tough and talented Navy side (3-1-2), it was crucial that Purple find their way to at least a point heading into the final two weeks of play. A scoreless first, and a 5-1 shot total in their favor, had Purple standing tall, in spite of a very short bench (missing Russell, Balderas, Northrup, Wirth, and Winstead). Navy was missing players, too…their two biggest weapons in Josh Wirt and Nick Vacchio, but they were not missing Jim LaGrossa (not too shabby as a ‘third weapon’) ], who put Navy on the board first at 5:56 in the second. Enter Kalen Hunter, the Young Canuck™ star who has carried the goal scoring torch for Purple this season. Hunter evened the score just 0:13 after LaGrossa’s goal, then made it 3-1 Purple, after assisting on Captain Rogers’ game-winner. Joe Nguyen capped the three and a half minute scoring flurry to leave the ledger at 3-2 Purple through two, and a lonely Joe Malki empty-netter was the only other action in the 4-2 upset win…Purple over Navy. Chris Malki (9/11) earned his first career win in nets (CONGRATULATIONS!), while Alex Theis (25/27) ate a rare loss in the face of a lopsided shot count and a motivated opponent. Purple are not out of the woods yet, with a MASSIVE game against cut line cousins, Gold, on the slate for Week Eight. Navy are already a lock for the playoffs, but will look to maintain (or improve) their playoff standing in a showdown with ‘Celine Neon’.
It was ‘Marquee Matchup’ time, as 5-1-0 Green strutted to the surface to face the 4-0-2 Red in Week Seven. Both teams have the record and the resources to go all the way this season, and this first meeting will not likely be the last. Gary Peters made Red pay on the powerplay, scoring his second of the season at 1:11 to give Green the early edge. Brian Sheptycki dulled that edge at 3:44 in the second, but Eric Willard sharpened it back up to put Green ahead 2-1 through two. Jon Salt doubled the lead with his dirty dozenth of the season, before Captain Rob Gaudio brought the margin back to one less than a minute later. Josh Tran sealed the deal with his first of the season with 3:50 to play, and Chuck Bender (13/15) would hold on the rest of the way to earn his surrogate side a win. Don Tran (17/21) absorbed the 4-2 loss for Red…their first of the season. Both teams are high and dry in the playoff standings, both with ten points, and both with a chance of snatching the top spot with a good showing in their final two games. Green will face White in the Battle Of The Salt Bros™, while Red will hope to keep pace in the top seed race against a slumping Black side.
Captain Mostafavi has had to watch from the bench as his team struggles to survive the regular season. With their only win coming against a woeful Blue, they cannot be brimming with confidence against the other eight teams in the league. Still, they entered Week Seven with the playoff door still very much open, and with an opportunity to make a major leap in the right direction against ‘Celine Neon’. A win would have them at 2-4-1, out from under the cut line, and holding an important head to head tie breaker over Neon with just two weeks to play. A loss, and their path to the second season would be that much further in peril. Captain Luke Wolmer drove a short handed dagger into Gold in the first, and Chris Grote’s career first (CONGRATULATIONS!) made it 2-0 heading to the second. Jon Zygelman cut the lead in half with the only goal of the second period, and the scene was set for a heroic, come-from-behind finish for Gold…or not. Will Heinl drained any lingering drama with a goal at 1:21, as Neon snuffed out Gold (possibly for good), 3-1. The win, backstopped by a stellar sub turn from Don Tran (22/23), moves Neon to playoff safety at 3-3-1, while the loss, suffered by Chuck Bender (18/21) in Mostafavi’s stead, pushes Gold to the brink of elimination with two games to play. The silver lining for Gold…they will get their captain back this Sunday, and they control their own fate in a serendipitous showdown with Purple. A win will not completely lock them in, but suffice it to say that the stakes are elimination-caliber in this one for both sides.