Week Four opened with a straight up grudge match, as Captain Jeremy Copp’s Teal and Captain Hima Joshi’s Gold met in a spicy spousal showdown with elimination at stake. The ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ of it all was only made more intense by the circumstance/outcome of their regular season meeting. Teal absolutely plastered Gold in that first meeting, taking full (or…overfull, IMO) advantage of some key Gold absences in a 10-2 romp. Yours truly (for one) was deeply unimpressed with the sportsmanship (not) displayed in that game, and a win in the rematch would not only settle that score for Joshi & Company, but would eliminated Teal and leave Gold just one win away from advancing to the Final as a seven seed. A scoreless first saw Teal outshoot Gold 10-3, and while Teal posted an 11-5 shot edge in the second, it was Gold who would strike gold first. Not surprisingly, it was Owen Perks doing the seal-breaking honors at 8:56 (Vance Morra), and even less surprisingly, it was Alex Giummo who would answer for Teal at 7:32 (Jim LaGrossa). Penalty trouble in the third made an already uphill battle even steeper for Gold, as Mark DeGraffenreid (!) was sent off for tripping a determined Giummo at 7:53. Gold would survive that short-handed stint, but Giummo’s unassisted second of the game at 2:28 pumped up the late game pressure for the lower seeds. Incredibly enough, Vance Morra would knot the score just three seconds later, popping a shot off-and-over Matt Henderson at 2:25 (Evan Melcher) to set up a frenetic finish. Perks was sent off for tripping (Giummo, of course) at 1:58, then Morra for holding (Giummo) at 1:15. Yes…a 5 on 3 powerplay for the final 1:15 of regulation…surely the kiss of death for Joshi’s crew. Nope…not only did Gold kill the penalties, but both Chris Fiore and Mark DeGraffenreid would have several glorious chances to end the game and Teal’s season. Alas…overtime, where Gold continued to kill, but were ultimately killed by Giummo’s third of the game at 3:47 (Arnold Gonzales). Matt Henderson (11/13) held steady throughout, and breathed a sigh of relief that he did not allow a 5 on 3 game-winner in the dying minutes, as Teal slid past their rivals 3-2. Mason Holcomb (31/34) was absolutely incredible in this game, and Gold needed every bit of brilliance from everyone on their side to hold Giummo to a mere hat trick. The loss certainly stings all the more for Captain Joshi, who could only take comfort in her cozy bed that Sunday night, while Captain Copp ‘enjoyed’ the couch.

Teal would need to rub their tired legs, swig some Gatorade, and get back out on the court to face Captain Mark Nagy’s Orange in the second game. Orange came into the playoffs as the five seed, but landed in the Week Four catbird seat by virtue of winning their first two playoff games. Captain Nagy & Company had the benefit of being rested and ready, and also the confidence that comes from having prevailed 4-1 over Teal back in Week Four of the regular season. The presumed advantage of ‘rested and ready’ doesn’t always pan out, though, and at this stage in the playoffs, you should always prepare for/expect a dogfight. It was another game, another scoreless first, but an even 5-5 shot count seemed to show that Orange was up to the task, and/or Teal was tiring. Giummo (*gasp*) put Teal on top first at 6:20 in the second (LaGrossa), but Kalen Hunter was quick to answer for Orange, notching his first of the night to knot it at 5:15 (Eric Willard & Jenna Chercoe). You might have picked up on the context clue ‘first of the night’ in that last sentence, as there would be a second Hunter strike at 3:49 in the third (Willard & Mark Daquipa) to put Orange out front for the first time. Willard would add insurance just six ticks later, and Nick Meglich (16/17) was not having any late game Giummo heroics with his team SO close to the Final…he would hold the lead and help eliminate Teal, 3-1. Matt Henderson (16/19) was valiant as ever in the loss, and Captain Copp & Company can certainly be proud of a deep playoff run that began with a deeply discouraging 0-4-0 season start. Captain Nagy’s crew move on to the Final to face Captain Boddy’s Blue. Well, Captain Boddy’s Blue…minus Captain Boddy. Yes, unfortunately John will not be able to make it back down from Oregon to join his mates, so while Blue needs just one win to clinch the Cup, Orange can certainly be considered to be on even footing, at worst. This LONG…rain and fire delayed season will finally come to a close this Sunday…don’t miss it!

The SDFHL playoffs do not feature the concept of ‘re-seeding’, and with the stunning 5-1 Purple Week One pounce, Captain Luke Wolmer’s Black found themselves facing elimination in Week Three against a very dangerous three seed. All the while, bottom seeded Purple could survive the third week of play with a win over the seven spot, Gold. It may seem ‘unfair’, but that’s how the postseason cookie crumbles, and the once untouchable top seeds were now one loss from crumbling all the way down and all the way out. The bright side for Black…the undisputed heavyweight scoring champion of the universe, Alex Giummo, would be out of the lineup for Captain Jeremy Copp’s Teal. Jeff Henderson was also sidelined, softening the blue line a bit for the three seeds, but the very unbright side for Black…no Janice and Tom Darlington, no Riley Mann, and no Trevor Vick. So…gutted arsenals on both sides, but Wolmer & Company could still count on their captain and leading scorer, and Teal had enough secondary scoring in the ranks (Jim LaGrossa, Josh Tran, Andy Strathman, Gordon Schmidt…) to rally Teal to a season saving win. It was tertiary scoring that did the first damage for either side, with Captain Copp himself registering his first goal of the entire season at 7:40 (Kerri Sevenbergen). Captain Wolmer responded for his team at 3:04 in the first (Wasif Hussain), but Andy Strathman snatched the lead back for Teal just FOUR seconds later (Jim LaGrossa). A scoreless second ended with a fruitless Black powerplay, and the third began with a second fruitless Black powerplay, but Wolmer finally broke through to level the ledger with his second of the game at 7:51 (Tim Vick & Maureen Ruchhoeft). Josh Tran restored Teal’s lead with 4:18 to play (Strathman & LaGrossa), and with Matt Henderson (21/23) standing firm against Black’s last gasp, Tran iced Teal’s 4-2 win with an unassisted empty netter at 0:26. So, after soaring to epic 6-0-0 heights, Captain Wolmer’s Black flopped into the playoffs with a 1-2-0 stretch, then fell out all together with another 1-2-0 showing in December. Captain Copp & Company are thrilled to have survived without their WMD in play, and knocking off the top seed (with or without all of their weapons) has to fuel their confidence moving into a gauntlet Week Four. Teal will first need to slide past Captain Hima Joshi’s Gold in a grudge match for the ages, then immediately face Captain Mark Nagy’s high octane Orange to keep their Cup dreams alive.

The bracket match was a at least a bit more ‘as expected’ in the Week Three middle game, with Captain John Boddy’s second seeded Blue facing Captain Mark Nagy’s fifth seeded Orange. Both teams appeared to be peaking at the proper point, with Orange handling White with relative ease in Week One, then gritting out a shootout win over Purple. Blue did the gritty shootout bit to move past Gold in their opener, then jumped on Captain Boddy’s back for an early third period tying goal, then a (very) late period, short-handed game-winning goal to stun Teal. Boddy’s efforts over those first two games were at least as poetic as they were heroic, with Blue’s captain seemingly willing his team to Cup destiny in his final SDFHL season. In fact, this Week Three match was meant to be Boddy’s last game…his departure to Oregon already set in stone, and wistful jokes of a flight back for the Final seemingly just…wistful jokes. Back in reality, Kalen Hunter was in no joking mood, sniping home the game’s first goal at 9:34 in the first (Jenna Chercoe & Mark Daquipa) to give Orange a (very) early lead. It was…who else…Captain Boddy to equalize for Blue at 8:17 in the second (Sean Kelly & Eli Schonbrun), leaving the score locked at ones through two. Marc Lapointe picked the perfect game to score his first of the season, wristing a Boddy draw over Nick Meglich’s left shoulder to lift Blue to their first lead of the night. Captain Nagy would not be left out of the leadership conversation, pushing Orange back to a 2-2 tie with 6:00 to play (Kalen Hunter & Eric Willard), but Boddy would not/could not be denied, notching his second of the night at 4:59 (Schonbrun & Sean Kelly) to restore Blue’s edge. Kelly would add insurance at 3:05 (Boddy), and Chris Tran (22/24) would shake off the shockingly quick first goal and hold on to preserve Blue’s 4-2 win. Meglich (20/24) was not quite as magical as he has been all season, but certainly made all the saves he could be expected to make in his first postseason loss. Orange will now await the winner of Teal v Gold, with hopes to survive and earn a shot at Final revenge/redemption. The win means that Blue are now a fixture in the Final, needing just one more win against the lone survivor/challenger to capture the Cup. All reports indicate that those ‘jokes’ of Boddy flying back in to join his team in the Final are no longer jokes…they’re inspirational-sports-movie-worthy plans!

Elimination was once again in the air as warmups for the Week Three nightcap wrapped. Captain Hima Joshi’s Gold had acquitted themselves quite well for a seven seed, having built a 2-0 lead over Blue in their opener before succumbing to Captain Boddy’s regulation and shootout heroics, then cruising past Green 4-1 to avoid elimination in their second outing. Captain Ryan Karns’ Purple was also building an impressive post season resume, smashing Black 5-1 in their first game, before falling in a shootout to Orange in their second. Two teams with a seemingly similar ‘mojo’, neighboring seeds, and a regulation game that ended 1-0 in Purple’s favor, with the lone goal scored with just 0:31 to play…a dream rematch for TV executives smart enough to buy the rights to SDFHL playoff hockey. This was a wild one, alright, and it started with a trio of Gold goals in the first. Steve Goncalo broke the scoreless tie with an unassisted strike at 6:37, and Chris Fiore followed just eight second later with a long range laser to double the damage (Vinny Santora & Vance Morra). Goncalo’s second of the game at 0:37 (Owen Perks) was ‘gritty’, and boosted Gold’s already swelling spirits at least as much as it sucked the air out of the Purple bench. A scoreless second saw John Kushneryk keep his sheet clean in spite of a 22-8 edge in shots in Purple’s favor, and when Mark DeGraffenreid made it 4-0 at 6:47 in the third (Vance Morra), most Purple fans in attendance started making their way to the exits. The clock wound down to the final minutes of play, and with Morra heading off for hooking at 3:12, it would be Purple’s last chance to join the dance. On cue…2:53…a quick shot in the slot and a goal for Pat Gladstone…4-1 (Geoff Downes & Darin Cerasuolo). Even strength play resumed, and with the clock now under 1:30 to play, and Purple’s net empty, surely this would just be…Carl Vankoughnett at 1:19 (Captain Karns & Brendan Jew)…4-2. OK…cool story, but…less than a minute now…surely an empty-netter coming for Gol…Geoff Downes at 0:39 (Darin Cerasuolo & Vankoughnett)…4-3! An insane surge for Purple, and a nightmare collapse for Gold…with Captain Joshi & Company now in full flop sweat, white knuckle mode. Purple kept the push pulsing, sending a flurry of desperate chances on goal, only to finally be stopped by the only remaining force capable of stopping them…time. So…an instant classic…a heart-attack-inducing 4-3 win for Gold, and a heartbreaking 4-3 elimination loss for Purple. Kushneryk (31/34) filled in admirably for Mason Holcomb (who also missed the regular season installment), while Chuck Bender (10/14) and Purple came up just short of a fairytale comeback to sustain their run in a would-be Cinderella season. Gold will need all hands on deck and all games on ‘A’ if they have any chance of surviving the gauntlet of Teal and Orange when playoff play resumes in the new year…

No team was hotter coming into playoff play than Captain Jeremy Copp’s ‘The Final FrontTeal’. It was really a tale of two seasons for Copp’s Crew, with an ice cold 0-4-0 start melting steadily away under the heat of a five game winning streak that saw them climb all the way to the three seed. Captain Bao Nguyen’s Green, by contrast, trickled through the regular season in tepid fashion, never managing so much as a two game win streak, but also posting consecutive losses just once (W L L W T W L W L). The first ‘W’ in that Green train was a 6-3 win over Teal, but momentum, and an in-full-flight Alex Giummo certainly stamped Teal as the favorites in the playoff rematch. Giummo had that ‘in-full-flight’ flare on display early and often for said favorites, snapping home his first career SDFHL playoff goal at 8:50 in the first (Jim LaGrossa), then repeating the feat at 4:22 (LaGrossa). Joe Malki wedged a response between the Giummo goals, briefly leveling things at 5:56 (Jon Zygelman & William Teglia). Josh Tran built Teal’s edge to two at 4:22 in the second (Giummo & Arnold Gonzales), then it was Giummo for the hat trick at 2:34 (LaGrossa), and another for good measure and a four goal lead at 1:07 (LaGrossa). Matt Henderson (17/18) remained sharp from start to finish, and neither he, nor his counterpart, John Kushneryk (15/20), would concede anything in the third, keeping the final score 5-1…Teal’s sixth straight victory on what appears to be a mechanical march to mid-January glory. Copp & Company move on to an intriguing matchup with Captain Boddy’s second-seeded Blue…the team that handed them their last loss back on October 12th (!). Green will look to stay alive on the ‘long road’ to the Final, facing off against a grab bag Gold with both teams on the brink of elimination.

While Captain Luke Wolmer’s Black did not not follow an exact inverse of Teal’s Fall League trajectory, their scalding 6-0-0 start simmered to a 1-2-0 close, leaving their once stark shadow of dominance a bit less daunting going into the ‘anything can happen’ playoff stretch. Captain Ryan Karns’ Purple did not roll into this match with much confidence, either, having very nearly found themselves dead and buried in the regular season graveyard after a narrow escape from their final fight with Red. So…a powerhouse top seed recently exposed as ‘beatable’ versus a barely-in, but battle-tested bottom seed…FIGHT! Darin Cerasuolo showed once again why he is THE top teen in the league, putting Purple in front at 1:42 in the first (Carl Vankoughnett & Geoff Downes), then assisting on Vankoughnett’s strike at 7:50 in the second, then providing the primary on (super sub) Wendy Enright’s goat at 4:02 (Downes with the second), before rattling off his second of the the game at 3:57 (Vankoughnett), and third at 2:13 (Downes). That’s right, folks…if you’re scoring at home that is a 5-0 lead through two for the bottom bunch over the top dogs! The situation did not improve much for Black in the third, though Riley Mann’s first career SDFHL playoff goal at 7:06 (Wasif Hussain) did provide a fleeting glimmer of hope for a rousing comeback. Alas for Wolmer & Company, that would be the only retaliation (on the scoreboard, anyway) that they could muster, as Chuck Bender (7/8) and Purple held on for the stunning 5-1 upset win. Will Heinl (5/10) absorbed the loss in what may well be one of the lowest shot total games in league history, leaving Black looking like a different team after what is now a 1-3-0 recent run. Black will look to bounce back against the author of their first loss of the season back on November 9th…a game in which White took full advantage of the absences of Captain Wolmer and his righthand Mann to the tune of a 4-0 waltz. Purple has found their swagger and their lost slipper, and ready themselves to continue their top bracket dance in an early game showdown with the five seed, Orange.

In theory, the most coin flip contest of the first round would be the four seed versus the five seed. This season, not only did that four seed (Captain Rob Gaudio’s White) and that five seed (Captain Mark Nagy’s Orange) finish with identical 4-3-2 records, but they also tied 2-2 in their Week Seven regular season meeting. It was by virtue of the goal differential tie breaker that White was seeded above Orange, but the matchup would not have changed either way, and the only goal differential of any relevance now would be the final score in the playoff rematch. One of the biggest stories all season has been the absolutely other worldly play of Orange netminder, Nick Meglich. Meglich’s .900 save percentage topped the Fall League charts, and while you might typically regard a 2.67 GAA as ‘meh’, that number is nothing short of a miracle, considering that he faced 241 shots through nine regular season games…nearly 100 more than the only other goalies with perfect attendance (Bender at 151 and Davenport at 155). There’s no doubt that Orange’s defense would need to be tighter in the tournament, as even the best/hottest goalie has a breaking point, but the opening round of the playoffs would prove to be just another point of proof that Meglich is the man. Well…’co-the man’…assistant to the regional man, at the very least, with Kalen Hunter sharing badass billing this time out with a potent POTW performance. Hunter put Orange in front bright and early at 8:44 in the first (Jenna Chercoe), and after a White response off the blade of Ty Pereira at 6:14 (Dan Jurgens & Dorothy Kline), he recorded the primary assist on Eric Willard’s goal at 4:55 (Chercoe with the second assist), then posted an unassisted second of the game at 2:05. Chercoe was ‘the woman’ in this one, adding a goal at 9:19 in the second (Mark Daquipa & Kalen Hunter) to boost the Orange lead to 4-1 and bring her running total to 1 and 2. Jackson Tomaszewski cut the lead back to two at 8:15 in the second (Pereira), but Hunter’s hat trick capper at 2:00 (Captain Nagy) restored the three goal edge heading into the final period of play. Weston Nawrocki added extra insurance with his first of the postseason at 6:16 (from…who else…Hunter and Chercoe), and Pereira’s second of the game with 4:11 to play (Mark Scelfo) was the only answer from White, who fell short, in spite of holding a 35-14 shot advantage at the final whistle. Wait…a 35-14 dominating shot count…in a loss…yes…NICK ‘MF’ING’ MEGLICH, PEOPLE! Meglich (32/35) was once again super human, and once again kept his team comfortable from start to finish in a 6-3 victory. At the other end, Jon Cima (6/14) fell victim to a 3 and 3 super star turn for King Kalen…sometimes you get a great player on the wrong night. The win propels Orange into a surprise standoff with upstart Purple, while White will battle to stay alive in the bottom bracket trenches against another surprise opponent…top-seeded Black.

The Week One nightcap was a rematch of the final game of the regular season…sort of. Captain Hima Joshi’s Gold and Captain John Boddy’s Blue originally met in the early game of Week Six, but after a brush fire postponed the final two periods of play with Gold holding a 1-0 edge, the November 23rd resumption was 4-2 redemption for Boddy’s Brood. With Chris Fiore, Evan Melcher, and Vinny Santora all out, Gold was left scrambling for solutions on defense, and when one of those ‘solutions’ is to have yours truly playing back…let’s just say that Blue were both the logical favorites and the overwhelming betting lock in this one. Lo and behold, it was Gold on the front foot first, with a sure-handed, short-handed, unassisted Owen Perks special serving as a shock to Blue’s system, and a second Perks’ strike with ONE second left in the first (Greg Francisco) making it (miraculously enough) 2-0 Gold going into the first breather. Captain Boddy put his team on his back in the second, cutting the lead in half at 5:30 (Elyse Shattuck), then knotting it at twos at 1:35 (Sean Kelly and Shattuck). A scoreless third ticked past with Gold (shockingly enough) holding a 24-10 edge in shots through regulation. When even the 7-1 OT shot advantage failed to avail Gold, it was on to everyone’s favorite/least favorite playoff piece…the shootout. Gold was first to shoot, and Chris Tran stayed hot and kept his team cool with a big save. Captain Boddy scored, and Steve Goncalo answered for Gold in the second round to make it 1-1, but Eli Schonbrun snatched the lead back for Blue on the very next turn. Mark DeGraffenreid and Sean Kelly were turned aside, as were Vance Morra and Steve Linke, leaving the game on the capable (but surely nervous) shoulders of Shelby Shattuck. Chris Tran went 29/31 in regulation and OT, and after making the final save of the shootout against Shattuck, sealed Blue’s 3-2 win with an enchanting 4/5 encore. Erin Plone breathed a sigh of relief, and celebrated with her teammates in lieu of sweating out her own hot seat shootout shot. So, no Cinderella start for Captain Hima Joshi’s seven seeds, but an encouraging effort, nonetheless. Mason Holcomb 9/11 was his standard steady self, and gave his team every opportunity to post a second first round shocker, but…not to be. Captain Boddy’s final Cup thrust continues this Sunday with Blue battling the now-terrifying Teal, while Gold will look to grind past Green and keep the dream alive one week at a time.

The final Sunday of any SDFHL season is a mixed bag of ‘last chance…must win’, ‘hoping to improve our playoff seed and gain some momentum’, and ‘nothing much to be lost or gained here…just having fun’. The Week Six Make-Up slate (the week that was 14/15 wiped out because of a brush fire just a slap shot from the rink) opened with a match in that middle category, with Captain Rob Gaudio’s Gang looking to lock in the second seed with their fifth win of the season, and Captain Jeremy Copp’s Teal hoping to extend their winning streak to five, and streak past White and a few other middle-packers in the process. First year Teal tour de force, Alex Giummo, continued his torrid tromp through November opponents, opening the scoring with his eighteenth goal of the season at 9:28 in the first (Andy Strathman), then notching his nineteenth at 1:24 in the second (unassisted), then tallying his TWENTIETH at 8:24 in the third (Kerri Sevenbergen & Josh Tran) to stake his side to a 3-0 lead. Copp & Company would only need two of those Giummo gems to push past White on this day, as the lone retaliation for White came courtesy of Rob LaVigne with 1:08 to play (Dan Jurgens). The 3-1 win stretched the Teal win streak to five, and also vaulted them to a bronze medal regular season finish (silver was briefly held, before being ceded to Blue), but the shots and run of play showed that Matt Henderson (24/25) was reason 1b that Teal escaped with a win. Jon Cima (7/10) was less than half as busy at the other end, but the quickness and quality of Giummo’s snap shot is already established as the most devastating weapon in the league. I don’t have the league’s entire statistical history in my lap as I type this, but I am fairly confident that NO player has ever scored twenty goals in a season. Giummo’s 20 and 6 make him the runaway Fall League 2025 scoring champ, and with Teal now definitively the hottest team in the league, Captain Bao Nguyen’s #6 Green are no doubt not loving the reality of an opening round playoff playdate. Green did best Teal rather convincingly in the very first week of the regular season (6-3), but the playoff are a different animal, and Teal feels like a completely different team, at this point. The loss moves White down to the four slot, with their first playoff pairing set as Captain Mark Nagy’s Orange. The teams tied 2-2 back in Week Seven, so…rather fitting that they will rematch as the fourth and fifth seeds…should be a great one.

It was absolutely ‘last chance…must win’ for Captain Mostafa Azab’s Red, and ‘last chance…must at least tie’ for Captain Ryan Karns’ Purple as THE big game of the final week of play unfolded in the second slot. Red’s rally from 0-3-0 to 2-4-1 included a crucial 4-3 win over Blue and a convincing 6-3 win over Green, but a subsequent 4-1 loss to White left them deadlocked with Lime below the cutline going into the final week of play. A win would move them past Purple and into playoff position, while anything less would seal their fate and set them up for a string of sans-SDFHL Sundays. Purple’s regular season path was paved and peachy through a 2-1-0 start, but potholes and pit stops found them just one point clear of a complete crashout coming into their final spin. That one spare point allowed them the luxury of advancing with a tie, but a loss would leave them squeezed out of the playoff picture along with Lime. With their scoring leader (at the time), Darin Cerasuolo, out, along with Papa Cerasuolo and defensive anchors Captain Karns and Tyler Winstead, Purple hopes were not high for that ‘tie or better’ result, but Red was also without their captain and Jason Northrup, so…could be worse. Steve Pugliese opened the scoring at 2:39 in the first (Shawna Hamon), his first goal since coming onboard to replace Ali Nabipour the week prior. This first blood touched off a late period scoring frenzy, with Carl Vankoughnett pushing Purple level at 2:02 (Jason Lee & Geoff Downes), then Josh Wirt ripping the lead back for Red at 1:30 (Sadie Hellstrom) before returning the favor to Hellstrom on her goal at 0:07. Red’s 3-1 lead lasted through the first half of the second period, but another sudden scoring spate flipped the score (and all of the momentum) in Purple’s favor. Vankoughnett’s second of the game at 4:43 (Brendan Jew) cut the lead to one, Jew’s third of the season at 2:23 (Leah Gonzales) knotted the score at 3-3, and Jason Lee gave Purple their first lead of the game at 0:39 (Jew & Gonzales). To this point in the game, the shot counts were relatively even (12-9 in Purple’s favor), and both teams had proven that they could score in bunches…it would be one final period to determine who wanted it more. Red certainly ‘wanted it’, outshooting Purple by an 11-3 margin in the final frame, but Chuck Bender (17/20) held tight, and Purple’s penalty kill proved the difference down the stretch as Karns’ Krew would hang on to secure the 4-3 win. With this result, the playoff field was officially set, with both Red and Lime now eliminated from contention. Gabe Davenport (11/15) finished a valiant first season with his head up, and while Red did not find a way to advance, their final fighting flurry proves that they believed to the bitter end. It’s certainly not all champagne and caviar for Purple, who move into the second season as the bottom seed, staring down the barrel of Captain Luke Wolmer’s Big Bad Black when playoff play kicks off in early December.

A smooth and spotless 6-0-0 start meant that Captain Luke Wolmer’s Black were booked for December play back in early November (actually mid-October, knowing what we know now). White’s loss earlier in the evening meant that their finale would fall into the ‘nothing much to be lost or gained here…just having fun’ category, but snapping a ill-timed two game losing streak before ‘the real games’ begin was likely more than enough motivation for the frontrunners. Captain Bao Nguyen’s Green came in under the ‘hoping to improve our playoff seed and gain some momentum’ flag, having patched together a passable season, but never having managed so much as a two game win streak. An upset victory in their finale would check that box, and also serve as something of a ‘statement win’ for a team whose hit or miss mojo has seen them struggle to formulate a fearsome front to opponents. A scoreless first bled into a very nearly scoreless second, with Captain Wolmer finally finding twine with just twelve ticks left in the creamy middle of a very tight contest (Trevor Vick & Wasif Hussain). Wolmer’s second of the game and tenth of the season with 5:06 to play (Jenna Chercoe & Hussain) doubled Black’s edge and cast a considerable shadow over Green’s hopes for that swan song ‘statement’. Chris Malki finally responded for Nguyen & Associates at 3:51 (Joe Malki), bringing renewed hope and hop in Green’s collective step into the final minutes of play. All hope and hop were quickly halted, though, as super sub, Jenna Chercoe, restored the top dogs’ two goal lead just 0:32 later to seal the 3-1 win for Black. Will Heinl (21/22) earned third star honors for his sparkling showing, while John Kushneryk (13/16) was no slouch in the losing effort, wrapping a very solid rookie SDFHL goalie campaign with a 2-2-1/.868/1.75/1 SO line. Wolmer’s 10 and 8 season totals would typically be enough to put him in scoring crown contention, but Alex Giummo would not be denied that hardware in his debut season, and Wolmer would have to settle for runner-up in that race. As noted, the win was essentially window dressing for Black, who put one last pass of polish on their number one seed to finish with fourteen points. The loss prevented Green from ascending as high as the two seed (three, in reality, given the later results), and instead settled them in at slot six. Black will face a plucky Purple in Week One, while Green have perhaps the worst opening draw in the entire tournament…the hottest team in the league, Teal.

Captain Joel Gattey’s Lime were shoveled to the playoff scrapheap by virtue of Purple’s win earlier in the evening. Had Purple lost, they would still find themselves on said scrapheap…it would have taken a tie between Purple and Red and (of course) a win over Orange to save their season…such is the quirky and unforgiving cut line math. So, Lime was fully in the ‘nothing much at all to be lost or gained here…just having fun’ camp, while Orange were ‘hoping to improve our playoff seed and gain some momentum’ as the ‘Citrus Bowl’™ kicked off as the final full game on the Week Six Make-Up slate. Kalen Hunter put the favorites in full control out of the gate, lacing home his tenth of the season at 9:27 (Jenna Chercoe & Eric Willard), then his eleventh at 5:44 (Kevin Hunter). It was a listless, lifeless period for Lime, who were outshot 7-1 in that opening period against an Orange team with just two available subs (Mark Daquipa, Weston Nawrocki, and Will Heinl all out of action). The shot disparity did not improve much for Lime in the second (8-4), and Orange continued to capitalize against a clearly deflated and defeated opponent. Parsa Mostafavi’s unassisted fourth of the season at 1:44 padded the lead to three, and while Lime put forth one final ‘death rattle’ resistance in the third (6-5 edge in shots to Orange), the only scoring response mustered was an unassisted Brennen Abel tally with 0:19 to play. Abel’s late goal served no significance beyond spoiling Nick Meglich’s shutout bid (9/10), but Meglich FINALLY benefitted from his team outshooting their opponent. Yes, this was the first time all season that the Orange netminder was not busier (typically considerably busier) than his counterpart. Whatever the SDFHL equivalent of the Vezina Trophy is (the Santat Trophy (?)…the Pynn-ant (?)…the Kelly Cup (?)…the Perks Prize (?)) Meglich is the runaway winner this season. The man played in all nine games, and faced nearly ONE HUNDRED shots more than the only other goalies in the league to do so. His 4-3-2/.900/2.67 line is absolutely the main reason that Orange made the playoffs in (relatively) comfortable fashion. Don Tran (18/21) and Lime just did not get the scoring they needed to prevail in this one, and certainly not enough to compete in most other games, finishing with a league low twenty-two, including just six from their leading scorer, Abel. The 3-1 win capped a solid season for Orange, who ultimately settled in at the five spot, based on the result of the final game and the goal differential tiebreaker with White. Captain Nagy & Company will break another tie with White when playoff play opens on December 7th…the teams battled to a 2-2 deadlock in Week Seven, so there is ‘unfinished business’ there…

The league has certainly seen its share of rainouts over the years, and also survived a pandemic and a ‘heat out’ in the summer of 2024, but October 19, 2025 would enter as the first ‘fire out’ in league history. The game began as any other…very nice day, as I recall…Gold rolled out to dominant start against Blue, who were without Captain Boddy and a number of other key players. Gold held a 9-3 edge in shots, and spent most of the first ten minutes of play in the attacking zone, but Chris Tran stopped all but one of those nine shots…a Mark DeGraffenreid wrister at 1:16 (Evan Melcher). As the teams broke their respective huddles to begin the second period…smoke…flames…confusion. A small brush fire in the neighboring canyon was sending black smoke over the roof of the Boys & Girls Club, but with the rangers alerted, fire trucks en route, youth leagues still merrily playing baseball and soccer nearby, and the winds blowing steadily away from the rink, the thought was that we could continue. Police orders to evacuate minutes later quashed any such lingering ideas, and with the rest of the Sunday slate called off, it was decided that ‘Gold v Blue Part Deux’™ would be tacked on to the end of the Week Six Make-Up schedule. The sequel did not go nearly as well for Gold, with Captain Boddy and Sean Kelly back in the fold. Kelly’s fifth of the season at 8:15 in the ‘second’ (opening period of play on this day) from Steve Linke and Eli Schonbrun brought Blue level, and his sixth of the season at 7:52 in the third (Marc Lapointe & Captain Boddy) flipped the flames of fortune in Blue’s favor. Owen Perks would equalized quickly for Gold with his eighth of the season at 6:31 (DeGraffenreid), but Eli Schonbrun produced an even swifter response, pushing Blue back in front with his seventh at 6:00 (Captain Boddy & Erin Plone). Neither team could find a way past Mason Holcomb (18/21) nor Chris Tran (19/21) the rest of the way, but Schonbrun’s empty-netter at 0:01 brought the final score to 4-2, Blue. The weird win propelled Blue all the way to the second seed at 5-3-1, while the ‘stupid fucking fire’ loss kept Gold in the seven slot. So…as fire and fate would have it, these two teams will meet again in the late game of opening Sunday of the Fall League 2025 playoffs…will we be ‘lightninged out’ or ‘snowed out’ or ‘zombie apocalypsed out’…find out Sunday, December 7th!