Grey and Red met in Week Two as ‘no win twins’, with both having suffered a one goal loss in their opener. Newcomer, Eugene DeSantis, provided the only goal Grey would need in the second, then added another for good measure late in the period to stake his team to a 2-0 Week Two win. Fellow first year, Joe Gaudio, provided the lone leg-up on both strikes, and Don Tran locked up the shop in cousin Chris’ absence with a 22/22 clean sheet. Andrew Lockard (20/22) absorbed his second loss in as many games, in spite of a solid (and at times, sparking) performance. Grey can certainly draw encouragement from the contributions of their new arrivals, especially as they continue to await any word of a possible return for top striker, London Peters. Red will need to regroup, and find their scoring touch against a dangerous Cream team in Week Three.
Another pair of winless teams limped into the arena for the second game of the second week. Captain Steve Goncalo and his as-yet-unnamed Brown band were more than ready to put a Week One 6-2 beat down at the hands of our cover team behind them, while ‘Wirt(h) Snake’ was happy to put Mr. Malki and his ‘sweet child’ in their rearview and focus forward. Neither team was able to do damage through the first, and most of the second, but long lost veteran, Steve Scott, finally solved Don Tran (with the sole assist to even-longer-lost veteran, Geoff Downes), and Maureen Ruchhoeft doubled the lead for Brown just fourteen seconds later. Ruchhoeft’s tally would stand as the game-winner, thanks to White’s lone counterstrike from Josh Wirt less than a minute later. So…all of the game’s scoring crammed into 1:01 of playing time, with Brown holding on for the 2-1 win over White. Nick Vacchio’s 21/22 was just what he needed to secure his first win of the season, outdueling old man Don Tran (14/16) to bring his team’s record even through two weeks of play.
This season has so far separated the Salt man (Zach) from the Salt boy (Jon). I kid…Jon is actually older…but boy, he must be having some separation anxiety, thus far. Captain Zach led his team to another win in Week Two with a one and one outing, and he now has four points in two games (to big brother’s zero), and…oh yeah, he won the head-to-head battle in Week One. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at A Very Special Salt Thanksgiving! Justin Stege opened the scoring for Purple in the second, and rookie, Aaron Cooney, followed with the game-winner later in the frame. Rob Gaudio (speaking of younger brothers) responded for ‘Black Slappath’ at 4:32 in the third, but Captain Salt signed and sealed the 3-1 win with his second of the season to move his team to 2-0-0. Alex Theis was his typical beastly self (14/15) behind the ranks of ‘Purple Reign’, while Wayne Wong’s goaltending debut was a valiant, but vain 15/18 losing effort.
Captain Karns’ team has firepower…UMLAUT of fire power. Speaking of umlauts…I owe to this team the fact that I have now memorized the alt keyboard codes for ö and ü…but, I digress. Captain Gattey’s team managed to cool their competitors in the first, as a pair of Dan Jurgens goals bookended an Andrew Jacobsen jab. The Blue beast stirred and struck hard in the second, with Jacobsen evening the score with his second of the game, then assisting on Alan Razoky’s go-ahead notch. Gideon Schon followed with a power play marker, and Razoky ripped home another to give Blue a 5-2 lead going into the final ten. Cream rose to the challenge, with three unanswered answers from Wendy Enright, Jon Champine, and Jerry Gonzales to bring things back level at five apiece with less than five minutes to play. It was Razoky again…but this time Alaa Razoky with the game-winner to cap a completely crazy contest (and complete the carpel tunnel chaos for the poor scorer), 6-5, Blue over Cream. Mostafa Azab (Blue), and first year forward, Derek Baxter (White) each recorded two assists in the point parade. Chuck Bender (13/18) won the war of attrition over Steve Deppensmith (10/16), but neither netminder will be putting this scrap in their scrapbook for posterity.
Sadie Hellstrom wasted no time putting ‘Sweet Child O’ Malki’ on the board, converting a Tyler Winstead assist just 1:17 into play. It was more Malki magic from there, as Captain Joe netted the game-winner late in the first, then assisted on pop’s power play poke early in the second. Eric Willard finally found a response for ‘Twisted Citrus’, a short-handed conversion from Captain Casey, but Nicholas Meglich (12/13) and Green would hold on for the 3-1 win. Cory Brin (25/28) weathered the storm well, but ended without a win in Week Two. Green will put their 2-0-0 record on the line against one of only two other unbeatens (Blue) in Week Three…definitely our featured matchup this Sunday.