Captain Kerri Sevenbergen’s Purple, and Captain Maureen Ruchhoeft’s White both took the ‘fits and starts’ road to Week Three of the playoffs, with each team managing just one two-game winning streak coming in, and (consequently) neither team looking like much of a genuine threat to make a deep playoff run. True to form, both teams had a lopsided win, and a narrow defeat in the books coming into their third at-bat, and with elimination on the line, there would be no ‘bounce back’ opportunity for the losing side this time. Patrick Theis was the busier of the two goalies in a scoreless first period, stopping all twelve shots he faced while watching his team muster just five at the other end, but Purple would find their offensive footing first…in the second, with Jon Salt putting the five seed on top (from Mark Nagy and Eric Willard). A newly reborn Jim LaGrossa answered for White with just 0:23 to play in the middle stanza (from Brennan Abel), setting the table for a dramatic third period. The drama raneth over into overtime, with both sides unwilling to budge, but equally unable to overcome with a regulation game-winner in a stalemate final ten. The overtime was short and sweet for Purple, and short and bitter for White, as Salt tucked home a loose ball (from Janine Ulloa and Willard) to send White home, and send Purple on, 2-1. Patrick Theis (24/25) is really starting to show more signs of his father, Alex, and I am not just referring here to his meticulous goal post alignment ritual prior to each period. He is coming into his own, and Purple will need his best to survive a two game Losers’ Bracket gauntlet with Charcoal and Royal Blue in Week Four. Chuck Bender (15/17) and White become the third playoff castoff with the tough loss, ending their season of ups and downs on a particularly crushing down.
While the second game on the slate lacked the edge inherent with an elimination match, the intensity (of which there was plenty) was driven by the ticket to the Final, dangling in wait for the winner of this high powered showdown. The power came from rather unlikely sources for both teams in the first period, as Ramsey Ksar cashed in his first goal of the season to put Silver in front bright and early in the first (from Zach Salt and Sadie Hellstrom), only to have Captain Janet Biggerstaff Goins score her second of the season (from Eric Herrmann and Carl Vankoughnett) five minutes later to level set the ledger going into the second. The rest of the game was more usual-suspect-laden, with Salt (from Justin Ker) restoring Silver’s lead with the lone second period goal, then Ker soloing one of his own to put Silver up 3-1 with just over half a period to play. Eric Herrmann cut the lead to one less than two minutes later (from Ty Pereira), and Glenn Pinto brought Royal Blue all the way back to even (from Vankoughnett and Herman), notching the rare third goal against Silas Perks, and giving his team hope of a comeback coup. The scene was set for one last episode of ‘Herrmann’s Heroics’, as the supernatural sniper looked to go out with an OT titan toppler in his final SDFHL game (yes, folks…he is moving out, and moving on), but…no. Turning back to the ‘unlikely sources’ theme, it was Arnold Gonzales chipping home the kill shot (yes…his first of the season) with 1:26 to play to send the top seeds to their destined destination…4-3 Silver over Royal Blue in OT. Silas Perks (22/25) allowed three, but held firm when it mattered most to collect his tenth win in thirteen outings this season, while Patrick Theis (15/19) was solid, but not show-stealing in a sub stint for Nick ‘Magic’ Meglich. Both teams remain alive in the quest for the Cup, with Royal Blue rested and ready for the winner of Charcoal v Purple in the three team repechage rumble on June 4th, while Silver have the holiday weekend, and Week Four to rest, recover, and refocus on the ultimate prize. I just want to thank Eric Herrmann for gracing this league with his incredible talent, and (at least as importantly) his calm, cool, sportsmanlike demeanor. Our best to you, Eric! You may have only been a part of this league for a short time, but your legend will live on in Karl Strauss war stories for years to come…
Silas Perks…Silver’s shining shield…regular season MVP…hard to beat once, let alone twice, let very much alone thrice…the new gold standard in SDFHL goaltending. Kalen Hunter is not impressed. He made a fat wad out of all of that laud and threw it on the ground. For those of you who missed Hunter’s Week Three act…it was shocking…it was awesome…it was shock and awesome. The speedy Young Canuck™ sniper made Silas look very ordinary, starting with a streak down the right side, and a lightning quick snap over Silas’ shoulder to put Charcoal in front early (from Jackson Tomaszewski). He wasn’t close to done with just the one, as he ripped home another with 0:50 left in the first (from Chris Tran and Shawna Hamon), then ANOTHER at 0:36 to play in the opening frame. That’s some straight cold-blooded ninja shite right there…dropping a hat trick on ‘the guy’ in one period…*shudder*. Owen Perks converted a nice pass from (who the F else…Hunter…second to Parsa Mostafavi) to make it 4-0, but the score might as well have been 85-0 at that point, as ready and rolling as Captain Hamon and her henchpeople were from the start. Just for good measure, it was Perks from Hunter again…a gorgeous passing play to cap a 5-0 flex to eliminate (and humiliate) a shell-shocked Aqua. Don Tran (14/14) was hardly tested in his shutout showing, while Silas Perks (19/24) was left shaking his head and tipping his cap to brother, Owen, and fellow Young Canuck™, Kalen, in a fill-in firing squad foray for (traitor) Chris Tran. Melissa Busby did absolutely nothing once again, but was awarded a pity third star as part of my pre-emptive campaign to avoid being cancelled. Captain Steph Palomo Schmidt and Aqua become the fourth team in the second season recycle bin, while Charcoal will look to lean on their youth and overall fitness to survive a back-to-back battle royale with Purple and Royal Blue in Week Four.
Playoff action commences after the Memorial Day Holiday. Enjoy the long weekend, and enjoy the tournament, if you are planning to come out and play!