Captain Chad Goins & ‘Hakuna Mostafa’ are not feeling much love through the first two weeks of play, coming in like a lamb with a lopsided Week One loss, and a (misfortune-aided) close-but-not-quite meeting with ‘the other blue’ in Week Two. This season is expected to be wide open and a bit wacky, and even the lowliest team has a chance for last minute redemption, but…the pride still stings with every loss (see what I did there…pride…lions…fuck, I am so awesome)…
Our fearless ‘cover team’ was hungry for a rebound repast against their deeper-shirt-shaded brethren in Week Two, having been blasted by Orange 6-1 in their opener. Captain Ryan Karns and ‘Karsnma Police’ had their badges in place, ready to run in another suspect and get out to a perfect start heading into their bye week. A scoreless first period had both teams finding moments of mesh, but mostly mess, but the second period brought an early strike from (who else) Zach Salt (from team namesake, Mostafa Azab, and Jon Zygelman). That Atomic lead last just over five minutes, as Weston Nawrocki deflected home a nifty Emily Bennington cross to tie the tilt, then snapped home a second less the half a minute later to make it 2-1, Blue. With Jon Champine in the box, and the draw in Blue’s end, Alan Razoky won the ball back to Geoff Downes…who promptly flung it down the rink…on net…off Zack Siemer’s goalie stick…into the net. It was a shocking turn, to say the least…a short handed strike from goal line to goal line, and it put Blue up by two. As fate would have it, that fluky fling would stand as the game-winner, thanks to a Carl Vankoughnett goal minutes later to make it 3-2. Chuck Bender (18/20) stayed steady throughout, and Siemer (19/22 in a sub role for Wayne Wong) would allow no more tallies (of any variety), as Blue would hold on for the 3-2 win. The regular season standings don’t have nearly the level of meaning this time around, but Blue can still revel in their sole-possession of the top spot (for now), while Atomic Blue sit at the other end of the slate with fellow winless wonders, White.
Captain Jon Salt’s Pink, and Captain Palomo Schmidt’s White sides were both looking to rebound from a disappointing debuts in Week Two. The disappointment would only deepen for the latter, as Salt found his scoring touch, and torched White for four goals, including a second period hat trick, to lead his team to a 5-2 win. Joe Nguyen opened the scoring with the only non-Salt Pink tally early in the first, and Captain Palomo Schmidt equalized less than two minutes later. Salt’s second period spate sucked most of the drama out of the affair, and though Alexis DaCosta cut the lead to two with just under four minutes to play, Sean Kelly (17/19) would hold the line. Salt’s fourth was deposited into an empty net, with Nick Meglich (14/18) looking on as his surrogate team’s record sagged to 0-2-0. Zach Siemer racked up three assists for Pink…a welcome swing from his unfortunate turn in nets for Atomic Blue the game prior. White will try again for their first W in a showdown with Grey, while Pink look to make it two in a row as they take on Orange in the late game.
First year player, and first time captain, Will Heinl, led ‘Gold Will Hunting’ into their season debut to face Orange…and Ezra Cohen took it from there. Cohen assisted on Mark Ennsmann’s strike in the opening minute of play, then scored his first of the night even earlier in the second. Remember Eric Herrmann…he’s still really good. He poured in two (both from Kevin ‘The Deputy’ Dinino) to knot the score at 2-2 through two. Cohen was beyond ‘really good’ in this one, though, netting the game-winner with another early tally in the third, and completing the hat trick minutes later. Jerry Gonzales capped the scoring (courtesy of Cohen’s second assist of the night), and Gold went on to win going away, 5-2. Cohen finished with POTW honors for his 3 and 2 outburst, Ennsmann chipped in 1 and 2, and Nick Meglich notched the win with a 20/22 sheet. Chuck Bender (16/21) suffered the loss in an emergency sub stint for the injured Chris Tran. Gold will look to match Blue’s 2-0-0 record when they take on Atomic Blue, while Orange will look to bounce back in a battle of 1-1-0 teams this Sunday.
The hat trick hat passed from Jon Salt in game two, to Ezra Cohen in game three, to…Chris Malki in game four. Jordan Pynn put Grey on the board first, but ‘Pops’ responded to knot it, and ‘Sonny’ (Joe Malki) and ‘Pops’ teamed up to make it 3-1 Green through two. Justin Stege cut the lead in half with less than three minutes to play, but it was Chris Malki again to complete the hat trick and seal the 4-2 win. Tyler Winstead racked up three assists, and Don Tran (20/22) was strong start to finish to even his (and his team’s) records at 1-1-0. Chuck Bender (12/16) absorbed the loss in his THIRD game in nets on the night (thank you, Chuck!). as Grey dropped to 1-1-0. Grey will look to get back in the W column this Sunday against hite (W-less ‘White’), while Green take on ‘the other green’, the 1-0-0 Lime.