Our cover team kicked off a night of close, low scoring games with a…very close, very low scoring game. Minutes after Steph Palomo Schmidt quipped ‘you better not let Gordon score, Pope’ Gordon Schmidt (naturally) scored to finally blow the literal pounds of dust off his SDFHL stat history and give White a 1-0 edge with 2:30 to play in the first (lone assist to another famous SDFHL spouse, Jeannine Stuzka). Purple poured on the pressure, and worked up a lot of quality scoring chances, but a-las…Si-las. Perks’ perfect performance (28/28) meant that Purple would be shut out for the second time in three games, with just one lonely goal to show for nine periods of play to date. Chris Tran (16/17) was heroic yet again, but had yet another L hung on him by another Silas silence job and one seeing eye shot from an washed up old man (no offense, Gordo). The 1-0 win is the first of the season for White, and an important one for their confidence and cut line comfort. Purple will look to finally generate some offense and get a first win of their own against a 1-1-1 Neon, while White will look to build back to .500 in Week Five with an upset win over 3-0-1 Blue.
Captain Luke Wolmer’s Green had visions of becoming the second 1-0 Week Four winners, after a scoreless first bled into a second period that saw Joe Malki stake his team to a 1-0 lead (from Ramsey Ksar). Those visions looked like a lock to become reality as the third period clock dripped down to the final minute, and Brown pulled Nick Meglich in a last ditch effort to salvage a 1-1 tie. Brennen Abel (from Vance Morra…Vance Refrigeration and Captain Rob LaVigne) would give them that 1-1 tie with just 0:18 to play (I think…could not read the score sheet), then shocked all involved by rattling home the ultra upset special with 0:01 to go! The 2-1 winning coup for Brown made Meglich (9/10) the brow-wiping winner, and Sean Kelly (23/25) the VERY hard luck loser, with Brown evening their record at 2-2-0, and Green dropping to 1-2-0. Brown will look to run their winning streak to three against fellow 2-2-0ers, Grey, while Green have a tough challenge in 4-0-0 Orange.
The ‘big blow out’ in Week Four was (much) more about the ridonkulous resurgence of Orange’s Matt Henderson than anything else. Captain Kaitlyn Brusso’s Gold outshot the favorites 26-10, but we all know it’s the ones that go in that count, and the count was once again in the favor of Captain Geoff Downes & Company. Justin Ker broke the scoreless draw with a nasty top shelf snipe with just eleven ticks remaining in the first (from Mostafa Azab), Chad Goins doubled the lead with a nifty breakaway burial at 6:21 in the second (from Captain Downes), and Glenn Pinto capped the scoring at 6:40 in the third (from Ker and first time sub, Kaela Martin). Again, though…the story here was Henderson, who stopped 26/26 to preserve the 3-0 win, improve his season line to .935/1.25/1 SO, and help Orange to their fourth straight win to start the season. It’s safe to say that Orange is already a lock for the playoffs, and they may well have what it takes to take down the Cup. Don Tran suffered his second loss of the season, as Gold dip to 2-2-0 heading into their bye week. Orange will look to stay perfect this Sunday against a tough, and triggered (see previous recap) Green side.
Two teams moving in opposite directions kept that inertia intact, as Captain Jon Salt’s Blue crew proved that they can spell ‘W’ without him in the lineup. It certainly helped Blue’s cause that Kyle Snyder was also elsewhere for this particular meeting, leaving Black with much less of a knack for attack. Kalen Hunter opened the scoring for Blue at 3:12 in the first (from Tim Hamon and Janine Ulloa), and closed the scoring with a solo shorty in the second, all while Nick Vacchio (16/16) was keeping the ‘lack’ in Black, and enjoying the Kalen Cruise Control™ . Don Tran (14/16) performed admirably in a pinch hit role for the ailing Jimm Reifsnyder (best to you, buddy), but he could not keep Captain Rob Gaudio’s group from slipping below the cut line at 1-3-0. The 2-0 win keeps Blue loss-free and still very much in striking distance of attic-dwelling Orange. They will look to keep pace (or pass) the only other undefeated team this Sunday in a showdown with White, while Black will look to put themselves on track before it’s too late against Old Man Linke’s 1-2-1 Red.
The nightcap was another tight tilt, with two middle-of-the-packers hoping to build points, momentum, and a (possible) tie breaker tipping result, as Captain Steve Linke’s Red brought their 1-1-1 record in to face Captain Kyle Prior’s 1-2-0 Grey. We had a Jordan Pynn sighting at 1:06 in the first, as the uber-skilled veteran blueliner converted a Dan Jurgens pass into paydirt to put Grey in front first. Actually, he put Grey in front first, and last, as that would be all the scoring that POTW and early ‘comeback player of the season’, Cory Brin would need to steal a win for his team. Brin was sensational in his return, stopping 24/24 while his team mustered just SEVEN shots the other way. Jon Cima (6/7) allowed just the Pynnpoint strike past him late in the first, but Leah Gonzales did add some icing with an empty netter with 0:26 remaining. The 2-0 win levels Grey’s record at 2-2-0, and they’ll look to make it two in a row before their bye as they take on Brown this Sunday. Red will look to bounce back in another pivotal match against a beleaguered Black in the Week Five early game.