Bad breaks are a part of life, and certainly a part of sports. Captain Wendy Enright came into the season with a bad break waiting to happen, with goaltender Cory Brin’s health questionable (at best). When it became clear that Brin was a no-go, Zach Siemer was brought on to permanently patch that roster hole. Siemer was great, and Olive went on a hot streak that ultimately landed them a four seed in the playoffs. Meanwhile, one of their top picks in London Peters had reinjured his recently-surgically-repaired knee just as that hot streak was getting started, and with the word coming through that he would need more surgery just before the playoffs began…enter, Patrick Walker. Walker played just one game with the team (a playoff loss to Purple), before reinjuring himself. So, hobbled, but hopeful, Captain Enright’s crew sought to defy the roadblocks continually placed in their path, and overcome against eighth-seeded Aqua. It was the captain herself (with assists to Gary Peters and Tomáš Jankovic) putting Olive out front in the first, tucking home a rebound in one of many (MANY) frantic crease scrambles in front of Chris Tran throughout this one. David Schlatter brought Aqua back level forty seconds later, but a crazy deflection own-goal (credited to Erin Dowrey, with assist to Josh Tran) put Olive back up one through one. Marc Lapointe had a questionable goal disallowed, but then cashed in one that counted to even the score again (from Captain Palomo Schmidt and Brian Sheptycki), but it was Dowrey again restoring the lead (this time a non-own-goal, with help from Will Heinl). The third period was all Schlatter, as Aqua’s superstar put two solo efforts past Siemer (20/24) to tie the score, then give Aqua their first lead, then pad that lead with two empty-netters, for good measure. If you’re scoring at home, that’s five Schlatter goals in a 6-3 final, Aqua eliminates Olive. Chris Tran (26/29) was harried from start to finish, as Aqua just could not find a way to clear their zone, but he held the fort, and Aqua hold on to move on to face a charged up Charcoal in Week Three. In a fun little twist, Tran is a member of both teams. He will be suited up and playing out for Charcoal, but does so in a unique no win/no loss situation. Congratulations to Olive on an amazing season of overcoming, and best wishes to Erin Dowrey, who is moving on to bigger and better things in DC. Erin, you are a class act, and will be missed!
The second game on the slate was an ‘upset’, by virtue of seeding, but the lead up to this game shows that it probably played out as you would have expected. Captain Leah Gonzales and her sixth-seeded Maroon got smacked around 5-1 in their playoff opener against number three Blue, while White nearly pulled off the biggest Week One coup, falling 1-0 to number two Charcoal. Still, attendance issues can often throw a wrench in expectations, and the word on the street was that both Steve Linke (extreme old age), and Phil Nguyen (lingering concussion symptoms) might be on the shelf for White in this one. Not only were both present and accounted for, but a tried and true difference maker made his first ‘real’ appearance of the season, as well. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the league Mr. Jimothy LaGrossa! A perennial top ten scorer, LaGrossa came into the playoffs having recorded zero goals, and just two assists in eight games. It was the ‘new hotness’ who kicked off the scoring for White, though, as Brennan Abel provided a solo penalty kill punch, but four of the remaining five White goals came courtesy of the Ghost Of LaGrossa Past. His first tally came in the first (from Andrew Wong and Vance Morra), with Captain Maureen Ruchhoeft padding her team’s lead with just three ticks left in the period (from Abel). It was LaGrossa again in the second to make it 4-0 (from Abel and Linke), then (*sad trombone*) the lonely Maroon response from Chris Malki (from John Boddy) to close out the second with White in front 4-1. Without son Joe in the lineup (speaking of attendance wrenches), Chris and crew would put nothing more past Chuck Bender (16/17). LaGrossa double-dipped in the third, with the first coming from Abel and Ruchhoeft, and the second a solo effort to close out a big game for Big Jim, and a big win for White, 6-1 over Maroon. Captain Gonzales group become the second playoff casualty with the loss, while White hope for more LaGrossa heroics against a tough Purple side this Sunday.
As the evening shifted to the top seed tilts, the winds of parity blew in out of the east, sweeping tension and apprehension across the strained faces of determined competitors, glistening with the dew of effort, and evincing the effort to do whatever it takes to win (how’s that for ‘poetry in motion’, kids?). First up was the #2 Charcoal versus #3 Royal Blue, which lived up to the billing as a surefire epic between two high-powered teams. Royal Blue carried the swagger of a 3-1 regular season win over Charcoal with them into the rematch, but it was Charcoal on the board first, with Mark Ennsmann converting a Kalen Hunter pass into pay dirt. I am having a bit of trouble reading the second assist on this goal…maybe….Martha Buzzard? Megan Busper? I’ll move on…no one really cares about second assists, anyway. It was (who else) Eric Herrmann who would provide the response from Royal Blue in the second (from Nik Thompson), and the rest of regulation belonged to Charcoal’s Don Tran and Royal Blue’s Nick Meglich. Neither goalie would budge, and an OT period was also a blank for both sides. The first shootout of the Winter 2023 playoffs was truly one for the ages. When Kalen Hunter tucked his leadoff attempt past Meglich, it (must have) seemed likely that Charcoal’s time to shine had come. Spoiler alert…that would be the only conversion that ‘Magic’ would allow! Carl Vankoughnett gave his team life with a third round green dot, and it was a vast sea of red x’s on both sides thereafter. Finally, in the TWELFTH round, Nik Thompson lit the lamp, and lifted his team on to the Winners’ Bracket Final. Obviously, a huge round of applause and many, many pats on the back were in order for both goalies in 2-1 shootout win for Royal Blue, but Meglich’s efforts were (by all accounts) legendary. He stopped 15/16 in regulation/OT, then 11/12 in the shootout against a murderer’s row of shifty snipers. Don Tran (19/20 + 10/12) was certainly no slouch, but this is just one of those ‘SOMEBODY has to lose’ situations, and it was Tran’s turn this time around. Royal Blue now move from facing the second seed to the first, as they will square off against Silver this Sunday with a berth in the Final at stake. Charcoal will look to regroup, and avenge a 4-2 regular season loss to bottom-seeded Aqua.
Salt v Salt…the sibling rivalry that begs the question…can’t they just both lose, somehow? No…they can’t…they have been on separate teams since a failed experiment back in Zach’s first season. So, one of these two has to win, but…that means one also loses! It’s an emotional rollercoaster for me just considering the outcomes of anther Salt shakeup, but…consider the outcomes we must. A scoreless first saw Silver’s last line of defense the busier of the two tenders, as Purple brought an all out attack out of the gate, racking up eleven shots to Silver’s three. It was more or less more of the same in the second, with Purple pouring in another twelve to Silver’s seven, but one of those seven found a home in the netting behind Patrick Theis. It was the younger Salt doing the damage, with the insult to injury being that it was a short-handed strike (from Arnold Gonzales). It was not only a SHG, but it was a GWG…that’s right…the only goal of the game, and the only goal that presumptive league MVP Silas Perks (28/28) would need…the man is on another level. Patrick Theis (12/13) was saddled with the loss, but it was more Perks’ win than Purple’s loss…let’s be honest. The 1-0 end-around has top-seeded Silver right where the math has told us they belong, in the Winners’ Bracket Final against Royal Blue this Sunday, with a ticket to the Final in the balance. Purple have to feel proud of their effort, but equally purple-xed by what they could have done better in this one. They will have to regroup and exorcise their offensive demons in the Losers’ Bracket battle dome, starting with a rematch with White, whom they boat raced 6-1 back in Week Eleven. So, the league can rejoice in knowing that Week Three of the playoffs finds us all with the ability to once again root against both of the Salt Boys™….huzzah!