Captain Mark Ennsmann put his team on the board late in the first, but that would be the last of the scoring for his warmish and cold side. Captain Joe Malki evened the score early in the second, assisted on Harsh Wanigaratne’s game-winner less than a minute later, and added a final nail in the coffin early in the third to lead his team to a crucial and convincing 4-1 win. Vance Morra (1 and 1) rounded out the attack for Tie Dye, Chris Malki recorded primary assists on both of his son’s goals, and Sean Kelly (16/17) finally got the support he needed when his team needed it most. A loss would have kept Tie Dye in peril going into the final two games of the night, but the win propelled them all the way (past White) to the five seed. White were safe by virtue of their Week Nine win over Pink, but their games of late have been less swim and more sink. Whatever the case, the first of three desperate Week Ten contenders had come through, and it was on to game two…
I came to praise Melissa Busby for her Week Nine heroics, but Purple came to bury her. A six pack attack surrounded the lone Green goal (Matt Hanley), as Andy Strathman struck just over a minute in, Weston Nawrocki and Carl Vankoughnett each erupted for 2 and 1, Alan Razoky went for 1 and 2, and both Michael Quadrini and Tiffany Fox collected two assists. Captain Chris Tran was sharp as ever, stopping 19/20 when not busy watching the fireworks at the other end in the 6-1 romp. Green was grateful to have booked playoff passage the week prior, with the lopsided loss meaning little beyond seeding and momentum. It was desperation, turned to inspiration, turned to domination for Captain Tran & Company, who needed a win and some help to complete an impressive rebound from an 0-4-1 start. The win had them in…as of 7:00pm. A tie or a loss for Black, who would be facing the league’s only undefeated team, and Purple could wipe the slate, and start game planning for a January opponent…
Jordan Pynn is a game-changer. He missed over half of the first eight games of the season for Black, but he stood on the court to face Red with Black standing on the brink of elimination in the final game of the final week. It was ‘win and in’ for Black, who held their fate, and the fate of the onlooking Purple players in their hands. Purple just needed the immovable object to stay put…for previously unbeaten Red to hold serve and just…not…lose. This game was incredible, folks. Black had all guns blazing from start to finish…shot after shot…chance after glorious chance. Their desire to win pulsated through every play. Were it not for Captain Nick Adkins, who was ABSOFUCKLY RIDICULOUS in nets, it might have been over halfway through. Seriously, this game should have been 6-1…maybe not even that close. Adkins dove, and shuffled, and crawled, and clawed, and snatched, and kicked and sticked away everything that came his way…everything until Jordan Pynn finally found a hole to make it 1-0 late in the first. The Purple hearts sank, but Connor Miller lifted them back on high, finishing an incredible, patient, pinpoint centering feed from Melissa Busby to knot it at 1-1. Black continued to press, but Adkins would not crack. As time wound down to the final minutes, Captain Kayleigh Marsolini was forced to indulge the rare desperation of pulling a goalie in a tie game. Less than a minute to play…draw in the Red zone to Adkin’s right…Trevor Marsonlini…:59…back to Jordan Pynn…:57…shot on the way…:56….back of the net…:55. To paraphrase The Simpsons, I have actually pinpointed the second when Purple’s heart ripped in half. Black had done it. Beaten the unbeatable…beaten the odds…beaten the clock. A 2-1 Christmas miracle win to send them to the playoffs as the six seed, and send Purple out into the bitter cold. What an incredible way to end the regular season (unless you’re Purple…then…bah, humbug)!