The Week Four shuffle to Escondido was not without its challenges. The opening game between Tie Dye and Pink exposed a gaping crease (that’s what she did), perhaps painted for lacrosse purposes. Completely tangential editorial here, but lacrosse is the dumbest sport in existence. Feel free to ask me to share my lacrosse rant with you next time you see me. Anyhooo, Tie Dye struggled to steer clear of said large crease, causing some further frustration in an already frustrating season for the struggling side. Kamal Gill put Tie Dye on the board first in the first, but Glenn Pinto and Chad Goins had Pink in the lead by the close of the frame. Tiffany Fox made sure that lead would hold, securing the 2-1 win for her team with a 17/18 outing. Sean Kelly deflected 26/28, and was very Kelly-esque in keeping the game close, but no wins through four weeks of play has Captain Joe Malki’s team in a bad place, and Da Kid can’t help their anemic scoring pace (one goal per game). Pink’s prospects are much rosier, with their third straight win moving them into striking distance of the top spot in the standings at 3-1-0. Week Five opens with the 0-3-1 Tie Dye facing the 0-3-1 Purple…something’s got to give.
Speaking of the devils, it was Purple’s turn to try to turn their tempestuous tide in game two. Yes, I just broke out ‘tempestuous’…I have the best words…everyone is saying this. Carl Vankoughnett put the underdogs on top less than a minute in, but that would be just the first volley in a (prototypically Orange) back and forth battle. London Peters evened the score minutes later, Weston Nawrocki restored the lead for Purple, and Gary Peters followed in his son’s footsteps to make it 2-2. A scoreless second period ticked by before Alan Razoky finished a very pretty passing play featuring a freshly-returned Andy Strathman to give Purple their third lead of the game, but Jet Javelet knotted it for good at 3-3 less than two minutes later. Javelet and the young Peters are clearly clicking as linemates. The two each put up 1 and 2 to help Orange remain lossless, and both find themselves in striking distance of the top of the scoring table with nine points. For Purple, the three goal output more than doubled their production from the first third of the season, and while they did not manage a win, they have to take heart and hope with a non-loss result, Andy Strathman back in the lineup, and another winless team up next.
Black met White in the middle game, and the results were, well…grey. The 3-3 tie featured six different goal scorers (Ty Pereira, Jim LaGrossa, and Trevor Marsolini for Black…Kim Hernandez, Brian Sheptycki, and Eric Caligiuri for White). White scored the final two goals at 2:28 and 1:16 remaining, forcing a tie that would also keep the two teams tied in the standings with identical 2-1-1 ledgers. Sheptycki, Hernandez, and Caligiuri each collected an assist to go with their respective goals, and Captain Kayleigh Marsolini assisted on her (new-comer) brother’s first SDFHL lamp lighter. Trevor’s addition to the team was not without controversy, but this league is about fun, and about magic moments like this Marsolini milestone, as much as it is about winning and losing (at least in my humble opinion). Whatever your feelings on that matter, this was a tough, close game, and these teams will surely meet again at some point to settle things with proper win and loss outcomes.
Captain Jon Salt’s Royal Blue looked to find a way past their winless woes against Red…the only team to know nothing but winning through three weeks of play. This one was a goalie duel for the ages, with Nick Adkins looking to keep his team perfect, and Chris Tran looking for a vicarious taste of victory in a fill-in stint for the injured Alex Theis. Patrick Fusco gave Royal their first lead of the season (!) early in the second, on assists from Steve Goncalo and Wendy Enright, and as the clock spun down to the final minute of the third, it looked as though Royal was set up to pull off a massive upset. Captain Salt’s bid at an empty-netter-win-sealer hit the post from distance, and…wouldn’t you just know it…Red cashed in the other way with 0:38 left to play. Joe Nguyen evened the score at 1-1 with a heart-stomper in the waning moments to keep Red undefeated at the top of the standings, and leave Royal wishing, and wondering what happened to that win they just lost. Still, one point can make a big difference come December, and Tran was the difference maker in this one (27/28). His heroics nearly stole a game that was ultimately stolen back in the final minute of play.
The nightcap was another haves and have-nots affair, as Maroon deployed their overpowering offense against an overpowered Green team. Jerry Gonzales’ 2 and 1 and Captain Brett Cohen’s 2 and 0 provided most of the fuel for the fire in the 5-3 win, with Jon Zygelman’s 1 and 1 stoking the blaze, as needed. Josh Wirt’s first two goals of the season (!) and Captain Nick Vacchio’s team-leading third (he’s the only player on the roster other than Wirt with a goal to this point) kept things as interesting as possible in this one, but…too much Maroon. Chuck Bender notched his third win in four tries with an 8/11 effort, while Melissa Busby (7/12) continued to suffer through the woeful Green yin to her Red team’s successful yang. Keep your head up, Simma…I have always been your biggest supporter. I would never take an opportunity like this to highlight your struggles in NETS. You’re definitely not the worst goalie in the league this season…even if the numbers would indicate that….and they do. So…yeah, ignore the numbers, or try to…I can see how that might be difficult…I would have trouble ignoring them, if I were you…and focus on my encouraging words. You are a really good goalie, and a great hockey player, at any position. I really, really believe in you, even if you might (rightfully) doubt yourself. So, ignore your self doubt, and ignore those numbers (scroll to the bottom on the goalie stats page, if you’re not Melissa, and want some context for all of this), but NOT YOU, MELISSA…just ignore it all…you are AWESOME!