There are certainly no guarantees in playoff hockey, and even the best of teams can suffer an early exit. You get one retry, but after two losses, there is no going back. Orange stormed through the regular season, but the L’s caught up to them at the wrong time. Gold entered as the three seed, but now share a space in the playoff recycle bin. With number two, Black, on the verge of elimination as well, it could be a good season to be a bad seed.
You cannot stop Steve Jones, but Royal hoped to, and succeeded in containing him. The scoring machine was slowed to a one goal output–the only goal surrendered by first season standout, Jerry Russell (21/22). Mostafa Azab put Royal on the board in the first, and Vance Morra netted the game-winner minutes prior to Jones’ strike, as Royal held on to beat Black, 2-1. Royal advance to the Winners’ Bracket Final to face Light Blue on Sunday, while Black will look to bounce back and avoid elimination on the Losers’ side against Pink.
Captain Ennsmann’s White side was at half staff in Week Two…they literally had zero subs. Gold were once again without their top scorer, Kris Tosczak, but surely their remaining numbers would bear out, and they would find a way to a win and another week (or more) of playoff play. They did not, and don’t call me Shirley. The teams battled through two blank frames, when Captain Ennsmann himself broke the drought, and broke Gold’s spirit with the game-winner at 3:52 in the third. Both goalies were on their game, but Steve Testen (18/18) showed his ever-mounting mettle once again, besting Chuck Bender (18/19) to steal a win, eliminate the three seed, and push his team onward and upward in the tournament. White’s 1-0 win over Gold has them on to face a Cinderella Grey, whom Light Blue brought back from the ball in rags and a rotten pumpkin later in the evening.
Top-seeded Orange suffered a stunning loss in Week One of playoff play, but were primed to bounce back and find their winning form against Pink in Week Two. Pink found that winning form first, snatched it up, and (wisely) decided not to share it with Orange. Pink held a 2-1 lead after one period of play, with Ryan Owen and Andrew Jacobsen providing Pink bookends for Connor Miller’s marker. Miller scored again late in the second, and it was anyone’s game as a scoreless third period came to a close. Nick Vacchio volunteered for the ‘anyone’ role, scoring just 1:12 into OT to squeeze Pink past Orange, 3-2. The stunning two and out turn for Captain Shawna Hamon and Orange definitely stings, but this was a great team, and they should be proud of the season they shared. Pink will look to unleash their freshly bottled lightning against Black this Sunday. Steve Jones shooting on Sean Kelly will be something to behold, folks…don’t miss it!
Captain Jack Traughber and Grey came surfing into Week Two of playoff play having handed Orange their first loss, and still riding high on the wacky winning wave that carried them into the postseason in the first place. Waves crash, and Light Blue made shore of that (sea what I did there?<==see what I did here?!?). Captain Jon Salt is rarely lacking in confidence, and his steady scoring doesn’t hurt his team’s chances, either. Salt put the game-winner past Don Tran late in the first, and Jeff Chen added insurance late in the second. The 2-0 win for Light Blue moves them into a Winners’ Bracket showdown with fellow blue, Royal, while Grey will look to keep that glass slipper on in a loser-goes-home affair with the seven seed, White.