True Grit

Our cover team, Captain Nick Meglich’s Sand, kicked off the Week Two slate against Captain Darin Cerasuolo’s Pink, with both sides looking to improve to 2-0-0 out of the gate. Even just one game into the Wing League 2026 proceedings, Meglich & Company looked to be ‘the team to beat’, boasting perhaps the hottest/stingiest goalie (Captain Meglich, himself), and certainly the most potent offensive weapon (Alex Giummo). Add to that mix ‘role players’ (LOL) like the Trevor Vick and Andy Strathman and you have a very imposing opponent for any other team in this league. Pink’s roster has plenty of powerful personnel, as well, and this match would serve as an important early measuring stick for both sides. Giummo snapped home his fifth (!) of the season just 0:35 into the first (unassisted) to give Sand a near-instant edge, but Old Man Jon Salt would answer with his second of the season at 4:49 (Eric Willard). Giummo was at it again late in the period, but this time providing the lone assist on Trevor Vick’s second of the season with just 0:29 to go in the first third. Early period goals and late period goals are absolute killers, and while Sand’s edge going into the first break was just one, it ‘felt heavier’. Trevor Vick made it genuinely heavier with the only goal for either side in the second (8:52 from Erin Plone and Giummo), leaving Sand rather comfortable and confident going into the final period of play. Giummo’s second of the game (and fourth point) drove Sand’s advantage to three at 3:22 (Hima Joshi and Joel Gattey), putting this game all but out of reach for Captain Cerasuolo’s side. Cerasuolo did cut the lead back to two at 2:21 (Jon Salt and Chris Tran), but time would…wait…Cerasuolo again with 0:51 to play (Salt and Tran) to cut the lead back to one! Pink’s late game heroics would come up just short, though, as Captain Meglich (20/23) and Sand would hold on for the 4-3 win. Chuck Bender (26/30) was rather heroic in his own right, but when you’re facing the league’s top sniper, you need your A+ game, a few lucky charms, and a maybe a rare Giummo miss or two to survive.

It was a little early for Mardi Gras, but Purple and Gold were on parade next on the Week Two schedule. Captain Nick Vacchio’s crew caught winning beads in a rather stunning 3-0 win over Red in their opener, while Captain Will Heinl’s Purple came in looking for their first win after serving as Sand’s first victim in their opener. Vegas had nearly dead even odds on this one, with perhaps the biggest question being whether or not John Kushneryk would post back-to-back game-stealing performances in nets for Gold. Justin Hepler wrote the first word in response to that question just 1:00 in, notching his second of the season to put Purple on the front foot (Gary Peters). Luke Wolmer produced a rebuttal for Gold at 6:52 (Hima Joshi and Steve Linke), sending both teams to the first break on even footing. Gold righted their offensive ship in the second (after being outshot 7-2 in the first), with goals from Steve Pugliese at 5:53 (Bryan Fisher), and Luke Wolmer at 4:49 (Hima Joshi) putting Captain Vacchio’s crew in control with half a game to play. The assist on Pugliese’s goal was the first career SDFHL point for Byran Fisher…CONGRATULATIONS! Gary Peters cut the lead back to one with his first of the season at 1:14 in the second (Jon Zygelman), leaving both teams in reach of a win heading into the second break. Purple REALLY pushed the pace in the third, outshooting Gold 14-2 (!), but Kushneryk neutralized threat after threat…until Hepler finally made a threat count to tie the game with 2:01 to play. Two minutes worth of ticks on the clock…anyone’s game…Purple’s game…Ty Pereira with 0:56 to play (Sadie Hellstrom & Hepler) to lift Purple to their first lead of the game with their third straight unanswered goal. Captain Heinl (9/12) and his mates would hold on for the 4-3 win, finally proving that math sometimes actually maths in a dominant 28-12 shot count push past would-be-back-to-back-game-stealer, John Kushneryk (24/28) and Gold.

Most league pundits (the ones I spoke with, anyway) considered Captain Josh Wirt’s Red to be among the stronger looking teams in the league on paper coming out of the draft…certainly a team capable of putting plenty of points on the board, and certainly a team with solid goaltending…perhaps not the best defense, but overall a sure-fire playoff team and Cup contender. If you read the previous update, you know that John Kushneryk spoiled Red’s debut with a 22/22 sparkler, but surely Red would bounce back in their second run. The bad news for Wirt & Company…that second run would come against Captain Kalen Hunter’s also-very-good-on-paper Black. With both Hunters, the speedy Austin Szymanski, and SDFHL goalie legend, Sean Kelly, all back in the lineup for Black, that Red bounce back would not come easily. The first period saw Black hold a 10-5 edge in shots, but only one shot found twine, Captain Kalen’s first of the season, unassisted at 1:10. It was another late period goal, this time courtesy of John Kushneryk (this guy is now officially in Red’s nightmares), camping backdoor and finishing a nifty tic-tac-toe series from Mark DeGraffenreid and super sub, Janice Darlington. Red finally managed to win the shot battle in the third (9-5), and Steve Goncalo FINALLY ended Red’s early season scoring drought at 5:28 (Chris Malki) to cut the lead to one and set up a heated fight to the finish. Time steadily became Red’s enemy, and an unselfish Captain Kalen dropped a pass to DeGraffenreid, who flipped it into the empty net to seal the 3-1 win with 0:17 to play (Pat Gladstone with the second apple). The goalie duel was as delightful as anyone might have hoped, with Kelly (17/18) out-saving Don Tran (19/21) by the slimmest of margins to keep Black undefeated at 2-0-0. Red’s 0-2-0 start is certainly shocking, and the schedule has done them dirty in throwing Sand in their faces in Week Three. There are no ‘do or die’ games this early in the season, but if Captain Wirt’s group can manage a win over the early season favorites, it will go a LONG way to improving their morale/playoff outlook.

Both Captain Ryan Karns’ Green and Captain Owen Perks’ Blue dropped their season opener, and both hoped to avoid a repeat defeat that would leave them in cut line country to start their Wing 2026 campaign. Captain Perks was out of the lineup in Week One, while Captain Karns was not only present, but potent for Green with two goals in their 6-4 loss to Teal. Perks’ return would certainly be cause for concern for Karns & Kompany, but it was Green on the board first in the personage of Jackson Tomaszewski at 8:17, then second off Carl Vankoughnett’s blade at 3:27. A scoreless second passed with just seven combined shots for both sides, and the two period totals sitting at just 9-5 in Blue’s favor. Blue held a slim 6-5 advantage in shots in the third period, and Dorothy Kline finally made one of them count, cutting Green’s lead to one with ANOTHER unassisted goal with 0:58 to play. Two late penalties (Dan Jurgens for roughing at 0:36, and Mark Daquipa for tripping at 0:05) took any wind out of the comeback sails for Perks’ Posse, as Matt Henderson (14/15) and Green would hold on for the 2-1 win. Mason Holcomb (8/10) absorbed his second loss to start the season, and he will (obviously) need more goal support to avoid more of these tough, one-goal losses as the season wears on. So…Green even their record at 1-1-0, moving into a mid-standings four pack of teams, while Blue sink to 0-2-0. Captain Copp’s Teal proved last season that a rough start (0-4-0, in their case) is far from a death sentence, but Blue will certainly have some extra motivation to find their winning form against Purple this Sunday. Green will look to make it two in a row against fellow 1-1-0 side, Pink.

The nightcap was a chance at redemption for Captain Brennen Abel’s 0-1-0 White, and a chance to remain in the early season lead pack for Captain William Teglia’s 1-0-0 Teal. Both teams proved they could score and both proved vulnerable to goals against as part of the two highest scoring Week One tilts (Teal over Green 6-4, and Black over White 5-3), and this game felt likely to hinge on which did less of the latter as opposed to more of the former. In other words, goaltending would be key, and with Mason Holcomb stepping in to fill Jon Cima’s role, Teal appeared to have the edge in that department. It was White that would strike first, however, with Captain Abel potting his second of the season at 5:20 (Leah Gonzales & Jim LaGrossa) to give his team their first lead of the season. Chris Fiore had the unassisted answer for Teal at 1:10 in the first, sending the teams into the break in a 1-1 tie. The second period was (almost) all Teal, with Captain Teglia notching his third of the season at 7:37 (Mostafa Azab & Steph Palomo Schmidt), then Gordon Schmidt making it 3-1 with his first of the season at 5:36 (Fiore & Chad Goins). Captain Abel cut the lead back to one at 0:52 (Zach Siemer), and SURELY this one would go to the second break with Teal holding just a slim 3-2 lead. Nope…Kyle Snyder’s solo strike at 0:35 restored Teal’s two goal edge, and Captain Teglia’s second of the game made it 5-2 with 0:12 to play in the middle period (Snyder & Palomo Schmidt). Late period goals are one thing, but TWO in the last 0:35 of the second is an absolute dagger. Neither Holcomb (14/16), nor Gabe Davenport (14/19) would allow any further scoring in the third, leaving Teal the 5-2 winners and White left looking for answers. Able & Company will need to pull the nose of the plane up sooner than later, and Captain Vacchio’s 1-1-0 Gold represents their next chance to do just that. Meanwhile, Teal will look to remain perfect on the season in a Week Three showdown with fellow 2-0-0’s, Black.