Captain Joe Malki’s band came out smelling like roses in Week One of playoff action, avoiding the upset fate of fellow GNR-themed team, ‘Goins ‘N’ Roses’. Jet Javelet had Green on top early in the first, and Chris Malki doubled the lead early in the second, then assisted on the game-winner seconds later, courtesy of super sub, Steph Palomo Schmidt. Rob Gaudio finally threw a counter punch for ‘Black Slappath’ later in the period, but Captain Joe Malki converted helpers from Pops and Palomo Schmidt in the waning seconds of the second to make it 4-1. Andy Strathman’s marker at the midway point in the third kept the TV audience tuned in, but Nick Meglich (13/15), and Green’s staunch defense would get the job done, and preserve the 4-2 win. Wayne Wong (12/16) suffered the loss for Black, who must rebound or retire in a Week Two matchup with a wound-licking Red. Green move on to face upstart six seeds, White, with their eyes on progressing to the Winners’ Bracket Final.
All this media hype surrounding regular season scoring leader and rookie sensation, Eric Herrmann…and then this. Captain Zach Salt let his stick heat the oven, chop the apples, make the crust, and serve a fat 5-0 piece of humble pie to Orange. Of course, it should not be all that shocking when a top seed downs a bottom seed, but this one was definitely billed as a ‘great, exciting matchup’. Captain Salt scored early in the second, then assisted on Justin Stege’s goal to make it 2-0 through one. Salt shook another into the mix in the second, then completed the hat trick early in the third. Cory Samuels rounded out the scoring for Purple, and Luke Wollmer collect four assist in the beatdown blanking. Alex Theis was Alex Theis, stopping all dozen shots he faced to keep things from getting ‘great, and exciting’, while Cory Brin (13/18) suffered the slings and arrows of a motivated one seed in the loss. Purple strut on to face Pink in…possibly a ‘great, exciting’ matchup…maybe. Meanwhile, Orange will need a return of ‘The Herrmannator’ to continue their playoff push against Grey. This may well be Captain Bill Casey’s final SDFHL game. I love that dude, but I hope it is 🙂
Our Week One ‘cover team’ made the paper for all the wrong reasons, falling to sixth-seeded White 2-0 in a tight playoff fight. Don Tran stood tall to the tune of 21/21, keeping seasoned sniper, Jon Salt, and the rest of Red’s offense frustrated from start to finish. Two scoreless periods rolled by before second rounder, Mark Ennsmann, smashed home the game-winner just over a minute into the third. Scott Wieland recorded the lone assist on that goal, and the last minute empty net insurance from Josh Wirt to seal Red’s fate. Tran earned POTW honors for his heroics, which boosted White to the only upset win of the night, and into the waiting arms of the second seed, Green. Red will look to red-eem themselves against Black, whom they trounced 5-2 in Week Eight.
Red proved that it’s hard to win an SDFHL playoff game, even with the ‘edge’, and even under the best of conditions. Grey was the underdog to Pink, but only based on the head to head tie breaker. Their season finished with a fantastic flurry, and they felt confident coming into their opening round match…until they learned that they would be missing four players, including two of their top five picks. With one sub on the bench, and with no absences at all for Pink, it was going to take a masterpiece of patience and counterpunch for Grey to survive. They didn’t. Jim LaGrossa finally broke a scoreless tie with a post-and-in snipe past Don Tran (filling in for the concert-going Chris Tran). The late second period tally felt at the time like the only goal Pink would need. It was, as the second period was quite quiet, as well, as only a super fluky Carl Vankoughnett bouncer would find twine. Sean ‘Da Kid’ Kelly (18/18) held Grey at bay, removing any doubt that the tide might turn. The 2-0 win for Pink over Grey matches the regular season Week One result for this matchup, and moves the four seed on to face a poised and potent Purple. Grey will hope for more bodies, and at least one goal as they fight for their playoff lives against Orange this Sunday.