The puck has dropped on the CIF-Metro Conference’s 19th consecutive season of on the court play for Sweetwater Union High School District roller hockey teams.
Membership in the pioneering conference remains at 17 teams. The 10 Sweetwater district teams are divided evenly between the Mesa League and South Bay League. Seven non-district teams comprise the North County League.
The North County League got the jump in scheduling with games Nov. 26 and Nov. 28 at the Escondido Sports Center.
Due to a delay from inclement weather, the conference’s southern teams faced off the season Tuesday evening at the district’s outdoor rink at the Castle Park High School.
The opening few games have provided a tantalizing preview in a possible change in the balance of power in the conference.
In games on Tuesday, Hilltop skated past defending Mesa League champion Eastlake by a score of 7-5 while Castle Park topped Bonita Vista 10-2 in another Mesa League encounter.
Otay Ranch High School, fielding a team with just two returning players and a new head coach, recorded an 11-1 non-league win over Southwest.
Patrick Henry recorded the first upset of the season by slipping past Westview, last season’s runner-up team in the Kiwanis Cup championship playoffs in a North County League game on Nov. 26.
Scripps Ranch raced past Patrick Henry, 11-5, in a North County League game Monday at the Skate San Diego rink in El Cajon to zip out to a formidable 3-0 start to the new season.
The Falcons are scheduled to meet defending Kiwanis Cup champion Rancho Bernardo in a North County League clash this coming Monday in Escondido in an early season showdown for conference supremacy.
Rancho Bernardo faced off the 2018-19 season with a 13-3 win over Patrick Henry on Nov. 28 and an 11-0 shutout win over Escondido Charter on Monday.
Southern exposure
Bonita Vista began playing roller hockey in 1998 as a club team. The Barons are still rolling as head coach Keith Quigley enters his 21st season behind the bench.
Quigley is especially excited about this season.
“We have 15 players which is the largest team we’ve had in a while,” the veteran BVHS coach explained. “We have lots of new faces on the team with a ton of potential. We don’t have many seniors on the team this year, which is a good thing so that we can keep building. This team definitely has lots of potential to do well in our league. We just need to keep working hard in practice so that it shows in the games.”
Top returners include seniors Anna Custodio and Nicholas Stark. Top newcomers include freshmen Niklas Massarene and Alvaro Ruiz along with junior goaltender Faith Sunga.
Stark scored two goals in Tuesday’s season opener, with assists going to Massarene and Custodio.
While the Barons were able to overcome an early 2-0 Castle Park lead with Stark’s pair to tie the game with 5:04 left in the second period, the Trojans finished the game with eight consecutive goals to post their first league win of the season.
Jovan Macias paced Castle Park with four goals while teammate Jared Fuentes led all scorers on the floor with five points on three goals and two assists.
Returner Martin Mari collected two goals and two assists in the win while Juan Carlos Galindo netted the jump goal in the game for the Trojans.
Arial Briones, another returner, picked up the goaltender victory.
Roll call
This season’s Mesa League alignment includes Bonita Vista, Hilltop, Eastlake, Otay Ranch and Castle Park high schools. Eastlake is the defending league champion.
This season’s South Bay League alignment includes Chula Vista, Mar Vista, San Ysidro, Southwest and Sweetwater high schools. Chula Vista is the defending league champion.
Eastlake advanced as far as the semifinals of last season’s Kiwanis Cup championship tournament, settling for a fourth-place finish in the 12-team playoff field.
This season’s North County League roll call features Cathedral Catholic, Escondido Charter, Patrick Henry, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch and Westview high schools.
Rancho Bernardo defeated Westview in last season’s Kiwanis Cup championship game.
Clash of the Titans
If the results of Tuesday’s games are any indicator, this year’s chase for the Mesa League championship looks to be the most hotly contested in years. Hilltop fired the first shot in the war with its win over Eastlake on Tuesday.
Hilltop scored first on a breakaway by Trevor Fune but Eastlake rallied to take a 2-1 lead on goals by Luke Killeen, last year’s Sweetwater district scoring leader, and Xavier Baluis. The Lancers ended the opening period with a 2-1 lead following goals by Kirsten Lambertson and Fune.
Lambertson, the top female player on the floor, had a big impact in the game, as did Fune.
Fune scored a shorthanded goal to face off the second period to push Hilltop to a 4-2 lead. However, a pair of goals by Killeen, perhaps the best overall player on the floor, leveled the score at 4-4 by the end of the period.
Hilltop scored a pair of power play goals to open the third period — both by Fune — to take a 6-4 lead. The Lancers added another goal by Isaiah Macias to increase their lead to 7-4.
Killeen notched his fourth goal of the game with 7:21 to play to narrow the Hilltop lead to 7-5. The Titans had a chance to inch closer on the scoreboard after receiving a power play with 2:35 left. But Hilltop goaltender Jacob Lopez continued to play well through the finish to deny Eastlake the victory.
Lancer head coach Paul Tesner was obviously elated by the season opening win.
“It was breathtaking,” Tesner said. “It was a hard-fought battle. We have a lot of returners from last season. They have some skills. They’re a year older and have learned some things. If they skate hard, they should be OK. But this division will be challenging. All the teams are good, from the bottom up.”
Fune finished the game with five goals and one assist. Macias collected a goal and assist while teammate Justin Sanchez was credited with two assists.
Killeen racked up four goals and one assist to lead Eastake.
Horse power
New head coach Christian Welch may have been the most excited person on the Otay Ranch bench during the Mustangs’ season opening win.
“It was great watching this game,” Welch said. “We’re building some team chemistry. Everyone is having a great time.”
Returner Sean Devaney left his mark on the contest with three goals and eight assists.
Jordan Osborn scored two goals while six teammates each notched one goal for the Mustangs. Goaltender Andrew Salaiz had difficultly keeping his balance on skates but didn’t have too much difficulty keeping the puck out of the net.
EASTLAKE EARNS FIRST WIN OF 2018-19 CIF-METRO CONFERENCE ROLLER HOCKEY SEASON
Young Titans top Raiders, record first win of new season
The CIF-Metro Conference’s Sweetwater district teams appear to be undergoing a year of mass turnover among many of the teams.
The two-time defending Mesa League champion Eastlake Titans are not immune. The Titans dropped their league opener, 7-5, to Hilltop on Tuesday to start the 2018-19 season 0-1 in league play with a vastly different lineup from that which ended last season.
Eastlake didn’t wait too long, however, to pick up its first win by skating past the Southwest Raiders, 12-1, in a non-league game Friday (Dec. 7) at the Castle Park High School outdoor rink.
Kevin Eagles scored the game’s first six goals to give the Titans an early boost. The Raiders scored early in the second period to make the score 6-1, with the goal credited to Edward Arsman.
However, Eastlake once again picked up the momentum and finished the game with another run of six unanswered goals.
Eagles finished the contest with eight goals and one assist. Xavier Baluis collected two goals while Karla Navarrete and Mason Sedlacek each had one goal and one assist.
The Titans (1-1) used two goaltenders. Robert Hendrickson played the first two periods and allowed one goal; Shannon McCarthy played the final period, recording a shutout.
“Definitely we’re a different team from last year,” EHS head coach Richard Haislip noted following the game. “We only have a few remaining players from last year’s championship team. This team is working hard. Even though we have a number of new players who are learning how to play hockey, we’re improving every day.”
Southwest goaltender Ryan Braud continued to make his share of saves. Leilani Javier, assisted by Gabby Sanchez, scored the Raiders’ first goal of the season in Tuesday’s 11-1 non-league loss to Otay Ranch.
Southwest dropped to 0-2 with the loss, both in non-league play.
In other games Friday at the Castle Park rink:
Mar Vista defeated Chula Vista by forfeit in a South Bay League game while Sweetwater defeated San Ysidro by forfeit in a South Bay League game,
SWEETWATER DISTRICT STANDINGS
(Through Dec. 7)
Mesa League
Castle Park Trojans 1-0, 1-0
Hilltop Lancers 1-0, 1-0
Otay Ranch Mustangs 0-0, 1-0
Eastlake Titans 0-1, 1-1
Bonita Vista Barons 0-1, 0-1
South Bay League
Mar Vista Mariners 1-0, 1-0
Sweetwater Red Devils 1-0, 1-0
Southwest Raiders 0-0, 0-2
Chula Vista Spartans 0-1, 0-1
San Ysidro Cougars 0-1, 0-1
FALCONS RUSH PAST PATRIOTS, 11-5, PUSH 2018-19 SEASON OPENING ROLLER HOCKEY RECORD TO 3-0
The Scripps Ranch High School roller hockey team helped open the gate for inline scholastic teams to take the floor when they first rolled out for the inaugural 1996 campaign in the San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference.
The club-based conference has undergone several tweaks, as well as many additions and subtractions over the years, but the Falcons have remained a constant in San Diego County and, in the process, are setting a record for longevity.
This season, the team’s 18th as a member of the CIF-Metro Conference, marks the 23rd consecutive year overall that Scripps Ranch High School has fielded a roller hockey team.
That’s an impressive number that few, if any, other inline scholastic teams in the state can match.
Greg Friedman, who came on board as coach during the Falcons’ second season in the San Diego County club league, is back behind the bench for the 2018-19 campaign. He said continuity and a seemingly never-ending supply of ice hockey talent have helped keep the team rolling.
“It’s helps having skilled players rolling in,” Friedman explained. “Most of these kids play on different ice teams but they get to play with their friends on the high school team.
“Travel ice can be stressful, so playing for their high school is fun.”
Friedman said about two-thirds of the school’s roller hockey team also plays ice hockey, including several players competing at the AA and AAA levels.
The current core group of players on the Falcons also played for Friedman four years ago on the Marshall Middle School inline team.
“They were a very skilled group, they’d play a few ice tournaments and come and practice with the high school team,” the Falcons coach said.
The game plan certainly continues to work at Scripps Ranch, which became the first team in the CIF-Metro Conference this season to roll to a 3-0 start after defeating the host Patrick Henry Patriots, 11-5, in a North County League game Monday evening at the Skate San Diego rink in El Cajon.
The Falcons have ripped off 32 goals in their first three games while allowing eight. After posting a 3-1 lead in Monday’s game, the visitors stuffed the net with four goals in each of the next two periods.
Freshman brothers Ben and Jack Ivey continue to impress. Without team scoring leader Kyle Fraser in the lineup, they more than took up the slack with six goals and five assists between them.
Ben Ivey racked up six goals and one assist while Jack Ivey collected four assists.
However, they weren’t the only standouts. Joon Bae and Israel Yates each scored two goals while Cody Ayers picked up three assists. Aaron Lowry rounded out the Falcons scoring with one goal.
Matthew Voegel led the Patriots (1-2) with four goals. Team captain Matt Russell scored his team’s final goal with 20 seconds to play in the game on the team’s final rush up court. Tyler Daniel was credited with one assist.
Senior Josh Mitchell played in goal for Patrick Henry and made several nice stops; junior Taylor Cady also played well to pick up the win for Scripps Ranch.
As good as the Falcons’ start to the 2018-19 season has been, Friedman said his team will receive its biggest challenges in games next week against defending Kiwanis Cup champion Rancho Bernardo and Westview, last season’s Kiwanis Cup championship runner-up.
Scripps Ranch tangles with Rancho Bernardo on Monday, Dec. 10, and matches up with Westview on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Both games are scheduled at the Escondido Sports Center.
“We’re playing well and we’re scoring goals but we’ll see where we stand after next week,” Friedman said.
Patriot Nation
Patrick Henry head coach Chuck Russell said he likes what he’s seen from his team so far this season despite dropping its last two games by a combined score of 24-8 against what could be the best two teams in the conference.
“We started off our schedule with games against Westview, Rancho Bernardo and Scripps Ranch,” the elder Russell said. “That’s certainly tough; it makes it a challenge. But it also sets the bar for us, and the level we have to play at to be successful. It makes us work hard.
“We have experiencing growth. We’re excited to match up with these teams and play them stronger when we see them in the playoffs.”
Four players on the current Patrick Henry squad have been together since the team’s inaugural season. There has been definite growth, according to the younger Russell.
“It’s a lot stronger than that first season, there’s more kids coming in with experience, people are picking things up quickly,” Matt Russell explained. “The first year, everyone was working on basics, doing a lot of passing and skating.”
In other North County League games on Monday:
Rancho Bernardo moved its North County League record to 2-0 after recording a 12-0 shutout victory against Escondido Charter.
Ike Frankel and Niklas Thomas each had hat tricks while goaltender K.J. Luna de la Fuente stopped all 15 shots he faced.
The White Tigers dropped to 1-2 on the season.
Westview evened its season record at 1-1 after rolling past Poway, 5-3, after scoring the final three goals of the game to erase a 3-2 Titan lead.
The victorious Wolverines received two goals from Andrew Chua and single goals from Kelso Cook, Chris Ritchie and Tyler Willsill.
Poway received goals from Ben Louie, Ian McGrath and Tanner Castle.
NORTH COUNTY LEAGUE STANDINGS
(Through Dec. 3, 2018)
Scripps Ranch Falcons 3-0
Rancho Bernardo Broncos 2-0
Westview Wolverines 1-1
Escondido Charter White Tigers 1-2
Patrick Henry Patriots 1-2
Poway Titans 1-2
Cathedral Catholic Dons 0-2
Photo Gallery by Phillip Brents
