SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

Mar Vista skaters seek return to top shelf

By Phillip Brents
Posted Jan. 25, 2006

All eyes likely will be on the court for next Wednesday’s climactic showdown between Otay Ranch and Mar Vista for this year’s South Bay League title. Game time for the Feb. 1 encounter is 4:30 p.m. at Skate San Diego in National City. A win by Otay Ranch will go a long way in the Mustangs’ quest to wrestle the championship banner from Mar Vista, which needs a victory in the third meeting of the season between the high-octane teams to earn a co-championship.

The Mustangs captured the opener in the series by a 6-4 score prior to the winter break, with Otay Ranch fending off an inspired Mariner club in the teams’ most recent 6-6 deadlock. If Mar Vista players can reproduce the effort in the latter contest, which proved to be the most entertaining of the season, then the outcome as to which team will raise this season’s championship banner could be left in doubt until the final seconds.

“We need to get our less experienced players involved more to help out our more experienced players,” Mariners team scoring leader Ian Nicklen said.

Nicklen and cousin Jeremy Tanaka, both juniors, comprise one of the CIF/Metro Conference’s most potent scoring tandems. Nicklen (36 goals, 13 assists) and Tanaka (22 goals, 27 assists) ranked in a tie for second place in conference scoring with 49 points. Tanaka rarely left the floor in Mar Vista’s second encounter with Otay Ranch, earning the team’s “Player of the Game” award en route to scoring a first-period hat trick.

The Mariners are currently riding the crest of success in their six-year existence. Last season, Mar Vista finished 15-3-2 overall, 8-0-0 in league play, to earn the fourth seed in the Kiwanis Cup championship playoffs. After Tuesday’s 17-0 victory against Castle Park, the Mariners’ record in 2005-06 stood at 8-4-1, 4-1-1 in league play.

Mar Vista’s top line of Nicklen, Tanaka, Mike Ellison and Marcos Rodriguez (also related to Nicklen and Tanaka) expects to see the lion’s share of action in the rematch against the Mustangs. But the success of the team’s other combinations could eventually spell which team emerges with the title. Adrian Avalos, Trevin Touvenin, Devin Felkner and Nick Fox rate among the team’s other standout skaters.

Bracing the team between the pipes is junior Mike Gisi, who has become very adept at deflecting pucks out of harm’s way over the past three seasons. He admits amazement at the chemistry between Nicklen and Tanaka.

“When Jeremy and Ian get in the zone, they find each other and seem to make the passes to get open and find the man for that easy goal,” Gisi said.

Rodriguez and Ellison each have risen improved to play important roles on this season’s squad.

Head coach Ron Cole has dutifully watched the team’s progression from also-rans to champions and would like to see the team continue its success, but admits there have been more challenges this season with the loss of key players to graduation as well as Otay Ranch’s rise to prominence.

“The key is to get this team playing together as a team,” he said. “If we can do that, we’ll be successful.”

Playing with intensity will not hurt, either.

"Next Wednesday's game is going to be the game of the year," Cole said succinctly.

Notepad
Since the teams’ 6-6 draw on Jan. 10, the significance of the final rematch against Mar Vista apparently not been lost on Otay Ranch, which has crushed its last four opponents by a collective 53-1 score. The Mustangs (11-1-1, 5-0-1) put together a relentless game to down La Jolla Country Day, 7-1, on Tuesday behind two goals each from Ricky Gutierrez and Matt Nafarrete.