SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

Titans roll out 2003-04 season with big goals

By Phillip Brents
Posted Dec. 21, 2003

Could this finally be the breakout season for Eastlake High’s roller hockey team? With a 4-1 record in their opening five contests, the Titans do not appear to have done anything to refute that.

“Our strength is our experience,” said Eastlake coach Jeff Mechling. “I think we have more depth this year than in the past. We have a lot of upperclassmen with playing experience. We’re strong in goal and that’s always a key. We really want to be a strong team defensively this year.”

Eastlake opened the 2003-04 season with a 6-5 loss to perennial Metro Conference power Castle Park but has since rolled to four consecutive victories, including three by shutout margin.

The Titans used points from nine players to overpower Southwest for their first win of the season on Dec. 4, two days after the one-goal loss to the Trojans, and came back with successive 18-0 shutouts against Mesa League rival Chula Vista on Dec. 8 and Dec. 16. The string of three consecutive shutouts was a first for sophomore goaltender Dustin Tewilliager in his two-year prep career.

Seniors Scott Powers (2 goals, 4 assists), Justin Rodriguez (three goals) and Junior Briseno (2 goals, 2 assists), along with junior Emmanuel Castro (2 goals, 3 assists), sparked Eastlake in the win against Southwest. The Titans also received two goals each from senior Scott Powers and freshman Zack McElroy.

At left: Chad McElroy

Powers led Eastlake offensively with four goals and four assists in the Dec. 8 shutout against the Spartans while the McElory brothers amassed six goals and five assists between them. Chad McElroy followed Powers on the scoresheet with seven points in the game on three goals and four assists.

Powers and Chad McElroy, along with Tewilliager, are the team’s impact players this season, according to Mechling. Both Powers and McElroy have national travel team tournament experience and are both playing their fourth year on the team. Powers had eight goals and 10 assists in the team’s opening four games while McElory had four goals and four assists.

Impressively, the Titans possess eight juniors and seniors on their 12-man roster and four players with national tournament experience (Castro and Zack McElroy being the others). Both Castro and the younger McElory each had scored six goals in the team’s first three games.

“We have a veteran team now. We have a lot of upperclassmen. “We have two of the top players in the league in Chad McElroy and Scott Powers. We have an experienced team,” Mechling said. “Last year, we didn’t expect the season that Dustin had. We hope to improve on the wonderful season he had last year.”

At right: Scott Powers

Rounding out this year’s Eastlake roster are seniors Junior Briseno and Justin Rodriguez, juniors Patrick Johnson, Daniel Nafarrete and Kyle Hughes, sophomore Chris Sexton and freshman Kyle Wagner. Junior Victor Mancillas also makes his return to the team after a year's absence.

Mechling outlined three goals for the team this season:

“First, we want to keep everyone academically eligible. Second, we want to have fun. Roller hockey should be a fun sport. Third, we want to be champions.”