Barons edge Titans, 3-2, in showdown game for Mesa League title

By Phillip Brents
Posted Jan. 19, 2005

The Bonita Vista High School roller hockey team rolled to its this year’s Mesa League championship by defeating Eastlake, 3-2, in a game that lived up to its title billing in every aspect. A scrum along the corner boards at the final whistle attested to that.

The Barons’ come-from-behind victory put the team’s league record at 8-0-0. Eastlake, which had previously fallen 5-1 to Bonita Vista, needed a victory to gain a share this year’s title. For the longest period, it seemed as if the Titans had elevated their game high enough to accomplish that after breaking a length scoreless standoff with the game’s first goal and then later rallying from a 2-1 deficit to notch the equalizer in the final period.

But the championship ultimately belonged to the Barons, who ironically had won two postseason Kiwanis Cup tournament titles despite never having won a league title. The Mesa League championship is the first in school history for Bonita Vista, which finished third in the league standings last season behind regular season champion Scripps Ranch and runner-up Eastlake. With defending Kiwanis Cup champion Scripps Ranch moving to the new North County League this season, that left the Mesa League title up for grabs between the two eastside rivals.

"We’re excited about taking the Mesa League title so early in the season. But that’s our first step into the overall picture. We don’t want to peak just now. Our main goal is the overall picture," Baron coach Keith Quigley said.
The overall picture, of course, is the Kiwanis Cup tournament that will decide the postseason champion in the 18-team Metro Conference.

Bonita Vista, which improved to 11-0-0 following Tuesday’s 12-0 cross-league victory against Southwest, joined South Bay League champion Mar Vista (11-0-0) as an automatic playoff entrant. Eastlake, which hiked its overall record to 9-2-0 after defeating Castle Park 14-1 Tuesday, will be out to secure an at-large berth.

It is not impossible that both Bonita Vista and Eastlake could rematch in the playoffs. If such happens, the Barons will be required to defeat the Titans for a third time this season.

Chipper Castro, assisted by Casey Shotwell, gave Eastlake a 1-0 lead to snap a scoreless span that had reached into the second period. Playing on the larger concrete outdoor rink at Castle Park High School seemed to work to the Titans’ advantage in slowing down the game against the speedier and talent-deep Barons.

Eastlake’s 1-0 advantage held up until league scoring leader James Arakaki notched the tying goal as the teams skated to the second intermission in a 1-1 deadlock. Kelly Nash put the Barons up 2-1 in the third period, set up by Arakaki. The Titans then tied the game at a pair of goals apiece when Jonathan Williams beat BV goaltender Cody Mazzarella off a feed from Zack McElroy.

With the minutes counting down, it became evident the championship would be won by the next goal. Arakaki fed Nash, position near the post., for the game-winner with about five minutes remaining. Despite a furious finish, the Titans could not net the equalizer.

"Eastlake and Bonita — we play hard against each other. They came out strong. I thought we came out strong. It was 0-0 for a long time. I’m proud how our team finished off that third period," Quigley said.

The Titans had entered the game with a conference-best six shutouts but trailed the Barons in the goals scored department 151-104.

"For our team, this was the last time our guys could say that they beat Bonita. But as hard as we tried, we came up short," Eastlake coach Jeff Mechling said. "We worked hard the last two weeks preparing for this game."

"We wanted to keep our bench short to wear Bonita out. I think it showed in the third period," said Titan assistant coach Frank Lopez, who played between the pipes for Eastlake’s club team in 1998.