By Phillip Brents

Photo by Sam McQueen

CHULA VISTA, Jan. 27, 2005 -- Hilltop High roller hockey coach Dan Vaccaro liked the odds in his team’s non-league game against previously undefeated Bonita Vista. Intimidated by the Barons’ 13-0-0 record? Try more like inspired.

"I told the kids that Bonita had played the night before against Mar Vista (in a battle of 12-0-0 teams) and would likely be tired. They also might still be a little high off their victory. Plus we were playing them on a slower surface at the rink at Castle Park High School," Vaccaro said.

It all added up to what no other Metro Conference team had been able to accomplish in 14 games: Hilltop 6, Bonita Vista 5.

"There were two minutes left in the game and it was tied 5-5. Bonita had never been in that position all season. I told the guys to just keep playing hard and see what happens. With a minute to go, we scored. But I held my breath until the last seconds," Vaccaro said with a sigh of relief evident in his voice.

Brian Mark scored the game-winning goal with 40 seconds to play in regulation. Cory Garvin was credited with three goals and one assist in the game while Mark had two goals and one assist. Freshman Austin McDonald had one goal and one assist for Hilltop, which trailed 3-2 at the end of the first period and 4-3 at the end of the second period.

The Barons went ahead 5-3 with two minutes gone in the final period but the Lancers, who improved to 8-5-1, scored three unanswered goals to close out the game, drawing to within a goal with 10 minutes to play and notching the equalizer with 1:50 left.

Players rushed to midcourt to celebrate after the upset win.

"They gave 100 percent. They wanted to win," Vaccaro said of his team’s victorious effort.

James Arakaki was credited with scoring all five of the Barons’ goals. A key was keeping Kelly Nash off the score sheet, according to Vaccaro. Arakaki and Nash had entered the game with nearly 80 goals and more than 120 points between them.

Also, the Barons were without the services of regular starting goaltender Cody Mazzarella (the conference leader in lowest goaltending average) due to ice hockey commitments. 

"We didn’t play that well and they came out hard. I give them credit," Bonita Vista coach Keith Quigley said.
The Lancers, meanwhile, have attacked the season by committee in terms of scoring with six players having notched 10 or more goals and none significantly higher in the standings than the other.  "We don’t have that one lightning rod player that some teams have but that’s fine. That sometimes makes you play as a team," Vaccaro said.   

The 13-0-0 start remains a school record for Bonita Vista, which finished as this year’s Mesa League champions.