SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

2004 San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference

Escondido Cougars answer coach’s rallying cry

By Phillip Brents

Two seasons ago, the Escondido Cougars finished 2-8-1 and well out of the San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference playoffs.

But coach Al Schoffstall knew what he had in store for the future. Last season, Escondido skated to a turnaround 8-4-1 campaign that saw the team come within a goal of advancing to the playoff semifinals.

Seeded fifth in the 2003 playoff tournament, Escondido held a 5-0 lead midway through the second period of its quarterfinal-round game against third-seeded Monte Vista before the Monarchs, riding the momentum of an inspired comeback, tied the game with 35 seconds to play in regulation time and then emerged with a dramatic 7-6 victory on a short-handed goal 43 seconds into overtime.

Schoffstall complimented the winners, then turned to positive reinforcement. The Cougars were losing just one player from that 2002-03 squad. Better days appeared to be in the making.

"Maybe next year it will be our turn," he said.

The 2003-04 Cougars appeared to make that statement a rallying cry.

Escondido finished 8-1-1 in Inland League competition this season to earn the second seed in the conference’s 12-team playoff field. The Cougars ranked in a tie for second in the 18-team conference for total wins, third in total points (17) and goals scored (64) and fourth in goals allowed (35).

Everything came to a climax on March 3 when the Cougars defeated top-seeded Poway, 2-0, to skate off the Escondido Sports Center court with the conference playoff championship.

Schoffstall’s words proved prophetic.

Standouts on the 2002-03 Cougars squad included forwards Ryan Engstrom and Mat Schreyer, defensemen Nate DeWint and Keven Johnson and goaltender Colin Reischl. Engstrom, DeWint and Reischl were all sophomores while Johnson was a junior. Schreyer was the lone senior.

Escondido (11-1-1) started the 2003-04 playoffs with a 5-2 victory against seventh-seeded San Pasqual (6-5-1) and up-ended third-seeded Westview (9-1-2) in the semifinals.

Poway turned in one of the top performances in the nine-year history of the club-league with its undefeated 9-0-1 regular season finish and one-standing point finish ahead of equally prolific Westview in the North League standings. Poway topped the conference with 71 goals scored and nine goals allowed (for a conference-best +62 goal-differential).

The accolades did not end there. Poway promptly defeated eighth-seeded La Costa Canyon (6-6-0) in the quarterfinals by an 8-1 score and fourth-seeded West Hills (the Southeastern League champions) in the semifinals by a 9-0 score.

In advancing to the semifinals, West Hills (8-4-0) defeated fifth-seeded Vista (9-3-0) by an 8-7 score in the quarterfinals while Westview edged sixth-seeded Torrey Pines (8-4-0) by a 4-3 score in overtime in the same round.

Vista, which finished second to Escondido in the Inland League standings, jumped-started the playoffs with a 9-2 first-round victory against 12^th-seeded Grossmont (4-7-0) while Torrey Pines defeated 11th-seeded Carlsbad (4-7-0) by a 5-1 score.

In other first-round pairings, La Costa Canyon, runner-up in the Southeastern League, skated past ninth-seeded Calvin Christian (5-6-0) in an 8-6 high scoring affair while San Pasqual topped 10^th-seeded Rancho Bernardo (4-6-1) by an 8-2 score.

Westview ranked second in the conference in total points (18) and least goals allowed (23) while ranking in a tie for fourth with 62 goals scored.

Vista’s – last season’s runner-up team – ranked second in the conference with 67 goals scored and third overall with 27 goals allowed to post the second-best goal-differential at +40.

West Hills outscored its opponents 62-42 to finish with a +20 goal-differential (fifth best in the conference).

There was one last hurrah for two-time champion Rancho Bernardo, which earned the next-to-last opening in this year’s playoff field after finishing behind Poway, Westview, Torrey Pines and San Pasqual in the North League standings. However, the rebuilding Broncos, who ranked fifth overall in team defense in fewest goals allowed (40) but tied for 14th in the conference in goals scored (27), ended their season with a six-goal loss in the first round of the playoffs.

Non-playoff qualifiers included the Mt. Carmel Sundevils (3-6-1), Saint Augustine Saints (3-6-1), San Marcos Knights (3-7-0), San Dieguito Mustangs (2-8-0), Point Loma Pointers (1-9-0) and Mission Bay Buccaneers (0-10-0).

All-Star Game

The South Bay League defeated the Mesa League in the inaugural CIF/Metro Conference Senior All-Star Game played March 4 at Skate San Diego in National City.

The winning South Bay League All-Star roster included Donny McGraw, Richard Garcia and Everett Hinojosa, all from league champion Castle Park; Erick Morgan and Andy Diaz from Hilltop; Cameron Cerone and Jacob Glover from La Jolla; Mar Vista’s Tony Arciga and La Jolla Country Day’s Ben Bartlett.

The Mesa League All-Star roster included Zach Walters, David Welch and Brandon George, all from league champion Scripps Ranch; Scott Powers and Chad McElroy from Eastlake; Josh Royal and Bobby Palma from Montgomery; Willie Wiser and Bryan Flitcraft from Chula Vista; Bonita Vista’s Chi Hom and Sweetwater’s Marvey Ferrer.

Players were presented with embroidered jerseys they were allowed to keep.

"It was really done well," Hilltop coach Dan Vaccaro said.

Prior to the championship playoffs, won by Scripps Ranch, the CIF/Metro Conference announced its all-league teams.

First Team All-Metro selections included Bonita Vista junior forward James Arakaki, Castle Park senior forward Donny McGraw, Scripps Ranch forward Dan Comrie, Castle Park senior defender Richard Garcia, Eastlake senior defender Scott Powers, Hilltop senior defender Andy Diaz and Scripps Ranch senior goaltender Brandon George.

Second Team All-Metro selections included Hilltop senior forward Erick Morgan, Sweetwater senior forward Marvey Ferrer, Mar Vista junior forward Trevor Stutzman, La Jolla senior defender Cameron Cerone, Scripps Ranch senior defender Zach Walters, Mar Vista freshman defender Ian Nicklen and Eastlake sophomore goaltender Dustin Tewilliager.

Scripps Ranch’s Comrie was named the 2003-04 CIF/Metro Conference Player of the Year. He tallied four goals and one assist in the Falcons’ 8-4 Kiwanis Cup championship game victory against Eastlake.