SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

2005 Kiwanis Cup/Metro Conference Championships

Will Kiwanis Cup final be all-North County League affair?

Phillip Brents
Updated Feb. 17, 2005

With North County teams owning a decidedly lopsided 38-8-2 record (.796 winning percentage) in inter-league games, one might ask the obvious question: will the Kiwanis Cup championship game be an all-North County affair?

At the conclusion of the 48-game series pitting South County and North County teams, only Mesa League champion Bonita Vista, South Bay League champion Mar Vista, Mesa League runner-up Eastlake, South Bay League runner-up Otay Ranch and Hilltop (third place in the South Bay league) had managed to record victories against teams from the North County League.

South County teams will have little time to cry about the disparity in play on the floor as the Kiwanis Cup playoffs, officially christened as the Metro Conference's championship playoff tournament, opens on Monday, Feb. 21. Any games featuring a South County team will be played at Skate San Diego in National City. All-North County League matchups will be played at the Escondido Sports Center.

Monday’s games at Skate San Diego will face-off with a tentative 4:30 p.m. start.

Twelve teams qualify for the playoffs, with seven of the eight North County League teams expected to draw into the tournament and five of the 10 teams from the Mesa League and South Bay League.

North County League champion Poway is expected to receive the top seed with North County League runner-up and defending Kiwanis Cup champion Scripps Ranch receiving the second seed. Mesa League champion Bonita Vista and South Bay League champion Mar Vista will round out the top four-seeded teams that will enter the playoff tournament in Thursday’s quarterfinal round (the top four seeds will receive a bye in Monday’s opening round).

The semifinals are scheduled Feb. 28, with the championship game set for March 2.

Bonita Vista, which concluded regular season play on Wednesday with a 5-2 victory against La Jolla Country Day, enters the postseason tournament with a 17-2-1 overall record, 4-1-1 in inter-league play.

"We all know who the top teams are. I feel it’s open to any of them — or even a surprise team," Baron head coach Keith Quigley said. "In the playoffs, it's going to be the teams that are puck hungry. The intensity will be extremely high. The team that will take it will be the hungriest. I can tell you this, it’s going to be fun."

Mar Vista, meanwhile, took a 1-1-1 inter-league record into Thursday's regular season finale against Scripps Ranch, losing 9-2. The Mariners, who tied Westview 6-6 in their inter-league opener, are 14-1-1 in games against South County teams.

Poway (18-2-0) defeated Scripps Ranch (17-2-1) by a score of 6-3 in Monday’s North County League championship game. The Titans defeated Chula Vista, 23-0 in Thursday’s inter-league finale having outscored South County opponents 86-5 in six matchups.

Bonita Vista, however, accomplished what no other team in the conference had been able to do since the first game of the season: hand Poway a loss. The Barons also had been the only South County team entering Thursday’s regular season finales to post more than one victory against a North County League team. Eastlake and Otay Ranch also owned one inter-league win apiece, albeit against the San Diego Jewish Academy, the weakest team from the North County League.

Westview (13-5-2) could be that surprise team Quigley spoke of after falling, 4-3, begrudgingly so, to the Barons on Tuesday.

"I think there are some rivalries starting to develop between the South County and North County teams," Mar Vista coach Ron Cole said.

Well, even if it appears one-sided at the present time.

Playoff team capsule previews follow with seeding:

#`1 Poway Titans
North County League: 13-1-0, first place.
Inter-league: 5-1-0.

Overall record: 18-2-0.
Preview: All the statistics seem to indicate that the Titans are the best team in the conference at the present time despite a 5-4 loss to Mesa League champion Bonita Vista on Feb. 8. Poway defeated defending Kiwanis Cup champion Scripps Ranch in the North County League championship game that left even the Falcons impressed. The six goals were the most allowed by the usually defensively sound Scripps Ranch in one game this season. The Titans, who had reeled off an unbeaten 14-0-0 run prior to the loss to Bonita Vista, took control early with a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by Kevin Ingram and later broke a 2-2 standoff on a goal by Matt Pecenco with just 2:50 left in the second period. Stephen Lockwood and Trevor Cochran added quick goals to start the third period for a 5-2 advantage. Lockwood leads Poway in overall scoring with 34 goals and 25 assists. The team’s top scorers in inter-league games include Ingram, Lockwood, Cochran, Pecenco, Seth Gritton, Adam Gould, Josh Higson, Danny Barnes, Isaiah Hupp and Chris Von Holle.
Offensive rank: 10.3 goals per game (#2 conference).
Defensive rank: 1.5 goals per game (#1 conference).

#2 Scripps Ranch Falcons
North County League: 11-2-1, second place.
Inter-league: 6-0-0.

Overall record: 17-2-1.
Preview: The Falcons, who have made three consecutive appearances in the Kiwanis Cup championship game, have the ability to play both with power and finesse, changing the tempo of games seemingly at will. Depth, talent, speed and skill make them a difficult team to defend against. Offensive leaders include sophomore forwards Ryan Knight and Matt Comrie. Junior captain Andrew Reinhold has been the defensive bulwark in front of goaltender Drew Yamada. The impact newcomer is speedy but pint-size freshman C.J. Ruhwedel who has shown a knack for getting past opposing defenses. Scripps Ranch has defeated Bonita Vista, Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Eastlake and Hilltop heading into its final regular season game against South Bay League champion Mar Vista game but has yet to figure out how to beat Poway in absorbing a pair of losses to the Titans this season. Assuming the Kiwanis Cup final is a rematch of the North County League championship game, can Poway defeat Scripps Ranch three times in one season? Good question.
Offensive rank: 9.2 goals per game (#6 conference).
Defensive rank: 2.2 goals per game (#2 conference).

#3 Bonita Vista Barons
Mesa League: 8-0-0, first place.
Inter-league: 4-1-1.

Overall record: 17-2-1.
Preview: Bonita Vista won first two Kiwanis Cup tournament championships and has advanced to the semifinals the past two years. The Barons’ biggest advantage is being able to play a system. That system is keyed by top Mesa League scorers James Arakaki and Kelly Nash, both superstars in their own right. Clearly the conference’s most amazing player, Nash has the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. She has continually scored big goals in big games for Bonita Vista throughout the season. Her second goal in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory against Westview stood up as the game-winner after the Barons had squandered a 3-0 lead. With Arakaki and Nash to contend with, opponents may sometimes forget about Blake Tanner, Brent Nash and Eric Enciso who have combined for more than 75 goals. While Arakaki and Nash, who have more than 100 goals between them, did the damage early in a 5-4 victory against No. 1-ranked Poway on Feb. 8, it was Enciso who had the game-winner. When the Baron defense has faltered, standout goaltender Cody Mazzarella has been there to stick his finger in the dike.
Offensive rank: 10.5 goals per game (#1 conference).
Defensive rank: 2.3 goals per game (#3 conference).

#4 Mar Vista Mariners
South Bay League: 8-0-0, first place.
Inter-league: 1-2-1.

Overall record: 15-3-2.
Preview: Ron Cole would like to think his team did not peak at midseason and still has some very promising games ahead of it. Rancho Bernardo handed the Mariners a 7-3 inter-league loss but the Imperial Beach squad played more competitively than the score might indicate. Mar Vista rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie Westview 6-6 in what Cole described as the most exciting game he had ever seen played at the Skate San Diego rink. The Mariners notched the game-tying goal with 40 seconds to play. Cousins Ian Nicklen and Jeremy Tanaka lead Mar Vista offensively with more than 95 goals and have consummate field general Trevor Stutzman and Adrian Avalos for back-up support. Goaltender Mike Gisi has proven he can stand up to the challenge but playing consistent hockey will be the key for Mar Vista. The Mariners have size and speed and could be troublesome for opponents if they can get their high-energy game in gear. Mar Vista will clearly have to pick up its game if it wants to avoid a repeat of a regular season ending 9-2 loss to Scripps Ranch.
Offensive rank: 9.0 goals per game (#8 conference).
Defensive rank: 2.6 goals per game (#4 conference).

#5 Vista Panthers
North County League: 9-4-1, third place (tie).
Inter-league: 5-0-1.

Overall record: 14-4-2.
Preview: Vista was the best team in the conference to start the season, defeating current No. 1 Poway, 5-2. However, injuries and ineligibilities have since dulled the Panthers’ claws somewhat. Still, Vista remains the playoff’s wild card team with the capability to topple anyone. The team’s standouts include Manny Alvarado and Andrew Peattie along with Lukas Smith and Kona Bilancia. While Peattie may be one of the top field generals in the conference, it is clearly Alvarado who gives the Panthers their bite. The team’s unbelievable skill and the ability to skate are undisputed as was evidenced in a frantic 5-5 draw against Mesa League champion Bonita Vista. What remains to be seen is if the team's short bench will be a detrimental factor in intense encounters.

Offensive rank: 9.1 goals per game (#7 conference).
Defensive rank: 3.2 goals per game (#7 conference).

#6 Westview Wolverines
North County League: 9-4-1, third place (tie).
Inter-league: 4-1-1.
Overall record: 13-5-2.

Preview: The Wolverines tied Scripps Ranch 3-3 at the onset of the season. That in itself speaks volumes for this team. However, the midseason loss of Anthony Sansone to an ice hockey injury may have slowed Westview’s championship aspirations somewhat. Sansone and Jason Diehl, another ice hockey standout, had comprised the team’s first line. Still, the Wolverines remain a nightmare to play. “We get support from everybody. We don’t have that one player who dominates,” Wolverines coach Gordon Wiens said. While Diehl has played sparingly in inter-league competition, four players in particular -- Dan Luczak, Leo Scheiler, Ryan Aguirre and Mark Baker -- have stepped it up to help fuel the team’s ongoing fire. Westview outshot Mesa League champion Bonita Vista handily in absorbing a 4-3 inter-league loss but squandered an early 4-1 lead in an eventual 6-6 draw with South Bay League champion Mar Vista.

Offensive rank: 10.3 goals per game (#3 conference).
Defensive rank: 2.7 goals per game (#5 conference).

#7 Rancho Bernardo Broncos
North County League: 6-7-1, fifth place.
Inter-league: 5-1-0.

Overall record: 11-8-1.
Preview: The Broncos remain one of the youngest but most talented teams in the conference and look to have better seasons yet ahead of them. At the present they still rate a handful to contend with. Many considered freshman Rory Hansen to be the team’s top player but Rancho Bernardo will roll into the playoffs without him in the lineup because of an ineligibility issue. Team captain Justin Michitsch, however, has shown he can direct the offense with 37 goals and 22 assists. Other Broncos who have lit up the score sheet in inter-league play include Corey Grahl, Kyle Ahrensberg and Tarek Tayem.
Offensive rank: 9.7 goals per game (#5 conference).
Defensive rank: 4.4 goals per game (#9 conference).

#8 Eastlake Titans
Mesa League: 6-2-0, second place.
Inter-league: 1-5-0.

Overall record: 11-8-1.
Preview: The Titans finished second in last year’s Kiwanis Cup tournament, trailing by just one goal entering the final period against eventual champion Scripps Ranch. Eastlake has been competitive in its inter-league games but has yet to receive the benefit of the bounces. The Titans worked extremely hard to set up the potential game-tying goal in a 3-2 inter-league loss to Westview only to have the Wolverines goaltender make a sensational save in the dying minutes. In Tuesday’s “Clash of the Titans,” top-ranked Poway led just 1-0 after the opening period and had to work hard to pocket a 5-1 victory. In a Kiwanis Cup rematch against Scripps Ranch (taken 8-2 by the Falcons), Eastlake trailed by just one goal entering the final period. Scoring leaders include Zack McElory, Chipper Castro and Kyle Wagner, Patrick Johnson, Casey Shotwell and Jonathan Williams. The Titans have to hope continued hard-nose efforts will create a reversal of fortunes on the playoff scoreboard.

Offensive rank: 7.6 goals per game (#10 conference).
Defensive rank: 2.7 goals per game (#6 conference).

#9 Otay Ranch Mustangs
South Bay League: 5-2-1, second place.
Inter-league: 1-2-0.

Overall record: 13-6-1.
Preview: There is clearly more to the first-year Mustangs than national team player Adrian Rodriguez but there is also no denying that Rodriguez can carry his team in huge games. Rodriguez, who entered the final game of the regular season leading the conference in scoring with 62 goals and 39 assists, displayed his leadership skills by having a part in all seven goals in Otay Ranch’s 7-5 league victory against Hilltop early in the season and notched all four goals in a 4-1 cross-league victory against established Metro power Eastlake. As for team depth, Matthew Nafarrete has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat with more than 50 goals and 20 assists (third in the South Bay League) while late addition Ricky Gutierrez should help. Victor Holland has emerged as the team’s No. 1 goaltender and has shown flashes of brilliance at times. As bright as the inaugural season has been, however, the Mustangs have to be smarting after losing a physical 9-2 contest to Westview in Wednesday's final regular season wrap-up game.

Offensive rank: 9.9 goals per game (#4 conference).
Defensive rank: 3.5 goals per game (#8 conference).

#10 Hilltop Lancers
South Bay League: 4-3-1, third place.
Inter-league: 1-5-0.

Overall record: 9-10-1.
Preview: The Lancers have taken their lumps in inter-league play, having been outscored 46-5 entering Thursday’s regular season finale against La Jolla. Hilltop’s scoring is spread around between six primary players: Cory Garvin, Austin McDonald, Nick Donahue, Brian Mark, Ruben Benavides and Travis Tampueco. That’s the strong point. The weak point is that the Lancers, generally lacking size, do not have a dominant superstar to take charge on the floor in critical games. Goaltender Alex Penkin, who has improved markedly from last season, must play at the top of his game in order for the team to make any kind of postseason run. The team, however, remains, just a few inches away in connecting on passes to play with the best in the conference.
Offensive rank: 8.4 goals per game (#9 conference).
Defensive rank: 5.1 goals per game (#10 conference).

#11 La Jolla Country Day Torreys
North County League: 3-11-0, sixth place (tie).
Inter-league: 5-1-0

Overall record: 8-12-0.
Preview: The Torreys’ five inter-league wins (by a 60-18 margin) have come against Montgomery (twice), Southwest, Chula Vista and Sweetwater -- all likely non-playoff qualifiers. LJCD’s record against the 12 likely playoff qualifiers is 1-12-0. Max Guise is the team’s standout player, having scored nine goals in one game earlier this season. Other contributors include Chris Warren, Oren Siegel, Matt Mulligan and Matt Hodgson. The Torreys won the 2003 Kiwanis Cup championship.
Offensive rank: 5.8 goals per game (#13 conference).
Defensive rank: 10.3 goals per game (#13 conference).

#12 La Jolla Vikings
North County League: 3-11-0, sixth place (tie).
Inter-league: 4-2-0.

Overall record: 7-13-0.
Preview: La Jolla will be bidding for its second consecutive Kiwanis Cup playoff berth after dropping an 8-4 decision to Eastlake in the opening round of last year’s tournament. The Vikings’ offense has kicked into gear in inter-league play with 64 goals in six games. La Jolla is led by scoring machine John Noris, who ranked second in North County League scoring before the inter-league break. The Vikings have also received solid offensive support from Ryan Purdy and Jamie Huntley. The major drawback is the team’s overall lack of size.
Offensive rank: 6.3 goals per game (#12 conference).
Defensive rank: 10.3 goals per game (#12 conference).