SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

Got playoffs? Metro Conference has the teams

Bonita Vista tops Scripps Ranch 10-8 to spice up the postseason pot

By Phillip Brents

NATIONAL CITY, Feb. 19, 2003 -- Two weeks ago, Bonita Vista High head coach Keith Quigley was not feeling so well about his team’s chances to defend its two consecutive Kiwanis Cup titles in the upcoming playoffs. With two games left in the regular season, he is much more optimistic.

A 3-0-1 run against prospective playoff opponents will tend to raise one’s hopes — especially when two wins come against the top two teams in the Division I circuit and the tie is against a team some are picking to possibly win it all this season.

“We’ve picked it up, hopefully,” said Quigley in the wake of the Barons’ 10-8 victory against loop leader Scripps Ranch on Feb. 13 at Skate San Diego in National City. “We’re playing much better as a team. They’ve come together a lot better than at the beginning of the season. Hopefully it's at the right time.”

In successive games, Bonita Vista topped arch nemesis Hilltop 5-3, then ended La Jolla Country Day's 11-game winning streak with an 8-5 victory, then tied Castle Park 7-7 before upending the league-leading Falcons.

James Arakaki had six goals and an assist in the victory against Scripps Ranch, which was missing top scorer Dan Comrie. Joey Galeno and Austin Ballow also contributed a pair of goals to aid the Baron cause.

However, it is not necessarily who Bonita Vista has beaten lately that has Quigley’s spirits up — but how the Barons have come through.

“The big thing is that we’ve played from behind, sometimes trailing by three to four goals, to get back into a game and either win or tie it. That's showed a lot of heart,” Quigley said. “We came back against Castle Park. It would have been nice to win that game but it was a great tie for us. We came back against Scripps Ranch to win it.”

The four-game unbeaten streak raised the Barons’ record from 6-7-0 to 9-7-1. However, playing without the services of Arakaki due to illness, Bonita Vista fell 5-4 to Eastlake on Tuesday to temper Quigley’s comments somewhat. Entering the final two games of regular season play, the Barons (9-8-1) sat behind first place Scripps Ranch (15-2-1), second place La Jolla Country Day (14-4-0), third place Castle Park (11-6-1) and fourth place Eastlake (10-8-0) with a lead over sixth place Hilltop (8-9-1).

The top two teams will receive first-round byes, leaving the third-place team to play the sixth-place team and the fourth-place team to face the fifth-place team in the beginning of single-elimination games on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the National City rink.

The semifinals are scheduled Feb. 27,, followed by the championship game on March 4 at 6 p.m.

The Barons worked their way up the playoff ladder last season by first defeating Eastlake, then upsetting second-seeded Castle Park and then shocking top-seeded Scripps Ranch in a dramatic overtime contest to win the Division I championship.

With parity more apparent in the second-half of the season since all the Division I teams were grouped into one division, Quigley feels there may not exactly be an overwhelming favorite heading into postseason competition.

“Honestly, what I think is that it’s pretty open. A lot of teams have a good shot at doing something in the playoffs. The second half of the season there's been some interesting things happen. This team has beaten that team and then that team beats that team. It has been equaling out,” Quigley said.

Helping boost the Barons’ playoff chances is the recent trend of team play. “James Arakaki has had some unbelievable games but as a team, we’re clicking. Everyone has started meshing together,” Quigley said.

Should Bonita Vista draw Eastlake in the first round, the Barons would be facing a team they have yet to defeat in three tries this season. But such uphill battles are what make challenges so inviting. “We match up well with them. It’s going to come down to who gets hot and clicks and plays smart. You can’t afford to take any dumb penalties,” Quigley said.

High-flying Falcons
Scripps Ranch, which was led by Rick Comrie’s three goals and assist and Jennings Brieck’s two goals and two assists in the loss to Bonita Vista, still remains the team to beat if anyone else wants to hoist this year’s Kiwanis Cup trophy.

Though the two losses are the most the Falcons have absorbed in regular season play in two years as a member of the Metro Conference. (Scripps Ranch finished last season 18-1-1 in 20 regular season games), coach Greg Friedman’s team has one luxury most of its conference rivals do not: depth.

Add talent to depth and that makes for quite a killer combination.
Junior Dan Comrie showed his worth earlier this season in a 7-7 draw against Hilltop. The Falcons started the game without him and fell behind 4-0. In half a game, Comrie totaled four goals and an assist to have a hand in five of his team’s seven goals.

While teams have tried to key on Comrie this season, there has been just one problem — the Falcons have just as many other skilled players to overcome, led by Comrie’s older brother Rick, returners Jennings Brieck and Kevin Pope and talented newcomers Andrew Woodfine and Andrew Reinhold.

Want more? Add Grant Chinda to that list.

The team’s imposing wall of six-foot defensemen, embodied by Zac Walters, Geoff Bjork and Rick Comrie in front of goaltender Brandon George, may be even a more difficult obstacle to hurdle.

Two late season losses without DC and George -- including a 5-4 season-ending loss to Eastlake -- may give opponents some hope but it will take a superior effort by any team to knock off the Falcons' total package.

Streaking Torres
La Jolla Country Day has been the only team this season besides Bonita Vista to deal Scripps Ranch a loss.

The Torres appear to have picked up right where they left off after having their 11-game winning streak halted by losses to the Barons (8-5) and Scripps Ranch (7-2) with consecutive wins against Hilltop (9-5) and Castle Park (9-8). LJCD’s victory against Castle Park on Tuesday appears to solidify the Torres’ claim on second place and a first-round playoff bye.

“We want to finish second so we don’t have to play Scripps Ranch in the first round,” LJCD coach Dean Wilson said.

The Torres are led by “Fab Four” players Nathan Sigmund, Frankie Warren, Max Guise and Chris Bartlett. All have extensive ice hockey or travel team roller hockey experience. Sigmund, a junior, helped the Junior Gulls ice hockey team to a third-place finish in the national championships and, like the Falcons’ Dan Comrie, can single-handedly take control of a game. But it is teamwork that Wilson said will guide the postseason fortune of his team.

“We want to work together rather than as individuals,” said Wilson, who has represented the United States in international competition.

Individually the Torres’ "Fab Four" are diverse in talent; collectively the four standouts have helped take the team to the upper echelon of the conference.

"It’s a lot together now. The league is way better than last year. The whole team has had to step up. So far, so good," Wilson said.

What can be said about Sigmund that hasn’t already been said before? A highly-skilled ice hockey and roller hockey player (he competes for NARCh-level Platinum Division teams), he has already attracted attention of major college programs. Could the next step be playing at the Major Junior level next season?

"Of course, he’s an all-around player. He can play defense, he can score, he can pass. There’s pretty much not anything he’ll do," Wilson said.

Warren serves duty as the team’s captain this sseason; Bartlett is an assistant captain.

Wilson calls Bartlett, who also skates for the Midget Junior Gulls, the team’s "defensive specialist."

"He shut down (Dan) Comrie in the game we won against Scripps Ranch," Wilson said.

Warren has become more of a stay-at-home defenseman this season, though he might more accurately be called the team’s "offensive stay-at-home defenseman," according to Wilson.

"He’s part of the anchor but he can obviously score," Wilson said. "He’s playing more of a role of being back. Before we had the scoring. Now with Max staying home as well, we’re trying to prevent the odd-man rushes."

Guise may be one of the team’s top contributors this season, though his name might not regularly show up on the scoresheet – though it usually does. Just a sophomore, he also plays ice hockey for the Junior Gulls.

"He stays at home a lot but he’s also someone who can jump into the play," Wilson said of Guise.

Guise had five goals to lead the Torres past Hilltop on Feb. 13 while Warren scored five goals in Tuesday’s big win against Castle Park.

"All those guys can score but we’re not so much concerned about them playing like individuals. We want them to work together," Wilson said.

Terrific Trojans
If you’re asking which team delivers the most for what it has, then go no father than Castle Park. The Trojans have eight field players — enough for two lines but rely primarily on their experienced players for success. Those skill players — juniors Donny McGraw, Everett Hinojosa and Richard Garcia, senior Arturo Garcia and sophomore Houston Fry — are the driving forces behind the team. Their workload is amazing and collectively the unit deserves a medal for perseverance. What works in their favor is that all grew up playing together in junior leagues.

McGraw is pushing to win the conference scoring title while the sibling tandem of Arturo and Richard Garcia rates alongside the legendary Comrie family of Scripps Ranch in terms of production.
McGraw scored eight goals and added an assist in a recent 12-7 win against Eastlake. A broken foot sidelined him prior to last year’s playoff tournament.

“We’re going to take it. Donny got hurt last year. We’re going all the way this time,” Trojan coach Gene Garcia said enthusiastically. “We started slow. We’re practicing three times a week. We’re playing better. I’ve got three seniors — Alex (Guerrero), Art and Victor (Barba). We’re going for it. We’re doing it for them.”

High ground for Titans
Scott Powers had four goals in Tuesday’s win against Bonita Vista but the goalscoring duties this season otherwise have been spread around — a key statistic in trying to shut down one particular player for Eastlake.

Newcomer Adrian Rodriguez has impressed alongside veterans Chad McElory and Mike Cerwonka. Other mainstay contributors include Royce Leomo, Chris Sexton, Patrick Johnson and first-year goaltender Dustin Tewalliager.

Seeking a few (more) good men
The Lancers’ combo of Carl Horten and Erick Morgan is as good as any in the conference. Coaches Dan Vaccaro and Paul Newell just wish they had a few more players of their caliber to make up for an otherwise lack of depth. However, players like Nick Donahue, Brian Mark and Cory Cavanah have also showed they can contribute alongside veterans Joe Casillas and goaltender Chris Romero.

Horten has been resting a back injury for much of the second half of play, and the Lancers -- after an 8-2 first-half start -- ended second-round Division I play 0-9-1.

Horten displayed his offensive prowess by scoring nine goals in a 15-2 victory earlier this season against Mar Vista. His value to the team was driven home in a recent 9-6 loss to La Jolla Country Day. Horten missed the first period as the Torres amassed an early 4-0 edge.

"Every game is going to be critical the second half of the season. If you’re missing a key player or your top player is having an off night, you’re going to lose. It’s crunch time. Teams are going to have to bring their ‘A’ teams to win," said Newell.

Division II playoffs
Mar Vista, Montgomery, Sweetwater, Chula Vista and Southwest will compete in a round-robin tournament, Feb. 26 and Feb. 28, at Skate San Diego that will send the top two finishers to the Division II championship game on March 4, prior to the Division I final. The Division II finalists look to be up in the air as both Montgomery and Sweetwater have recorded recent victories against Mar Vista.

In Division I games on Feb. 13:

La Jolla Country Day 9, Hilltop 5

Max Guise had five goals to lead the Torres past the Lancers. Frankie Warren had two goals and two assists while Garrett Iaco added a goal and three assists for LJCD, which also received a goal and two assists from Chris Bartlett. Hilltop received two goals from Brian Mark and single goals from Nick Donahue, Erick Morgan and Joe Casillas.

Castle Park 12, Eastlake 7

Donny McGraw scored eight goals and added an assist to challenge for the league scoring lead as the Trojans pulled away from the Titans down the stretch. Scott Powers had three goals and two assists for Eastlake, which also got a pair of goals from newcomer Adrian Rodriguez.

Arturo Garcia contributed three assists for Castle Park while Chad McElory had a three-point game for the Titans with a goal and two assists.