SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

Titans roll to perfect season start

By Phillip Brents

Posted Dec. 13, 2002

Despite a 4-0 start to the season, the best could yet be in the making for the Eastlake High School roller hockey team.

The Titans rolled to their latest victories in CIF-Metro Conference play by wearing down a gritty Sweetwater team en route to a 10-3 win on Dec. 12 at Skate San Diego in National City. The game featured a five-goal third period by Eastlake after the teams were tied 2-2 early in the second period.

“We wore them down and were able to pull away at the end,” Titan coach Jeff Mechling said.

Eastlake resumes play following the holiday break in the Metro’s modest 11-team circuit that includes varsity teams representing all nine Sweetwater Union High School district schools, plus Scripps Ranch and La Jolla Country Day. Additional out-of-district teams had been expected to be added this season but that will likely come in the 2003-04 season.

In the meantime, Mechling said his team is focusing on improving — both as a team and as individuals — with the end goal being to qualify for the season-ending Division I playoffs.

The Titans are competing in their third season in Metro play after earning a league co-championship with Hilltop in the two teams’ final season of play in the club-based San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference.

Mechling said he is pleased with the team’s performance this season despite missing several veteran players either due to injury or ineligibility to jump-start the 2002-03 campaign.

“Obviously, you want to make the playoffs. I think you also have to have a goal to win your division. Most importantly, we want to improve as the season goes on so we’ll be strong by the time the playoffs come around. Every player should set a goal to improve as an individual,” Mechling said. “”We have several veteran players on offense and defense who are not playing for us right now but it (still) seems to be working.”

Though the overall numbers are down this season, the Titans have compensated by playing a more defensive game — especially with the loss to graduation of standout goaltender Azuma Franklin, a First Team All-Metro Conference selection last season.

Eastlake’s 4-0 start includes victories against Montgomery (7-2), Chula Vista (11-5) and Sweetwater (10-3) besides a season-opening forfeit win against Southwest.
Freshman Dustin Tewilliager, whose natural position is not between the pipes but at forward, inherits the position to start this season.

“We’ve had to make an adjustment to be more defensive oriented. But I’ve always felt you need to build out from the net anyway. This is the first year we’ve not had an upperclassman in goal for us, a veteran,” Mechling said.

As far as returning veteran talent, the Titans possess four players who are entering their third year on the team: senior Michael Cerwonka and juniors Chad McElory, Scott Powers and Justin Rodriguez. Impact newcomers include freshmen Adrian Rodriguez and Chris Sexton. Rodriguez competed for the Chula Vista Golden Eagles this past summer at the North American Roller Hockey Championships in Minnesota, helping the local travel team win its opening five games to gain a quarterfinal-round playoff berth. The Golden Eagles’ lone loss was to the eventual division champion Irvine.

Eastlake’s roster is rounded out by senior Jeremy Link, juniors Guillermo Briseno and Daniel Valle, sophomores Kyle Hughes, Patrick Johnson, Royce Leomo and Daniel Nuferette. While Mechling hopes the injuries heal soon, he still has reason to sport a smile on his face.

“Good job,” he told his team after the Sweetwater game