SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

2002-03 Bonita Vista High Barons roller hockey team

Barons open defense of Division I title

By Phillip Brents

NATIONAL CITY, Dec. 3, 2002 -- Senior Joey Galeno had four goals and three assists to lead the Bonita Vista Barons as they returned to the court to defend their CIF-Metro Conference Division I title with a 19-0 Mesa League victory against Chula Vista at Skate San Diego.

Galeno -- among seven returners from last season's Division I championship team -- scored the game's opening two goals and had plenty of support thereafter as the Barons received points from 10 players in the lopsided victory.

"It feels great (to be back). We're hoping for a three-peat," said Barons head coach Keith Quigley. "It's going to be hard as heck (this season). But the last two years nobody thought Bonita would do anything. We like being in that position. It's going to be harder this year but we're going to try. We've got a lot to learn but we've got a lot of time to learn it."

The Barons-Spartans contest came in the shadow of the Metro Conference's opening game of the 2002-03 season -- a 10-3 win by a junior and senior-laden Scripps Ranch team (defending Mesa League champions and top-seeded team in last year's Division I playoffs) against a veteran La Jolla Country Day squad that rolled its way to last season's Division I semifinals. The Falcons are considered the favorites this season after losing to Bonita Vista in overtime in the 2001-02 championship game while the Torres expect once again to be in the mix of elite teams in the 11-team conference.

Bonita Vista led Chula Vista 8-0 after the first period and 14-0 heading into the final period as senior goalie Shaun San Agustin recorded his first-ever high school shutout win.

A total of four Barons had hat tricks in the season opener. Senior Reuben Felizardo had three goals and one assist while sophomore James Arakaki and senior Martin Magdanz both scored three goals. Senior Austin Ballow had two goals and two assists while fellow returners Mario Morales had two goals and Chi Hom had a goal and assist.

Magdanz is among a list of seven newcomers to the team that also includes experienced freshmen Eric Enciso and Dylan Mahr, sophomore goalie Zachary Ordstrom, seniors Justin Teich and Chris Wolfe and junior Ryan Wilson. A big defenseman, Teich is playing for the Barons after moving from Anchorage, Alaska, where he played both ice and roller hockey since age 12.

Enciso had two assists in his high school debut.

The back-to-back Kiwanis Cup championships have increased awareness of the sport at the eastside Chula Vista school.

"We had a good turnout. Twenty kids turned out and I took the maximum number -- 15," Quigley said. "We got the main core that are back with a nice mix of new guys. We have tons to work on. It's still early in the season. In hockey, it seems we have two weeks of practices and start the season."

The Barons -- as has been their trademark in recent seasons, it seems -- begin the new year with a new goalie, though Quigley said he is happy with the progress that San Agustin has made in the early going. "He has tons of potential," Quigley said of San Agustin.

Sweetwater 8, Montgomery 7

In a rematch of last season's CIF-Metro Division II championship game, Sweetwater recovered from a 5-2 deficit early in the second period to win 8-7 on Richard Kolerich's goal with 5:32 left in the final period. The Red Devils trailed by margins of 4-2 after the first period and 7-5 after two periods but scored the only three goals of the final period to complete their comeback victory.

"We were sluggish to start with. It was a good victory for Sweetwater," said SuHi coach Mike Duffey after the contest.

Sweetwater defeated Montgomery 6-4 in last season's Division II championship game.

Devils players said pride had a lot to do with their inspired come-from-behind performance. "We lost players and have a new goalie and still we came out on top," said Kolerich and senior teammate Brandon Fox simultaneously.

Marvey Ferrer brought Sweetwater to within one goal at 7-6 when netted the first goal of the third period, assist by Fox. Fox then tied the game with 8:33 to play in regulation time with an unassisted goal. Kolerich's goal came on a power play opportunity, also assisted by Fox.

Fox, who may have one of the hardest shots in the conference, led SuHi with four goals and two assists while Ferrer was close behind in team scoring with three goals and one assist.

The recipient of the Devils' first win of the new season -- their third in school history -- was first-year senior goalie Isaac Fuentes, who had never played the position before until two weeks ago. Fuentes gained confidence as the game wore on, making a critical save with 24 seconds to play in front of a flooded crease area to deny the Aztecs the game-tying goal.

Returners Josh Royal and Bobby Palma sparked Montgomery. Royal finished the game with five goals and one assist while Palma had a goal and two assists. Emmanuel Simental had the Aztecs' other goal while Chris Troie drew an assist.

Scripps Ranch 10, La Jolla Country Day 3

The Falcons' superior depth played a key role as Scripps Ranch inaugurated its second season of CIF-sanctioned play with a key non-league win against a La Jolla Country Day team that skated hard to the last second in an incredibly fast-paced, aggressive and entertaining game played by both squads.

The game was tied 1-1 and 2-2, though the Falcons never trailed in the rematch of last season's Division I semifinal contest captured 8-4 by Scripps Ranch. The Falcons pulled away in the second half of the game, leading 6-2 by the end of the middle period.

Junior Dan Comrie -- last season's Metro Player of the Year -- opened scoring in the first minute of the game, assisted by senior Kevin Pope. LJCD's Max Guise tied the score with just over five minutes to play in the period, assisted by fellow returner Chris Bartlett. Comrie broke the deadlock with 2:30 left on a counter-attack rush, assisted by older brother Rick Comrie as the Falcons led 2-1 after the first period.

Frankie Warren, set up by fellow sparkplug Nathan Sigmund, tied the game for the Torres with the jump goal of the second period, finishing off a possession after holding the face-off in the Scripps Ranch defensive zone. However, the Falcons reeled off four unanswered goals to end the period and added two more to open the third in taking an 8-2 lead.

The brothers Comrie once again put Scripps Ranch in the lead with the 3-2 goal. Dan Comrie finished the game with five goals and two assists while Rick Comrie had two goals and three assists. The Falcons also received single goals from junior Greg Best, senior Lance Gaul-Jeremiah and sophomore Andrew Woodfire and an assist from Pope in support of starting junior goalie Brandon George.

As impressive as the win was for Scripps Ranch, the Falcons played without one of their key players from last season -- junior Jennings Brieck (who forgot to brings his skates to school).

Sigmund and Guise led the Torres with a goal and assist each.

Metro notepad

In the only game played Tuesday at Chula Vista RollerSkateLand, Hilltop received nine goals from Carl Horten in a 17-2 South Bay League victory against Mar Vista. Eastlake received a forfeit win from Southwest in the other scheduled game there.