SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

Falcons’ best-ever? Take your pick

Phillip Brents

Posted Jan. 7, 2003

Which roller hockey team ranks as the best all-time to represent Scripps Ranch High School?

The 1998 squad that placed runner-up in the USA InLine Hockey nationals?

The 1999 edition that advanced to the quarterfinals of the aforementioned tournament after finishing second in the San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference?

The 2001-02 ground-breaking squad that completed its first season of official CIF-Metro Conference play with an overall 18-1-1 record and equally lopsided goal-differential?

The 2002-03 juggernaut that appears ready to obliterate previous statistical bests?

For those who really wanted to know the answer to that question, they had the unique opportunity to compare both the past and the present at the Falcons’ second annual alumni game Dec. 23 at Skate San Diego in National City.

Scripps Ranch head coach Greg Friedman ran the varsity bench – stocked with current stars and future Falcons "Hall of Famers" like brothers Dan and Rick Comrie and Jennings Brieck.

The alumni roster included Scripps Ranch Hall of Fame inductees Brandon Siebert, Brian Comrie, Tony Mello, Matt Gilroy, defensemen David Brassfield, Duncan Cerone Chris Hu and Miles Harper and goaltender Matt Speck – all members of the 1999 team that Friedman considers the best ever to represent the school.

For lack of a suitable equivalent event, the assembled talent might just have stood in for a mythical high school All-Star Game.

That question of which team was best appeared to be answered with brutal certainty after the alumni -- perhaps not surprisingly given the assemblage of talent -- skated to a 7-1 lead through two periods. The alumni appeared ready to make their statement with a 7-3 edge until 10 extra minutes mysteriously appeared on the scoreboard clock.

Trailing by four goals with the alumni’s stamina in question, the varsity squad – it appeared – had the Falcons’ alumni right where it wanted them.

The game ended in an 8-8 tie after an additional five-minute overtime period.

"Are we going to play three hours?" protested Speck to the public address announcer when it was decided to add the overtime period.

Speck, whose play was nothing short of spectacular throughout more than an hour of regulation play and overtime, was named the MVP of the game.

It nearly took that long, it seemed, for the first goal to be scored as the teams skated the length of the floor with scintillating defensive plays and goaltender saves.

Andrew Woodfine finally put the varsity ahead 1-0 on a backhand shot, assisted by Grant Chindra. However, Speck quickly showed he didn’t have a five hole like most goaltenders by holding the varsity scoreless the remainder of the opening period and throughout the middle stanza.

Brian Comrie, part of the 1999 team’s celebrated threesome along with Siebert and Brassfield, got the alumni even by going top shelf on varsity starter Brandon George. Two more spectacular saves by Speck kept the score even at 1-1 at the end of the opening period.

Brassfield gave the alumni a lead it would not relinquish by scoring on a slapshot for a 2-1 lead to take advantage of a power play opportunity early in the second period. Siebert increased the lead to 3-1 on a nice set-up by Duncan Cerone, and Mitch Hubbard , assisted by Brassfield, punched in another work of art to hike the alumni’s advantage to 4-1.

Two goals by Gilroy upped the alumni margin to 6-1 before Mello, considered one of the fastest skaters in team history, showed why he eared that reputation with an end-to-end rush to give the alumni a six-goal lead.

The third period became the Dan and Rick Comrie showcase.

Speck could only hold his finger in the dike for so long as the two reigning varsity superstars combined to score six unanswered goals to level the game at 7-7. (Alumni supporters would like to think the game ended 7-3 in their favor.)

Not to be shown up by his younger siblings, Brian Comrie finally took matters into his own hands by putting the alumni back in front, 8-7, on a goal assisted by Chris Stalter. The goal came with "12:01" showing on the clock — or about five minutes after the game should have been over.

Brian Comrie nearly scored on a short-handed attempt before the varsity knotted the score at 8-all with 2:58 to play on a slapshot by Cameron Cerone -- yet another part of the Falcons’ history of standout brother combinations on the court.

Dan Comrie -- held scoreless for two periods by Speck -- finished the final period(s) with four goals while Rick Comrie scored twice in support of back-up goaltender Drew Yamada.

Mercifully from Speck’s standpoint, the game did not go into a shootout phase.

"That’s a lot of talent out there -- on both teams," Friedman said after the game. "It’s always a lot of fun."

Few would dispute those words.

As for the best-ever Falcons’ team? Well, that may remain a mystery as long as the varsity team controls the game clock.