SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

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NATIONAL CITY, CA, Nov. 20, 2001 -- Yet another new era for high school roller hockey dawned Tuesday night when the Metro Conference officially celebrated its second anniversary season as the state’s lone CIF-sanctioned league. In more ways than one, the sport may have finally come of age.

The conference has expanded by two teams this season, admitting Scripps Ranch and La Jolla Country Day as members, while splitting into two divisions — the Mesa League and South Bay League. The conference began its inaugural history-making season last year with teams representing all nine Sweetwater Union High School District teams playing in one division. There was the option to expand to outside schools after that first trial run season.

The addition of Scripps Ranch and La Jolla Country Day clearly points the sport in the direction that supporters had worked long and hard for so many years. Scripps Ranch’s first foray on the floor at the spectacularly refurbished Skate San Diego rink in National City was of particular importance. The Falcons had long been among the most vocal proponents of CIF-sponsored play. Now they are part of it.

"We needed to find a way to get in. We were trying to get five or six teams from the north to play but there were too many problems on getting the principals to sign them off," explained Scripps Ranch coach Greg Friedman after his Falcons won a hard-fought 7-4 victory against Bonita Vista to inaugurate play in their new league. "I’m looking forward to it. The difference between CIF and club is that the kids get to represent their school and will eventually get to play for a CIF championship. Hopefully, four or five years from now, we’ll have four or five leagues. We have no idea what these teams are like. It will be interesting."

The arrival of elite programs like Scripps Ranch immediately raises the level of play within the fledgling Metro Conference. The Falcons finished 6-4 in regular season play in last year’s club-based San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Confer-ence (of which current Metro members Hilltop, Bonita Vista, Chula Vista and Eastlake were once members) before upsetting top-seeded San Pasqual in the quarterfinal playoffs to advance to the conference championship game for the second consecutive season. According to Friedman, who has coached the seven-year-old Scripps Ranch team for five years, last year’s Falcons’ roster was slanted toward the young side. "We’re much deeper than last year," Friedman said.

That much was put into evidence on the floor Tuesday night against a loaded Bonita Vista squad that had visions of winning a league championship this season. The game proved spirited with Scripps Ranch taking an early 2-0 lead before the Barons stormed back to tie the game at 2-2. Sparked by the scintillating play of brothers Dan and Rich Comrie, the Falcons then reeled off four unanswered goals to take a 6-2 lead. Rick Comrie, a junior, finished the game with three goals and three assists while Dan Comrie, a sophomore, had two goals and three assists.

Friedman said Dan Comrie may be the greatest roller hockey player currently playing in the county. "I think he could go out and win a game by himself," Friedman said. "He had four goals in our playoff game against San Pasqual last year. We won 5-4."

Friedman said Comrie has so much talent that he may play Junior ice hockey next season in Canada.

Scripps Ranch and Bonita Vista play in the Mesa League along with Montgomery, Southwest, Sweetwater and Chula Vista. Hilltop — last year’s Metro champion — plays in the South Bay League alongside Eastlake, Castle Park, Mar Vista and newcomer La Jolla Country Day. In Tuesday’s other conference openers at Skate San Diego, Hilltop topped Montgomery and La Jolla Country Day turned back Sweetwater both by 11-1 scores.

But with a 20-game season (all 11 teams play one another twice), there is plenty of room for improvement. The Barons, in particular, will be eyeing that return match against the Falcons.

"Last week, we had three days of practices. We just started," said Bonita Vista coach Keith Quigley. "Our goalie, Chris Muller, came out of nowhere. To be honest, he did well. We did all right for the first game having never played together and the kids still getting to know each other’s lines. It was 2-0 for a while. I thought once we got some goals that we could could raise our level of play and jump back into the game."

Joey Galeno led the Barons with two goals and one assist while Dante Concepcion scored the 2-2 game-tying goal off a pass from team co-captain Doug Lentz. Austin Ballow also scored one goal for Bonita Vista while Brent Nash was credited with one assist. As for Muller? He made his debut with 28 saves as the Barons were outshot 35-18.

"I’m looking forward to the second one (against the Falcons). I think we can play better," Quigley said.

The refurbished rink drew more attention than the new teams on Tuesday. The skating operation was recently acquired by former WHA San Diego Mariners standout and San Diego Barracudas president Joe Noris, who has expanded his love for roller hockey in recent years to now include material dividends.

"I think this is a great game for the kids to play. It’s such a neat game but it’s so under-developed," Noris said. "It’s under-developed in the South Bay compared to the North County. North County is under-developed compared to Orange County."

Games will be played this season at both Skate San Diego and Chula Vista RollerSkateLand while an outdoor rink at Castle Park High School is completed.

"I’m really excited about the direction the league is going with the new teams being added, the two divisions and a new place to play roller hockey at Skate San Diego. They’ve done a lot since October," Bonita Vista’s Quigley said.

Scripps Ranch goalie Brandon George made 14 saves while the Falcons also received two goals from Jennings Brieck, another sophomore, in their history-making win. Sophomore Erick Morgan led Hilltop with three goals and two assists while Joe Casillas and freshman Trevor Stutzman both had two goals and one assist. Bobby Palma, assisted by Chris Troie, scored Montgomery’s goal. Frankie Warren (2 goals, 3 assists), Nathan Sigmund (2 goals, 2 assists) and Jordan Simkin (3 goals) helped key La Jolla Country Day’s likewise impressive debut. Steven Martinez scored for Sweet-water (which was outshot 32-10).