SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

High school roller hockey at no loss for teams in San Diego County

By Phillip Brents

CHULA VISTA, Jan. 15, 2001 -- High school roller hockey continues to maintain a high-profile presence in San Diego County with two separate conferences offering the sport with parallel end goals. A total of 29teams have taken the court from Imperial Beach, the southwestern most city in the United States, to the reaches just short of Orange and Riverside counties.

The club-based San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference is forging ahead with 18 teams this season -- 12 of which qualify for a post-season playoff tournament. The conference is divided into three divisions. The Inland Division is comprised San Pasqual, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, La Costa Canyon, San Marcos, Torrey Pines and Mt. Carmel. The North County Division consists of Carlsbad, Vista, Rancho Buena Vista, Valley Center and Fallbrook. The Eastern Division includes Monte Vista, Granite Hills, Patrick Henry, Pt. Loma, Valhalla, St. Augustine and Coronado.

The defending champion is Carlsbad.

Games are played from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays at the Escondido Sports Center and the La Mesa Sports Center. The championship game is scheduled March 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Escondido Sports Center.

Teams in this conference do not have to adhere to grade checks, though some individual clubs have their own policy for eligibility standards. Players may also compete in outside competition such as NARCh or the Tour Pacific Cup.

Through eight games, the respective division leaders included Mt. Carmel in the Inland League, Fallbrook in the North County League and Granite Hills in the Eastern League. Mt. Carmel (6-1-1) held a narrow one-point advantage in the standings ahead of Poway (6-2-0) and Rancho Bernardo (5-1-2). San Pasqual (5-3-0) stood fourth, just three points off the division lead. In the North County League, Fallbrook (5-2-1) held a one-point margin on Carlsbad (5-3-0) with Vista (4-4-0) and San Marcos (4-4-0) both three points off the lead pace. In the Eastern Division, Granite Hills (6-2-0) led St. Augustine (4-3-1) and Monte Vista (4-3-1) by three points in the standings.

Granite Hills leads the conference in goals scored (50), followed by Rancho Bernardo (48), Monte Vista (46), Carlsbad (45) and St. Augustine (44). The top five defensive clubs include Poway (2.25), Rancho Bernardo (2.75), Mt. Carmel (2.75), San Pasqual (2.75), Carlsbad (3.13) and Fallbrook (3.13).

The top 12 playoff teams are not yet finitely grouped with Torrey Pines (3-5-0), Patrick Henry (3-5-0), La Costa Canyon (3-5-0), Rancho Buena Vista (2-5-1) and Escondido (2-5-1) all still mathematically alive to grab one of the final playoff positions. Only Valhalla (1-7-0) and Valley Center (0-8-0) appear to be in trouble of not qualifying.

The two-year old Metro Conference is the lone CIF-sanctioned league in the state and boasts 11 teams this season with play divided into two divisions. Two teams departed the older, ground-breaking SDCRHC this past season to join the fledgling Metro Conference which is seen as the future of the sport in terms of direct school participation. More defections are expected next season with separate North County and South County divisions in the planning stages if participation numbers warrant. All players are subject to standard CIF eligibility rules, cannot play on outside roller hockey teams during the season (ice hockey is excluded) and must maintain a 2.0 grade-point average in order to play. Games are played on Tuesday and Thursday at two South County locations: Skate San Diego in National City and Chula Vista RollerSkateLand. The season runs through mid-February with a post-season tournament in the works.

The Scripps Ranch Falcons, a two-time finalist in the SDCRHC, took a huge step in wrapping up the championship title in their new league after playing to a 5-5 tie with top Mesa League challenger Bonita Vista Barons on January 10. The Falcons had defeated the Barons 7-4 in the first game of the season and Bonita Vista needed a victory to force a co-championship. In a game that sparkled with playoff atmosphere, the Barons took a 3-1 lead before Scripps Ranch rallied to lead 4-3 on a power play goal in the third period. The Barons staged an inspired late rally of their own, tying the game in dramatic fashion with 46 seconds to play. However, Bonita Vista could get no closer.

"You won’t see a better game from two teams," said Don Cerone, an assistant coach with Scripps Ranch and longtime commissioner for the SDCRHC. "The top four or five teams in this conference are just as good or better than the top teams in North County."

Sophomore Jennings Brieck led Scripps Ranch (10-1-1) in its showdown game with Bonita Vista (7-3-2) with a hat trick that included a short-handed and power play goal. Dan Comrie scored the other two critical goals for the Falcons, including what proved to be the game-winner on a breakaway, while Rick Comrie contributed three assists.

Dan Comrie, a sophomore, and his older brother Rick, a junior, have played roller hockey for nine years and head a talented, young cast of Scripps Ranch players who have yet to reach their full potential. Their arrival in the Metro Conference has clearly raised the overall level of play. Though eight games, Rick Comrie led the Falcons with 19 goals and 24 assists while Dan Comrie had 27 goals and 12 assists to both push for the overall conference scoring lead.

"We have our own styles. Dan is a forward; I’m a defenseman. But we both work together well," said Rick.

"We have a chemistry," interjected Dan.

"I know where he’s going to be. I mostly pass to him," Rick said.

Along with the Comries and Brieck, a sophomore, the Scripps Ranch lineup has also been buttressed by sophomores Andrew Berrier, Greg Best, Geoff Bjork and Zach Walters, junior Lance Jeremiah and senior Emil Tsaturov. A native of Moscow, Russia, Tsaturov is only one of two seniors on the Falcons. Goaltenders Brandon George and Colin Beam, both sophomores, had combined for five shutouts in the team’s first 12 games.

But the talent is spread around the Metro Conference.

Joey Galeno had a hand in all five Bonita Vista goals in the game against Scripps Ranch, scoring four times while setting up teammate Austin Ballow. In a show of iron will, Barons defenseman Doug Lentz played between the pipes, recording 30 saves.

Thomas Doran leads Chula Vista in team scoring while Sweetwater, which is coached by four-time world champion Mike Duffey, has been braced between the pipes by goaltender Louie Valentine. Montgomery, another Mesa League member, has been guided on the floor this season by Bobby Palma and Joshua Royal.

Three teams, meanwhile, appear in contention for the Metro Conference’s South Bay League title: Castle Park, Hilltop and La Jolla Country Day. Hilltop is the conference’s defending champion but Castle Park (10-2-0) ended first-round play with victories against both Hilltop (9-2-1) and LJCD (8-3-0), the conference’s other newcomer. Second-round play will determine whether a championship will be shared or not.

Castle Park has been led by a fearsome fivesome of top scorers: Don McGraw, Javon Meyers, Houston Fry and brothers Richard and Arturo Garcia. Hilltop has countered with a more balanced team effort led by Erick Morgan, Joseph Casillas, Trevor Stutzman and Everett Hinojosa. La Jolla Country Day, which is coached by former Team USA member Dean Wilson, has been paced by its top two offensive weapons Nathan Sigmund and Frankie Warren. Two of the Torres’ three losses came with Sigmund, a five-time participant at the NARCh Finals, out of the lineup.

"It’s neat," said Sigmund, a sophomore, about the opportunity to represent one’s school on the court. "It might not be as competitive as club hockey but it’s fun. Some of the guys on the team I’ve played with on other teams before."

"I like being able to represent my school in a good way. It would be great tribute to be able to win something for your school," said LJCD senior Sam Hodgson, who has played roller hockey 11 years.

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