Sizzling Start to the San Diego Elite Draft League

Two weeks in. Four games in the books. 

Just like the season opener, the second week of games was chock-full of big saves, pretty goals, and exciting moments.

Tensions ran a bit higher in week two as physical play ramped up and both games came down to the wire. Additionally, both games had a controversial goal moment, with the Del Mar Bandits certain that an undetected goal did indeed find the back of the net, and the North County Surfers were livid with a call for a good goal from what they viewed as a hand pass into the net. Despite the frustrations, all teams battled to the end, resulting in all teams having a 1-1 record after two weeks of play.  

Week One Recap 

Del Mar Bandits vs. Mission Bay Ospreys

The Del Mar Bandits utilized their instant chemistry and upfront firepower to overpower the Mission Bay Ospreys. The fast pace to this game and the clean passing amongst both teams set up each squad with strong momentum as they advanced into week two.   

Final Score
Del Mar Bandits: 7
Mission Bay Ospreys: 3

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North County Surfers vs. Temecula Vineyard Vipers 

The matchup between the North County Surfers and the Temecula Vineyard Vipers ended up being a back-and-forth snipedown, with the Surfers ultimately coming out on top after some nifty offensive zone passing left Reed Kinsey all alone in the crease to put the Surfers up 6-5 with 1:55 remaining in the second half, a score which would hold through the final buzzer.

Final Score

North County Surfers: 6
Temecula Vineyard Vipers: 5

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Player of the Week

Week one’s Player of the Week was Colton Grover. Grover netted the first ever goal in San Diego Elite Draft League history and also potted the league’s first ever hat trick. He would end the game with four points (3G; 1A), helping lead the Del Mar Bandits to their season-opening win against the Mission Bay Ospreys.

Week Two Recap

Temecula Vineyard Vipers vs. Del Mar Bandits

The Temecula Vineyard Vipers looked much sharper in their second game of the season, jumpstarted by the high-energy play of young forward Logan Wise, who played with confidence and authority alongside forward pairing Anthony Mata. The Vipers' six goals all came from different players: Wise, Jonathan Quirk, Evan Medeiros, Chad Lewis, Rylan Farwell, and Mata.

Logan Wise was recognized as the Player of the Game.

Final Score
Temecula Vineyard Vipers: 6
Del Mar Bandits: 5

mission bay ospreys vs. north county surfers

The Mission Bay Ospreys put their forecheck into high gear in week two, allowing them to take time and space away from the North County Surfers. Alongside their high-tempo play, the Ospreys received timely, momentum-swinging saves from goaltender Wyatt Beaupre. This fueled the Ospreys to a 5-1 lead midway through the second half. Despite the Surfers taking advantage of power play opportunities down the stretch and nearly completing a furious late-game comeback, the Ospreys held off for a final score of 5-4.  

Noe Santos was recognized as the player of the game.

Final Score
Mission Bay Ospreys: 5
North County Surfers: 4

Player of the Week

Week two’s Player of the Week is Noe Santos. Noe was a leader both as a player and de-facto coach, scoring two goals and an assist, helping coordinate line combinations, and calling a timely time-out to settle emotions when momentum had shifted to the Surfers. 

Looking Ahead: Keys to the Game

These are the key components to giving each respective team an advantage, as analyzed by the San Diego Elite Draft League back office.

Del Mar Bandits: Generate scoring by activating the D and maintaining offensive zone time.

Mission Bay Ospreys: Utilize speed and tenacity to take away space and time from opposing teams and generate more high-danger scoring chances.

Temecula Vineyard Vipers: Leverage veteran presence to elevate emotion and confidence throughout the lineup and activate depth scoring.

North County Surfers: Control the pace of the game through possession, structured defense, and intentional bursts of explosive speed.