Pandas Showing Consistency Across Halfway Mark

The second EDL season has passed the midway hump and standings are starting to solidify. Whether games come down to the wire or end with a team pulling away, the competition and atmosphere remain electric. 

Gameplay Recap

Leucadia Longboarders vs. Cardiff Stingrays 

Last night’s showdown between the Leucadia Longboarders and the Cardiff Stingrays delivered high-paced action, slick passing, and stellar finishes. Both teams had their moments, but it was Leucadia’s full-game team effort that set them apart in this match. 

The Stingrays were first on the board, capitalizing on a gorgeous stretch pass from Chad Lewis to Dalles Hesseling, who had a clean break on net. With a quick lateral deke, he pulled the Leucadia goalie out of position and slid the puck five-hole—a clinical finish to kick off the scoring.

But the Longboarders wasted no time in answering. Following a clean offensive zone faceoff win, Reed Kinsey jumped on the puck and fired it past the Cardiff netminder, knotting the game at 1–1 with a no-hesitation release.

Leucadia kept their foot on the gas. Ray Kinsey forced a turnover near the red line, carried the puck into the offensive zone, and buried an unassisted breakaway to put his squad up by one. Shortly after, Reed Kinsey struck again. This time, he received a clean feed from Anthony Mata and rifled a top-shelf, short-side snipe that froze the goalie with a highlight-reel finish.

With Cardiff looking for answers and the period winding down, Leucadia stayed hungry and relentless, even on the penalty kill. With time winding down in the first half, Nathan Robert skated into an area pass while on the PK, earning himself a breakaway. Cool and collected, he released a wicked wrister that rang off the post and in, a late-period beauty that would have made Bobby Ryan proud. This gave the Longboarders a commanding 4–1 lead just seconds before halftime.

After back-and-forth chances in the opening minutes of the second half, the Stingrays kicked off the second-half scoring off the patient play of Chad Lewis. Lewis showed poise under pressure, initiating a clean offensive zone cycle before finding teammate Matt Hamilton. Hamilton wasted no time dishing to Brian Pino, who had a slick finish to cap off a well-executed play.

But then the scoring would tilt entirely in Leucadia’s favor. Ray Kinsey received a pass in the high slot area, came right down Main Street, and ripped a bar-down wrister, potting his second goal of the game. Barely a shift later, the Longboarders struck again. Robert broke up a play in his defensive zone, then went coast-to-coast, weaving through the neutral zone before burying another unassisted goal and stretching the lead to 6–2.

As if there were any doubt, the Longboarders finished things off with one more. In a clean 3-on-1 rush, Leucadia put together a picture-perfect sequence. While the initial shot was saved through a heroic effort by Stingrays’ goalie, Matthew Mahlow, the rebound rolled dangerously along the goal line—right onto Reed Kinsey’s stick for the easiest tap-in of the night. 

For his four-point performance and scoring a Bobby Ryan-inspired breakaway, Nathan Robert was awarded player of the game. 

Final Score

Leucadia Longboarders: 7
Cardiff Stingrays: 2

Escondido Rhinos vs. Balboa pandas

This was a clash between two highly skilled teams, size and speed on display. 

This game also featured two outside goaltenders not formally on a team roster: Mike Erving, playing for the Escondido Rhinos, and Quinlen Johnston in net for the Balboa Pandas. Both goalies played great, with Johnston being particularly effective with rebound control and eliminating second-chance opportunities. 

The Pandas struck first off a goal by Jimmy Becker. Bailey Ridout carried the puck cleanly out of the Pandas’ defensive zone before dishing it ahead to Becker, who made an assertive play to the net, powering down the right circle and across the crease before tucking the puck past the goalie.

The Pandas and Rhinos each had solid chances throughout the remainder of the first half, but the Pandas’ 1-0 lead would hold through the end of the half. Despite the low-scoring opening period, several players stood out for their puck control and playmaking. Rhinos’ captain Pasha Bocharov had several dangalicious moments that created space for himself and his team, and his movement in the offensive zone helped the Rhinos establish sustained pressure. And Pandas' Ridout, who assisted on the first goal, had a standout first-half performance, making smart choices with the puck and helping the Pandas maintain possession and slow down play in the offensive zone.

The second half started with a flurry of excitement. Eventually, the Rhinos broke through with a goal of their own: Bocharov skated the puck into the offensive zone and dropped the puck back to Jack Allen, who had time and space to get to the high circle area and fire a low shot that found twine. 

Shortly after, Pandas’ captain Rory Herrman scored a stellar coast-to-coast goal. After breaking up a play in his defensive zone, Herrman carried the puck across the center red line and moved east to west across the high circles before freezing the defense and goalie with a fake shot that allowed him time to skate around the goal and tuck the puck into the net with a slick wraparound.

The Rhinos got a late-game power play but were unable to convert. Immediately after the penalty expired, Pandas’ Herrman made a slick move to evade a Rhinos player and then fed the puck ahead to Ridout, who came out of the box and potted an empty-net goal to seal the game at 3-1. 

For his two-point performance and showcasing terrific poise and control with the puck, Bailey Ridout was awarded player of the game. 

Final Score

Escondido Rhinos: 1
Balboa Pandas: 3