San Antonio Roller Hockey League
Updates
Important Info
03/29/26 – Week 6
8:00PM: Italy (H) vs Russia (A)
9:00PM: Italy (H) vs Czechia (A)
As always, check Facebook for updates and pick-up
Last site update: 03/28/26 23:54
Game Previews
Week 6 Preview
“Tamales, Turmoil, and Two Very Different Games”
Italy gets the spotlight this week with back-to-back games against two teams that could not be more different:
- Russia: confused, inconsistent, and somehow still hanging around
- Czechia: structured, annoying, and allergic to losing close games
Let’s see how this unfolds.
Game 1: Italy vs Russia
“Chaos vs… Whatever Russia Is Doing”
Season Series So Far:
- Week 1: Russia 3 – Italy 2
- Week 3: Italy 4 – Russia 3
- Week 4: Russia 4 – Italy 10
Two one-goal games. One blowout. All forgettable in their own special way.
What Italy Brings
- Junior – oscillates between invisible and unstoppable
- Narvaiz – quietly the most reliable scorer on this team
- Ray Ortega – either cooking or bullying the new guys
- Ashton –is this an on week?
- Felipe…? – still holding out for tamales like it’s a labor dispute
What Russia Needs
- Jaiden to actually lead (not just talk to himself in mirrors à la Stuart Smalley)
- Collin to show up AND care (rare double event)
- Someone not named “Sub” to contribute
- Ryan Lewis to skate harder than Travis Laveault
Key Question
Can Russia survive the first 5 minutes?
Because Italy has made a habit of jumping teams early…
and Russia has made a habit of not being ready.
Prediction
This feels like an Italy game from the jump.
Too much offense. Too much momentum. Too many Rays.
Italy 6 – Russia 3
- Narvaiz continues his quiet dominance
- Ashton adds another (goal, not child)
- Ray Ortega does something questionable but productive
Game 2: Italy vs Czechia
“The Main Event (Again)”
Season Series So Far:
- Week 2: Czechia 4 – Italy 3 (SO)
- Week 3: Italy 9 – Czechia 10 (SO)
- Week 5: Czechia 7 – Italy 6 (OT)
Three games.
Three near-identical outcomes.
Three times Italy has walked away wondering what just happened.
What Italy Needs to Do
- Play defense for more than 30 seconds at a time
- Avoid late-game chaos (historically impossible)
- Not take a “Too Many Men” penalty at the worst possible time
What Czechia Does
- Stays calm
- Waits for mistakes
- Punishes those mistakes
- Wins by exactly one goal
It’s like watching someone slowly tighten a vice.
Key Question
Can Italy finally close one out?
They’ve been:
- Leading
- Tied
- Within seconds of winning
And still 0-3 against Czechia.
At some point, that has to break… right?
Prediction
This is the game.
Italy’s due.
Czechia’s luck runs out.
The hockey gods finally blink.
Italy 7 – Czechia 6
- Another ridiculous scoreline
- Another game with zero defense
- But this time… Italy holds on
🔥 Players to Watch
- Andrew Minerd (CZE) – Still the most reliable closer in the league
- David Narvaiz (ITA) – Mr. Consistent
- Ashton Baggett (ITA) – Due to look like he’s in control
- Collin Iacarella (RUS) – Russia’s entire identity if he shows up
🎭 Week 6 Themes
- Italy playing two completely different styles in one night
- Russia trying to stay relevant
- Czechia quietly lurking like a horror movie villain
- At least one controversial goal (mandatory)
🏁 Final Word
Italy has a real chance to:
- Beat Russia (expected)
- Finally beat Czechia (overdue)
Or…
- Split the night
- Or completely implode
Either way, this week is meaningless. All three teams have clinched a play-off berth. Czechia will walk away in the top seed regardless of these games, so watch for them to play a listless game. The best Russia can do is finish in third leaving Italy all alone in second.
Welcome to the SARHL… Where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.
Quick Stats
Standings
| Team | W | L | OTL | Pts |
| Czechia | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Italy | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Russia | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
p = President’s Trophy
* = Clinched Playoff Berth
e = Eliminated from Playoffs
League Leaders
| Player | Team | G | A | Pts |
| Popham, B | Czechia | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| Ortega, R | Italy | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| Narvaiz, D | Italy | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| Goalie | Team | W | GAA | SV% |
| Newton, T | Czechia | 6 | 3.83 | 0.839 |
| Artzberger, G | Russia | 2 | 4.17 | 0.824 |
| Rodriguez, F | Italy | 1 | 4.50 | 0.824 |
Minimum 1 games played
League News
Week 5 Recap
Game 1: Czechia 7 – Italy 6 (OT)
“Same Script, Slightly Different Ending”
If you’re looking for league parity, just watch Czechia vs Italy. These two teams refuse to play a normal hockey game like adults. This is the SARHL version of brothers separated by about a year.
This time, mercifully, it ended in overtime instead of another six-round shootout of sadness.
📊 Scoring Summary
| Per | Time | Team | Goal Scorer | Assists | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:15 | Czechia | Popham, Brandon | Minerd, Andrew | Czechia 1 – 0 Italy |
| 1 | 4:34 | Czechia | Sanftner, Roger | Popham, Brandon | 2 – 0 |
| 1 | 8:53 | Italy | M, Nathan | Yupanqui, Junior | 2 – 1 |
| 1 | 10:50 | Italy | M, Nathan | Salvano, Ray | 2 – 2 |
| 1 | 11:43 | Italy | Narvaiz, David | Ortega, Ray | 2 – 3 |
| 2 | 6:27 | Italy | Narvaiz, David | none | 2 – 4 |
| 2 | 9:42 | Italy | Gilbert, Matt | M, Nathan | 2 – 5 |
| 3 | 3:43 | Czechia | Minerd, Andrew | none | 3 – 5 |
| 3 | 5:41 | Czechia | Minerd, Andrew | Popham, Brandon | 4 – 5 |
| 3 | 9:00 | Czechia | Mallery, Mike (PP) | Sanftner, Roger | 5 – 5 |
| 3 | 10:18 | Italy | M, Nathan | none | 5 – 6 |
| 3 | 11:23 | Czechia | Minerd, Andrew | Popham, Brandon | 6 – 6 |
| OT | 0:48 | Czechia | Popham, Brandon | Hadley, Faye (Sub) | 7 – 6 |
🚨 Penalty Summary
| Per | Time | Team | Player | Infraction | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7:47 | Italy | Narvaiz, David | Too Many Men | 2:00 |
🤨 Notable (Or Not) Moments
- Felipe Rodriguez Holdout Continues
Still no tamales. Still no Felipe.
At this point, this is less a protest and more a lifestyle choice. Stay strong, brother. - Rick Odom Progress Report
Only ~13 F-bombs this game.
Emotional maturity is trending upward. - Roger Sanftner: Jersey Name Guy
Still the only one making sure we know who he is.
Honestly, respect. - Ray Ortega Commits Crimes
Stick grabbing. Publicly.
League intervention required. Ray remains shocked. - Mallery Goal = League Disturbance
Not only did he score…
It was on a pass that wasn’t a pass… off a goalie… during a powerplay…
and he immediately got benched for it. Justice. - Minerd Goes Full Captain America
Hat trick, including a center-ice missile with 30 seconds left.
Intermission “meltdown” resulting in game swinging to Czechia’s favor.
Completely normal stuff. - Ashton Baggett Nowhere to be Found
He was on last week.
He was barely visible this week.
We said it before, he just disappeared like a fart in the wind. This will never get old.
🧠 Game Flow (a loose interpretation of reality)
- Czechia jumps out early (2-0)
- Italy responds by scoring five straight
- Czechia remembers they’re Czechia and claws back
- Italy takes the lead again late
- Minerd says “no”
- Overtime lasts less than a minute
This wasn’t a game. It was a series of emotional swings disguised as hockey. No one went home happy.
💭 Final Thoughts
- These two teams are inseparable
- Defense is still optional
- Every game between them feels like it should be illegal
And somehow… it keeps getting better.
Also:
Russia watching this like:
“Yeah we’re not competing with that.”
Correct.
⭐ Three Stars
★ Brandon Popham (Czechia)
2 goals including the OT winner, plus an assist.
Still needs an emotional support blanky.
★★ Andrew Minerd (Czechia)
Hat trick, leadership meltdown, center-line heroics.
Captain things.
★★★ Nathan (Italy)
Hat trick of his own and constant offensive pressure.
Still not enough because… Czechia doing Czechia things.
🏁 Closing Line
Czechia finally gets one without a shootout…
Italy refuses to go away…
And somehow, we all know they’re going to do this again.
Game 2: Czechia 5 – Russia 2
“From G.W.A.R. to Kenny G”
After a Game 1 that felt like a full-blown hockey fever dream, Game 2 brought us right back to reality — slow, uneventful, and just structured enough for Czechia to quietly take care of business.
No chaos. No drama. Just a methodical dismantling of a team that continues to find new and creative ways to lose.
📊 Scoring Summary
| Per | Time | Team | Goal Scorer | Assists | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:17 | Russia | M, Nathan (Sub) | Hadley, Faye | Czechia 0 – 1 Russia |
| 1 | 6:13 | Czechia | Narvaiz, David (Sub) | Sanftner, Roger | 1 – 1 |
| 2 | 11:03 | Czechia | Minerd, Andrew | none | 2 – 1 |
| 3 | 0:59 | Czechia | Narvaiz, David (Sub) | Mallery, Mike | 3 – 1 |
| 3 | 6:36 | Czechia | Galwell, Chuck | none | 4 – 1 |
| 3 | 9:12 | Russia | Hernandez, Jaiden | none | 4 – 2 |
| 3 | 11:59 | Czechia | Minerd, Andrew | none | 5 – 2 |
🚨 Penalty Summary
| Per | Time | Team | Player | Infraction | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4:44 | Czechia | Sanftner, Roger | Tripping | 2:00 |
🤨 Notable (Or Not) Moments
- Rick Odom: The Doubleheader Nobody Asked For
Two games. Two teams. Zero enthusiasm.
And yet… somehow not the reason Russia lost. Officially. - Greg Artzberger MIA
At this point, we’re just assuming he’s scouting pickleball leagues.
His tempermant demands it. - Jaiden Returns
He brings as much hope as what’s left in that demolished container of cheese balls.
Morale remained critically low. - Nathan Subbing and Doing All the Work
Russia’s offense: “Nathan, please.”
Nathan: tries
Rest of team: exists - Chuck Galwell Sighting
Confirmed real person.
Confirmed goal scorer.
Still unclear where he came from or where he went. - Narvaiz “Basking in the Glow”
Subs in. Scores twice. Leaves.
Absolute mercenary behavior. Total menace. - Roger Gets on the Board
When in doubt, take a penalty.
He’s learning how his fantasy stats work. - Minerd Pads the Stats
Empty calorie goal with 1 second left.
Covers the spread. Vegas is thrilled.
Said he was feeling “fat and sassy”.
🧠 Game Flow
- Russia scores first (everyone confused)
- Czechia ties immediately (order restored)
- Minerd gives Czechia the lead late in the second
- Third period = slow suffocation
- Russia briefly pretends to care
- Minerd ends it with unnecessary flair
💭 Final Thoughts
This was the most dangerous kind of Czechia game:
- Calm
- Controlled
- Completely inevitable
No fireworks. No breakdowns. Just a team that knows exactly what it is.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to:
- Show flashes
- Get decent sub help
- And still not matter
⭐ Three Stars
★ Andrew Minerd (Czechia)
2 goals including the “why not” buzzer-beater.
Still doing everything.
★★ David Narvaiz (Czechia – Sub)
Subbed in, scored twice, left spiritually fulfilled.
★★★ Nathan (Russia – Sub)
Scored quickly and tried to drag Russia into relevance.
He did not succeed.
🏁 Closing Line
Game 1 was chaos.
Game 2 was control.
Everyone keeps saying “Wait until the playoffs” when every team has every player show up. This will be a relentless shit show.
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