Odd location of oil leak, people VERY familiar with 2.0L enter...

I found an annoying oil leak around the oil filter area. It's just above or towards the center of the car from the oil filter. I think I felt an oil line down there, but can see anything due to the intake runners blocking everything. I know for sure it isn't a loose oil filter(cleaned, tightened, and verified twice for good measure). Also no oil from the back of the head, firewall side.

What a pain, I'll probably have to take the whole intake out to get to it....

Take a look from underneath, you should be able to get a clear view of that area with a bright light while the car's in the air.

A common misdiagnosis, based on your description, is the knock sensor insulating material to have melted and leaked out. If you're actually seeing oil, actively leaking, the only other item in that area, just above and to the drivers side of the oil filter, is the oil pressure sender. On the MSP, the oil feed line goes to an adapter here where the OPS would be simply threaded into the block on an NA car. I suggest checking to see if the material you're seeing is actually oil and not the insulating material that has leaked out of the knock sensor. The only items above the oil filter on an FS that would leak oil are the OPS, the head gasket and the valve cover gasket.