United States Premier Hockey League Announces Formation Of USPHL Elite Midwest Division

by Joshua Boyd

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com The USPHL Midwest East Division, in conjunction with the United States Premier Hockey League, are working to expand westward within the USPHL’s Tier 3 USPHL Elite Conference. The new division in the USPHL Elite will continue in the USPHL’s mission of forging the Path To College Hockey by utilizing […]

USPHL Elite Final On Monday To Feature WBS Knights vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

by Joshua Boyd

March 27, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Three days of Round Robin are in the books, and so are the two USPHL Elite semifinals. Twenty teams started the season, but only two can play in the championship final, and those teams are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. The WBS Knights went clean at 3-0 […]

Semifinals Set For Sunday In USPHL Elite National Championship Series

by Joshua Boyd

March 25, 2023

#USPHLNationals: USPHL Elite Round Robin Standings After Day 2

by Joshua Boyd

March 25, 2023

USPHL Elite National Championships Round Robin Day 1 Summaries

by Joshua Boyd

March 24, 2023

Standings above taken from USPHLElite.com/stats/standings and are official only as of the end of Day 1. By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Jersey Hitmen 4, Florida Eels 3 About the best first game of a National Championship tournament you could ever ask or hope for, the teams were tied after one period and the […]

USPHL Nationals Elite Team Previews: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

by Joshua Boyd

March 22, 2023March 22, 2023

By Marlee Bulman / USPHLElite.com Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Seed: Mid-Atlantic #1 Round Robin Schedule All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs Islanders Hockey Club, 7:30 p.m. Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs Tampa Bay Juniors, 5 p.m. Game 3: Saturday, March 25 th , vs […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview: Florida Eels

by Joshua Boyd

March 22, 2023March 22, 2023

By Marlee Bulman / USPHLElite.com Florida Eels Seed: Florida #1 Round Robin Schedule All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Jersey Hitmen, 10 a.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Charlotte Rush, 12 p.m. EST Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Northern Cyclones, […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Jersey Hitmen

by Joshua Boyd

March 22, 2023

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com Jersey Hitmen Seed: Mid-Atlantic #2 Round Robin Schedule All games played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Florida Eels, 10 a.m. Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Northern Cyclones, 2:30 p.m. Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Charlotte Rush, 12 p.m. […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Tampa Bay Juniors

by Joshua Boyd

March 19, 2023

By Brendan Price / USPHLElite.com Tampa Bay Juniors Seed: Florida #2 Round Robin Schedule All Games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, 11 a.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, 5 p.m. EST Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Islanders […]

#USPHLNationals Elite Team Preview Series: Charlotte Rush

by Joshua Boyd

March 18, 2023March 18, 2023

By Grace Mello / USPHLElite.com Charlotte Rush Seed: Southeast #2 Round Robin Schedule All games played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y. Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Northern Cyclones, 2:30 p.m. EST Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Florida Eels, 12 p.m. Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Jersey HItmen, 12 p.m. […]

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

The USPHL Midwest East Division, in conjunction with the United States Premier Hockey League, are working to expand westward within the USPHL’s Tier 3 USPHL Elite Conference.

The new division in the USPHL Elite will continue in the USPHL’s mission of forging the Path To College Hockey by utilizing multiple tiers of junior development that will prepare players for all levels of NCAA, ACHA and CHF hockey, in addition to preparing players for Tier II and Tier I junior careers. This includes creating yet another pathway to the USPHL’s own Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference, which will see 20 teams playing on the Eastern Seaboard and in the Rocky Mountain States of Colorado, Utah and Idaho in 2023-24.

The new division will consist of the following organizations, all with existing teams at the USPHL Premier Division: Chicago Cougars, Fort Wayne Spacemen, Motor City Gamblers, Decatur Blaze, Chicago Crush and Metro Jets.

“We are excited to field another model of opportunity for young players who want to develop,” said Justin Quenneville, Head Coach/GM of the Metro Jets organization, which fields the current Premier teams the Metro Jets and Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP) out of Mount Clemens, Mich. “Our platform is unique and we have always prided ourselves on giving the best environment for players to invest in themselves. Our program is dedicated to providing this additional opportunity and look forward to joining Elite teams in the Midwest. “

“We are very excited to extend the reach of our program with the addition of an Elite program,” said Jason McCrimmon, founder and owner of the Motor City Gamblers, who play at Fraser Hockeyland in Fraser, Mich. “We are looking forward to strengthening our rebrand and continuing to develop players on and off the ice. The Elite division will give us the opportunity to create another solid foundation within our organization and an additional pipeline that will move people who come through our organization to higher levels of Junior Hockey and beyond.”

“We feel strongly that this well enhance our development process and help get more guys to the next level,” said Fort Wayne Spacemen General Manager John Finch. “Fort Wayne is a good landing spot for players wanting to get the best opportunities to play college hockey in the United States.”

“We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to the players here in Chicago and beyond,” said Peter Olson, Owner of both the Chicago Crush and Chicago Cougars. “We are solely focused on providing them with this special semi-professional experience that only junior hockey can offer and are proud of our partnership with USPHL. Standing tall, we look forward to the League’s expansion. The efforts it has taken to enhance the experience to better the game offers an amazing unparalleled opportunity for these young men to get to the next level and achieve their dreams of college hockey and beyond. We are proud to be a part of their journey and help them on their way.”

“I think it was time for the Midwest to add an Elite Division because it helps with the development of players,” added Zac Pearson, Head Coach/GM and Co-Owner of the Decatur Blaze. “If you would have asked me, with our ownership group five years ago, there was no way we could ever support an Elite team, but with this group of ownership and their morals of how they run their business and treat kids and develop, it was time to take the next step and expand to Elite programs. The Decatur Blaze are excited to add an Elite team as it will allow us to have more local players in our organization and help develop players locally and within our organization to become better hockey players and human beings.”

Limited Travel = Greater Development

Travel will be light, limited generally to the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The vast majority of Elite Midwest games will be played as a half of double-header nights in some of the most exciting and fan-friendly facilities in the USPHL.

All teams will also take part in multiple USPHL Showcase Series events facing fellow USPHL Elite teams from the Northeastern and Southeastern United States.

“The USPHL Elite Division is one of the best paths to college hockey provided by the United States Premier Hockey League. A young player new to junior hockey can get a first taste of full-season junior hockey in the Elite Division as they begin their climb up the #USPHLAdvancement ladder from the Elite to the USPHL Premier and potentially to the Tuition-Free Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference or straight into college hockey,” said Commissioner Bob Turow, of the USPHL Elite Midwest Division. “We have a very enthusiastic and driven Midwest East membership group who want to continue to build upon the focus of skill development and maturation of Elite Division players on their way upwards in their career.”

The new Midwest Division will also have representation at the USPHL National Championships. “We are excited to work with the organizations who have applied for Elite membership, which includes the Chicago Cougars and Metro Jets, who have both made several appearances at the USPHL Premier Nationals with their Premier teams,” added Turow.

About The USPHL

The United States Premier Hockey League of 2022-23 is the nation’s largest junior amateur ice hockey league and the only league to span the continental United States, from Maine to California, and from Florida to Washington State.

The USPHL includes over 100 organizations comprised of 11,000 players spanning the ages of 6 through 20, including Youth and Midget Division teams in the Tier 1 Hockey Federation.

Overall, across all its divisions, the USPHL see more than 3,100 alumni playing college hockey each year and more than 250 playing pro hockey, including in the NHL.

The league’s top level, the Tuition Free Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference, led all North American Tier II leagues with three players selected in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has seen more than 200 NCAA Division I commitments since its 2017 inception. The NCDC will also expand to include the NCDC West, with teams in Colorado, Utah and Idaho for 2023-24.

The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes USPHL Elite team saw a Marc-Antoine Vincent double-overtime goal lift them to the status of 2022-23 USPHL Elite National Champions!

The Jr. Canes traded goals with the other finalist the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights in the first and second periods of the National Championship game, played at the Utica University Nexus Centre in Utica, N.Y.

Jacob Gifford started the scoring at 4:15 of the first, assisted by Brayden Strong.

Next up, but more than 10 minutes later, it was WBS tying the goal off the stick of Carson Scott, assisted by Sam Turkowitz and Sam Pfeiffer.

The second period saw more of the same – goal by Carolina answered back by the Knights.

Brayden Strong scored an unassisted goal at 14:45 for Carolina.

The WBS Knights evened it up at 19:14, with Maverick Rudolph scoring from Eric McHale and Samuel Russo on the power play.

The third period and first overtime both went by without scoring, but with both teams getting their chances. Both had seven shots apiece in the third period, and the Knights peppered Carolina’s Tristan Falsetto with 14 shots in the first overtime. Eight shots were sent the way of Dylan Boughen, of WBS, but neither team found paydirt in the first extra 20 minutes.

Finally, just after the start of the second OT, Marc-Antoine Vincent took a pass from Jacob Gifford and went in alone to score the ultimate golden goal.

And that was it! Your Carolina Jr. Hurricanes are the 2022-23 USPHL Elite Champions. Congratulations to the Langlois family, Head Coach Brad Gaylord, GM Lincoln Flagg and of course, the ones who make it happen, the players, parents and billet parents! This one’s for you!

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Three days of Round Robin are in the books, and so are the two USPHL Elite semifinals. Twenty teams started the season, but only two can play in the championship final, and those teams are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes.

The WBS Knights went clean at 3-0 through the round robin, the only team to do so. The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes went 2-1, but won when it counted in the semifinals against the Northern Cyclones in a back-and-forth 1-0 battle, keyed by a 45-save effort from Tristan Falsetto in net. Jacob Gifford scored the only goal in the third period.

The WBS Knights, the regular season champion, defeated the Jersey Hitmen by a 3-2 score in the other semifinal on Sunday. Another game that saw a little bit of everything – including bursts of offense and great goaltending – featured all five goals being scored in the second period. Brody Bess and Jared Showen each scored a goal and an assist, and Sam Pfeiffer’s goal – which made it 3-0 – stood up as the GWG. Jersey’s Francis Zaklukiewicz and Kody Fitzgerald both had goals, while Zaklukiewicz (1-1-2) and Nicholas Cioce (0-2-2) had two point games.

The Knights faced the Jr. Canes in the round robin, winning 6-1 on Saturday, so Carolina will be looking for revenge. The Knights, founded in 2021, are hoping for a championship to cap off Year 2.

Standings above taken from USPHLElite.com/stats/standings and are official only as of the end of Day 1.

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Jersey Hitmen 4, Florida Eels 3

About the best first game of a National Championship tournament you could ever ask or hope for, the teams were tied after one period and the Hitmen held a close 2-1 lead after 40 minutes. Lorenzo Marchetta tied the game and Grady Duden gave the Eels their first – and in the end, only – lead of the game. Francis Zaklukiewicz scored his second of the game to tie it and eventually send it to OT. Neither team found paydirt there, and Zaklukiewicz and Chris Donnelly both scored in the shootout.

Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 6, Tampa Bay Juniors 4

The Juniors were the team that went up early, 2-1. But Carter Radosta’s goal to get in between two Tampa goals was a harbinger of what was to come. Radosta scored to tie the game just over 6 minutes into the second, and then it was a 4-2 Carolina lead after two periods. Tampa would not go easy, though, as they pulled to a 4-4 tie with Brenden Sickles scoring 30 seconds in, and Joshua Skipper following. Nathan Rhodes broke the tie at 16:08, and Colby Markham took out insurance on three points in the standings.

Northern Cyclones 4, Charlotte Rush 2

Spencer Barrow got the Rush started with a goal in the first, but the Cyclones were just a team on a mission Thursday. They scored two in the second and one more from Corey Girouard to start the third for a 3-1 lead. The Rush worked their way back into contention with a goal by Jack Lamothe, but Josh Bruno’s insurance marker put the “W” firmly in the ‘Clones’ corner.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 1, Islanders Hockey Club 0

A defensive tug-of-war ensued and went on for all of two periods and most of the third. Jonathan Morgan tucked one home on a cut across the front of the net at 12:40 of the third. Dylan Boughen, the only Elite goalie undefeated in regulation during the regular season, kept up the beat with a 20-save shutout. Anthony LaCroix was valiant in the IHC net despite the loss, giving up just one out of 27 shots against.

By Marlee Bulman / USPHLElite.com

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Seed: Mid-Atlantic #1
Round Robin Schedule
All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y.
Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs Islanders Hockey Club, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs Tampa Bay Juniors, 5 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, March 25 th , vs Carolina Jr Hurricanes, 5 p.m.

Coming off a 7-2 win for their final regular season game, going straight into back to back wins for the playoffs (10-2 and 6-4), the USPHL Elite Regular Season Champion Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights are heading to Nationals.

“The boys were ecstatic at the final buzzer. Everything they have worked so hard for this season finally paid off,” said Head Coach Gaetano Moirano. “It’s allowed us to showcase our talent and depth against the other top contenders in the USPHL Elite Division.”

This season the Knights were on fire, ending with 44 games played they posted a 39-3-80. Just to put it into perspective, their last streak was 24 straight wins before being stopped.

This team was knocked down last year, and fought hard to make it to the top. Growth like this doesn’t happen overnight.

“After being knocked out in the semifinals last season, our veterans have made it their mission to make it all the way to the championship game this year,” Moirano said. “Our experience and young talent have been integral in our team’s success.”

In this exciting time to be playing, sometimes expectations can be lost or forgotten. For the WBSK, what their coach wants is simple.

“I expect our guys to be ready to showcase their talent and team play come puck drop,” Moirano added.

Talent doesn’t touch what these guys have. As someone who’s been reporting on them all season, I practically have their lines memorized from talking about their successes. Namely Brody Bess (’05) who posted an amazing 32-26-58 in 34 games played for the regular season, and a 4-3-7 averaging 3.5 points per game in the playoffs.

Then we have Eric McHale, top scorer of the WBSK who within 42 games posted a 25-51-76 with his goal average a 1.81 for the regular season. In the playoffs, no surprise, he’s posted a 1-5-6 line and three points per game average.

Their Coach gave them credit for making it far in the playoffs.

“Our young guns, Brody Bess and Eric McHale, were phenomenal during our series vs. Rockets Hockey Club. Together they totaled 13 points in two games.”

A team isn’t complete without their veterans.

“Jared Showen is just one example of our veteran core who contributed to our team’s success,” Moirano said.

Showen had no problem Showen-up, posting a 20-26-46 in 26 games during the regular, and popping off in the playoffs with a 1-4-5 line.

In goal, Dylan Boughen went undefeated in regulation, going 15-0-2-0. He was second in wins, third in save percentage (.933) and and seventh in goals against average (2.22). Samuel Russo was a top 10 scorer among defensemen with 31 points and was third in goals scored among Elite blueliners with 15. Oliver Kiel Straarup had 3

This team has what it takes to keep fighting, they have a good formula, dare I say a great one even.

“The overall dynamic these players bring to the ice is something to be witnessed first-hand. Not much will change. We will stick to our game plan and maintain the same intensity that allowed us to be consistent all season,” Moirano added.

“Our focus is on our training and recovery. However, we [were] entertaining the idea of attending an AHL game over the weekend before heading to Utica next week.”

Their plans right this moment? Well, there’s just winning on the mind.

By Marlee Bulman / USPHLElite.com

Florida Eels
Seed: Florida #1
Round Robin Schedule
All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y.

Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Jersey Hitmen, 10 a.m. EST

Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Charlotte Rush, 12 p.m. EST

Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Northern Cyclones, 2:30 p.m. EST

After having a strong standing during the regular season and facing off against the Atlanta MadHatters in the playoffs, the Florida Eels are heading to Nationals.

It wasn’t all easy after facing a potential upset to Atlanta, going down one game after a 6-5 Atlanta overtime win to start the series.

“Our series with Atlanta was competitive. We had to handle adversity after losing Game 1 to win the series. Overall it was a good test for our team and how we would handle adversity as a collective group so I am happy with where our team is at,” said Head Coach Mitch Hill.

In 44 games played, the Eels had 31 wins, eight losses, three overtime losses and two shootout losses. After clinching their division by 11 points, the Eels finished fifth overall.

“Our goal all season long was to make the National tournament so we are excited. This is the second year in a row our Elite team has gotten this far. We have a ton of skill and speed that we will look to continue building throughout nationals,” Hill said, in regards to the team’s strength going forward.

A few star players were key to getting to Nationals. Lorenzo Marchetta (’03) posted an impressive 28-40-68 for the regular season. He also scored a highlight-reel goal that featured a spin-o-rama posted by the league almost right after it happened, which was shortly thereafter retweeted by ESPN’s John Buccigross.

“[He] was massive in helping us get to Nationals. His line with Alexander Clingerman really stepped up in Game 3 to propel our offense,” Hill said. Alexander Clingerman put up a 25-30-55 line. These two will be a line to watch out for.

“Our netminder Loic St-Denis Lacombe stepped up in a massive way in Games 2 and 3 to provide relief in the net for our team.”

Lacombe ended the regular season with a goals against average of 3.33 and .899 save percentage, and in the division playoffs, brought those numbers up to a GAA of 2.45 and a .910 save percentage.

Coach Hill has faith in his team to make it to the end with the team he built this season.

“We have a good core group on our team this year that was on last year’s National tournament team,” said Hill. “They understand the standard and level of play at Nationals so that will help continue spreading that message through our locker room.”

In regards to what changes are to be made, Coach Hill said, “We have been working on our D- zone structure and tracking recently. Our 5-on-5 play without the puck is something we have been emphasizing with our group.”

Fans are excited to see what the Eels will bring to the ice these next three games. Either way this is a team with an unshakeable bond.

“[The players] have gotten together a bunch outside of the rink to continue enjoying being around one another. They have been building lasting memories all season long so they are excited to continue that this week.”

By Joshua Boyd / USPHLElite.com

Jersey Hitmen

Seed: Mid-Atlantic #2

Round Robin Schedule

All games played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y.

Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Florida Eels, 10 a.m.

Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Northern Cyclones, 2:30 p.m.

Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Charlotte Rush, 12 p.m.

The Jersey Hitmen have returned to the USPHL Nationals after a one-year absence, and they certainly mean business.

The Hitmen come in having already been tested and had their backs against the wall, advancing to Utica off a three-game series with two one-goal victories against a New York Aviators team that was up 1-0 to start. Jumping into the round robin with that kind of pressure already overcome could be a major strength.

“The final series against the Aviators was exceptionally tough, very physical and losing the first game 5-2 didn’t help either. Afterwards, in the locker room, I likened the first game and the series to a boxing match. I told the guys ‘hey look, you just got punched in the face, your nose is broken and bloodied, your ears are ringing and your eyes are blurry – but there are two more rounds left, so let’s get to work,’” Raymond said.

“The boys took the words to heart and gave all they had for Games 2 and 3, where we were fortunate to get the W’s and earn the Nationals berth,” Raymond added. “I would like to thank the Aviator coaching

staff, along with their players for being such class acts and for giving us one hell of a series.”

Speaking of series, boy, did the Hitmen draw a doozy of a schedule at the brand new Utica University Nexus Center – two very strong No. 1 seeds out of the Florida and North Divisions, along with the No. 2 seed from the Southeast in Charlotte, a team that won the National title when the Hitmen were in Hampton Roads two years ago.

Even with a strong leadership group of veterans, none of today’s Hitmen were in Virginia in 2021, so they all know exactly just how tough it is to reach the Nationals and they’re going to leave absolutely nothing on the ice against some of the nation’s best.

“This will be the first trip to Nationals for every player on the team. We lost a heartbreaking three-game playoff series to the Rockets Hockey Club last year and were forced to watch on HockeyTV,” said Raymond. “Our vets didn’t forget the series loss and battled for all three games. The guys are of course excited but very aware of the challenge that lies ahead of them. The Hitmen take great pride in developing hard-nosed, mentally tough hockey players. A rigorous on and off ice regimen, video review and a commitment to everyone pulling the sled as one, is how we operate.”

This year, that was exemplified by 25 Hitmen players registering points – and 23 of those 25 scored at least one goal. They didn’t have a player in the top 20 in scoring, but their dizzying “next man up” approach to offense saw seven players with 20 or more points and 14 in double digits.

“The guys are ready and looking forward to giving all they have while playing against the best teams in the USPHL Elite Conference,” Raymond said.

The Hitmen’s top five scorers were returning veterans, so that right there shows you how much they’re willing to put in the work to lead by example. J.T. Verdino’s 36 points were just ahead of defenseman Matt DiCarlo and Edward Asante both scoring 30. Veterans Nicholas Cioce (24 points) and Colin Reis (22 points) rounded out that top five.

Even more players jumped into the offensive leadership role in the Aviators series.

“Gordon Shindelman was a freight train that wouldn’t be denied two goals in Game 1. I’m convinced that ‘Shindy’ lit the fuse for Game 2 – Marshall Curri (two assists), Nick Cioce (one assist), Devin England (two goals) and Tommy Styles with two goals, including an overtime game winning bomb that got us to Game 3,” added Raymond.

“Game 3 turned into a barn burner. Up to the task were Devin England (one goal), Capt. Matt DiCarlo (one assist), Tommy Styles (one goal and 1 assist), Nikolai ‘Bugsy’ Yelabugin (one assist), Colin Reis (one assist) and J.T. Verdino (one goal) with the game-winning missile that punched our ticket to the show. And let’s not forget about Goaltender Frankie Smith, who was in great form for all three games. Frankie tallied a .937 save percentage in the series and came up big when we needed him most.”

Smith was a top 10 goaltender this year in the Elite, putting up a 10-5-3-1 record with a .926 save percentage, good for eighth in the league. He also saw the eighth most shots in the league at 755, playing 10th most minutes (1,153).

The Hitmen went into their pre-Nationals week focused on just getting as many reps in as possible to be ready.

“We’re certainly not going to tip our hand but rest assured we’re watching opponent video, looking for any tendencies and implementing some minor adjustments that will have us focused and game ready,” added Raymond. “Practice, film review and more practice sound like great activities to me. We’re not going on vacation – we’re headed to Utica to battle and compete for a championship as hard as we can, 212 degrees. Several of these teams are annual participants in the Nationals tournament and know what it takes to win. Our guys need to be firing on all cylinders, for every shift and – in loving memory of Mariann Reiss – with ‘no excuses.’”

By Brendan Price / USPHLElite.com

Tampa Bay Juniors

Seed: Florida #2

Round Robin Schedule

All Games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center

Game 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, 11 a.m. EST

Game 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, 5 p.m. EST

Game 3: Saturday, March 25, vs. Islanders Hockey Club, 7:30 p.m. EST

Defense was the name of the game in the semi-finals series that punched the Tampa Bay Juniors ticket to Nationals. Allowing just four goals in two games to a potent Palm Beach squad, head coach Garrett Strot believes that key unlocked and will continue to bring success for the Juniors.

“[They] played well at both ends of the ice; they shut down Palm Beach’s top line, which was one of the best in the league,” Strot said.

In 23 of their 44 regular season games, the Juniors’ defense allowed two goals or fewer and finished eighth overall in the Elite Division in goals allowed, surrendering just 2.70 goals per game.

Goaltender Jonathan Jensen was, pardon the pun, elite for Tampa Bay in 2022-23. The Largo, Fla., product finished tied for fourth in wins (13) and punctuated the team’s semi-final sweep over the Typhoon with a 26-save masterpiece in Game 2.

Jensen shared the crease with starter Dylan Bruce, who finished with a sparkling .921 save percentage in 24 appearances. The goaltending tandem was anthemic of Tampa Bay’s strength in numbers; the 27-win squad did not have a single player in the league’s top-50 in scoring, a feat unique among the qualifying field for Nationals.

“The strength of the Elite team is our depth. We have four lines and three sets of defensemen that we can roll with,” Strot pointed out.

Owing to that point, the Juniors’ had twelve skaters reach the 20-point plateau and six different goal-scorers record at least 10 goals. The Juniors’ balanced lineup featured an incredible 21 rookies in 2022-23, highlighted by a 2004-birth year forward and a pair of 2005-birth years.

Forward Ari Blatt (‘04) paced Tampa Bay in goals and points, with 42 (21-21-42) in 42 games. Hot on his heels were forwards Robert Sheets (‘05) and Brendan Sickles (‘05) with 36 points a piece; Sheets grabbed 18 goals (18-18-36) and Sickles grabbed 21 assists (15-21-36) en route to the tie for second in scoring.

However fearsome, the triumvirate failed to register a point in their meetings with Carolina during the regular season. The Jr Canes are the team that Strot believes have the slight edge in a balanced field of championship contenders.

“The Elite bracket is going to be wide open, but I feel Carolina is the top team to beat,” Strot remarked.

Despite not recording a regular season win over the Jr. Canes, a wide-open bracket should favor the Juniors. Strot’s squad notched victories over seven different opponents during the 2022-23, including three over fellow Nationals qualifier Florida.

The Juniors are back to Nationals for a second straight year and look to continue the program’s run of success by marking a program milestone in Utica.

This is very big for our program to send both [Premier & Elite] teams. The last time both teams went to Nationals at the same time was 2017-18,” Strot said.

The Juniors’ Elite journey opens with a tough pool play matchup: the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes squad that Strot mentioned earlier.