USPHL PREMIER: A LOOK AT THE SOUTH REGION

 

USPHL Premier: A Look At The South Region
By Jim DenHollander/USPHL.com, 10/08/19, 10:15PM EDT

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It was double wins (or double losses) all around in the South Region this past weekend as the Florida Eels and Charleston Colonials swept their respective two-game weekend sets. The Southeast saw more of the same, including a huge sweep for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and also for the Richmond Generals

Eels 6 @ Juniors 3

Juniors 2 @ Eels 3

After a scoreless opening period, the Eels jumped into a 2-1 cushion in the second at Advent Health Center Ice on Friday, with a 4-2 edge down the stretch making the difference. Two days later, on home ice, at the Skatium in Fort Myers, the Eels needed a late goal to clinch the win despite a lopsided edge in shots.

Trevor Voyda (‘01/Naples, Fla.) scored the game winner in the second game, Jake Court (‘00/Fort Myers, Fla.) and Jared Figueroa (‘99/Scotch Plains, N.Y.) both adding a goal and three assists over the weekend.

Ahead: The Eels play a home-and-home series against their rivals the Florida Jr. Blades on Friday (in Estero) and Saturday (in Fort Myers). Expect a packed house and enough adrenaline to power SpaceX.

Tampa Bay heads to Atlanta for a pair against the MadHatters, who are coming off a bye weekend.

Blades 4 @ Colonials 7

Blades 3 @ Colonials 8

The Colonials built a 3-1 first period lead in the first game at Carolina Ice Palace Saturday and owned a 5-2 cushion by the start of the final frame.

The following day, the Colonials grabbed a 3-1 lead once again and turned a 5-3 cushion into the big win with three unanswered third period goals.

Nick Kaye (‘01/Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) led the Colonials charge with three goals and two assists. Dante Bagnasco (‘00/Mesa, Ariz.) added two goals and three assists, and Seth Morris (‘01/Charlottetown, P.E.I.) scoring once with four set ups.

For the Blades, Tristan Roost (‘00/Fort Myers, Fla.) and Blake Tosto (‘99/Bloomfield Hills, MIch.) both scored twice, with Tosto adding two assists.

Ahead: While Atlanta hosts Tampa, Charleston will cross divisional and state lines to face the Charlotte Rush for the upcoming weekend.

Southeast – Junior Canes lead the pack

All six teams from the Southeast Division looked good at the South Showcase the previous week, but a week later, on home ice, the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes came up with its biggest wins of the season, sending the Hampton Roads Whalers home with an extremely rare 0-2 weekend.

The Richmond Generals also took a pair in a home and home set with the Potomac Patriots.

Whalers 3 @ Jr. Canes 4

Whalers 4 @ Jr. Canes 5

Playing on home ice at the Polar Ice House, the Canes grabbed the lone goal of the opening period and never trailed in the Saturday contest, holding leads of 3-1 and 4-2 before Jacob Kaplan (‘99/Bowie, Md.) fired his third of the game for the Whalers with 5:55 to go.

The Whalers got no closer in this one, with Alex Nilsson (‘00/Munkfors, Sweden) firing the game winner, his second of the contest early in the final period.

On Sunday, the Whalers did see the lead, scoring two unanswered opening period goals, but the Canes owned a 3-2 lead after 40 and added two more in the first nine minutes of the third to hold a 5-2 edge.

The Whalers struck back for two goals in 1:48 to make it close with about six and half minutes to go, but once again, the visitors could get no closer. Kyle Watson (‘00/Wakefield, England) added a goal and three assists.

Ahead: The Jr. Hurricanes make the trip to Prince William, Va., to face Potomac, and the Whalers travel up the peninsula to go up against the Richmond Generals for a pair.

Generals 6 @ Patriots 0

Patriots 3 @ Generals 4

Four third period goals turned a narrow 2-0 cushion into the 6-0 final for the visiting Generals at Prince William Ice Center on Saturday.

The return match was a much closer, the visiting Patriots holding a 2-1 edge after 20 minutes at SkateNation Plus before the Gens fired a pair of unanswered middle period markers and put it away with a clincher with 1:42 to go.

Matt Wood (‘00/Garnet Valley, Penn.) scored twice and added an assist for the Generals and defenseman Zachary Correia (‘02/Brampton, Ont.) picked up three assists. Adam Krofchalk contributed the game winner on Sunday and Ryan Creenan (’99/Colonial, N.J.) turned aside 21 shots to earn the shutout in goal Saturday.

Daniils Berzins (‘01/Liepovja, Latvia) fired two of the three Patriot goals on Sunday.

Ahead: The Generals get set to host the Whalers, and the Patriots host the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes.