Press Release from the USPHL
Season Opener: Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta MadHatters
The Eels certainly welcomed the new competition presented by the Bold City Battalion and were locked for much of the season in a fight for first in the regular season with their new rivals in Jacksonville and the Tampa Bay Juniors as well.
The Eels, with a long history of development and advancement to their name, are ready to come back for another go-round with the above teams and all other opponents in their multi-pronged mission of on-ice and advancement success.
“Our expectations for our group remain the same as they’ve been for years: get our way of working established when it comes to our practice and day to day and focus on getting better,” said Head Coach Frank Scarpaci III. “We want to win a lot of games and push for a Florida Division and National title, but that all starts with our Monday through Friday. There are a lot of new players, a lot of room for growth, and we just want steady progression to make a push at the end of the season.”
The Eels may have a number of new players, but they will be led on the ice by forward Anthony Zebley, entering his fourth Premier season and fifth overall Eels campaign.Fellow veterans include ‘04 defensemen Brendan Dohan and Jack Daher, as well as ‘05 forward Teddy Feng. All the returning veterans “have taken a significant step in their game,” said Coach Scarpaci.
From around the USPHL, the Eels have also welcomed in veterans Seth Morris, Owen Peters, Robin Kuusik and Ian Dracoulis.
“They all have quality junior experience within our league and we expect them to grab a hold of big roles this upcoming season,” added Scarpaci. “We’re also lucky enough to have some experienced goaltenders Russ Decoste (from the NOJHL) and Noah van Herik (NA3HL), both coming from other leagues, as well.”
The Premier team is also excited to be bringing up forward Alex Cochran and Reid Wilson from the Eels’ USPHL Elite squad.
“They know the organization and structure so far and have adjusted to the pace through practice so far,” added Scarpaci.
The Eels always spend a ton of hours, days and really months doing the work of recruiting and scouting, so don’t be surprised to see newcomers playing a big part in the Eels’ fortunes this year.
“We definitely have more youth this year, and that’s exciting for us,” said Scarpaci. “Some new, young energy is exciting for us so far. The ’06 trio of Xavier Charron, Kaler Ashton and EHL veteran Fernando Moreno have had an excellent camp and have added some depth to our group.”
