By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com

Florida Eels

Seed: Florida #1

All games at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica

Seeding Round

Day 1: MJDP, 11 a.m.

Day 2: Islanders Hockey Club, 1:30 p.m.

Make it six Premier Nationals in a row for the Florida Eels – and in the last couple, they’ve made it well past the round robin, so you have that feeling this Eels team is just knocking on the title door every year now. In 2021, they reached the National final but fell in a close 2-0 battle with the Charlotte Rush. Last year, they powered through the round robin, past the quarterfinals and into the semifinals before falling to the eventual champion Rockets Hockey Club – again, a close one at 3-2.

“It’s a credit to the veteran leadership that we’ve had throughout these past few seasons. They’ve done a good job about making newer players feel welcome, establishing our culture and showing how we do things here,” said Head Coach Frankie Scarpaci. “They’ve also done an incredible job of reinforcing our structure. The whole group is really close and I can’t say enough about how hard they work each and every day.”

Go down the roster and look at how many years some of these players have been dedicated to this program – Easton Moore, four years; Collin Patterson, three years; 10 more with two years of Eels experience. These players are not only getting a fantastic junior career of preparation for college hockey, but they are determined to bring a national championship to Fort Myers, Florida.

And these players are some of the top talents in the East Coast portion of the Premier Conference, where every team’s defense and goaltending is tough to the point where you don’t quite see the higher offensive numbers of the western half of the league. Three of the four East Coast teams with at least six players scoring 40 points or better will be at the Nationals – the Eels, Charlotte Rush and New York Aviators. The fourth, the Utica Jr. Comets, won their first playoff round and pushed the National-bound Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights to three games.

Further, the Eels and Aviators were the only two East Coast teams to make Top 10 in goals per game to end the season, with the Eels clocking in at sixth with 5.77 per contest. Florida’s scoring depth certainly helped give them a two-win sweep of the Palm Beach Typhoon at the Florida Division playoffs. The depth goes beyond the forward lines, too.

“A lot of players [led the way in the Florida Division playoffs],” said Coach Scarpaci. “That’s pretty much been the case all year, as it hasn’t been just one player but the depth of our lineup. We love our goaltenders. Our defense brings a lot of different play styles together and the depth scoring of our forwards has been the heart of this team. Some games it’s Patterson, others Moore, Damon Kiwaysew, or even on the back end with Kyle Ziemba, Eric Hambling, Brayden Goddard, etc. Our first round was no different.

“I think the team is happy with our series against the Typhoon. They did well testing us with their transition game and I think we got better as the series went on about maneuvering through their forecheck,” Scarpaci added. “I think it was a good first round for us to build off of.”

Second-year forward Devin Shepherd led the Eels in scoring against the Typhoon, with four points. He was one of nine goal-scorers in the series, and there were 15 Eels point-scorers in the series. That matches up well with the regular season, where 28 Eels scored goals and 31 had points, including goaltender Duncan Rolleman. Leading the way this year was Moore at 71 points with Patterson right behind at 70.

Both Rollemann and Tobias Bell finished in the top 20 for goals against average, at 2.25 and 2.41, respectively. In January, the team also brought in former QMJHL major junior goalie Adam Rouleau, who went 8-0 and had a .960 save percentage (but just didn’t play enough minutes over the course of season to be ranked among league leaders).

To top all this off, Kyle Ziemba’s +58 was the top rating for all USPHL Premier defensemen for the regular season. They hurt you at offense, defense, goaltending. We’ll just have to see if any of the Eels’ opponents can find some chink in the armor, because there’s nothing obvious. And an already sharp ax blade of a team is going to get down to a hair-splitting edge with a week of practice.

“It’s the details. Just making sure the little things are clicking. Structure and situational stuff are team by team adjustments, but at the end of the day there’s a ton of good teams,” said Scarpaci. “Its who’s going to execute and who’s going to apply. I believe in this group.”

The Eels will see a tough Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP) with the goaltender holding the best save percentage in the league in Taylor White. From there, they’ll have an Eels vs. Islanders Hockey Club showdown, taking on one of the traditionally toughest New England Division teams. The Eels and Islanders have only met at one Nationals, back in 2018, a 5-0 Islanders win.

“Every team at Nationals will be very good. We’ve done a good job about getting to showcases and playing a lot of the top teams throughout our schedule,” said Scarpaci. “The good news is we have experience, and understand just how deep the league is. We like that our team seems to adapt to a variety of different opponents’ play styles.”

The Eels Premier team swept the Palm Beach Typhoon in two games

Very exciting for the guys This is another key milestone for the Eels as they repeat year after year showing supremacy in the Florida Division. It came with hard work, determination and fortitude. It wasn’t just a weekend of success but 35+ weeks of unwavering commitment that piloted this team. When you train 4-5 hours per day 5 days per week it brings results. The boys are battled tested not in just games but in prep. You win long before you get to the lockerromm on game day.

Anyone who saw that game readily could discern where this team was.

This was a clean and convincing win 5-2

On the way to Nationals

Eels Defeated Madhappters 10-4 in Game 3 and Now Advance To Nationals
Game Three in the Best 2 out of 3 The Eels Elite vs Madhatters The drama the tension the explosive games….the setting was set and the Eels showed why they were the top team in the Regular Season in the tough Florida Division. What an incredible game put on by the Eels players. Be it in net on the blue line and up front anyone watching would concur these guys could not and would not be beat. They were all dialed in and on fire.

Give credit to the Madhatters. They were one o the most improved team this season in the Florida Division. They brought their A game and were able to give a hiccup to the Eels in game one of the playoffs. In fact they were a very skilled team and had some very talented players. But the Eels were too deep in every position. The training paid off. Whenever you have a team that trains 4-5 hours per day, plays in an extra 15 scrimmage games as a training vehicle, along with their 44 game season, you simply have players who are so well prepared and ready for any opponent. Our formula from day one at training camp is not to be good, it is toe great.

Congrats guys

And We Are National Bound….
With great pride i present you with the USPHL Florida Div Elite Champions: The Florida Eels. What an incredible Regualr Season Journey What a heck of a playoff run…. and Now we are Nationals Bound and we have our eye on the big package.

#USPHLPLAYOFFS, FLORIDA DIVISION, NEWS, PREMIER CONFERENCE, USPHL PLAYOFFS, USPHL PREMIER

Florida Division 

Florida Eels (1) vs. Palm Beach Typhoon (4) 

All games at Fort Myers Skatium

Florida Eels are home team for Games 1 and 3, and Palm Beach is home for Game 2

Game 1: Saturday, March 11, 4 p.m.

Game 2: Sunday, March 12, 7 p.m.

Game 3: Monday, March 13, 4 p.m. (if necessary) 

 

It’s happening in the USPHL Elite, where the Tampa Bay Juniors and Palm Beach Typhoon are representing the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of Florida. On the Premier side, it’s the Florida Eels and the Typhoon who will do battle to see which coast is represented at the USPHL Nationals in Utica, N.Y., March 23-28.

The Eels have been Florida Division champions for every season since 2018-19, and they have no intentions of yielding that title. They have also qualified for Nationals every season since the inaugural USPHL Premier season of 2017-18, another honor they hold onto tightly.

“Our recipe has proven who and what we are made up of – 20-plus points ahead of the second place team in Premier and 12 points ahead in Elite,” said Eels GM/Owner Frank Scarpaci. “MyHockeyrankings has Eels Premier team ranked No. 2 in nation and Elite so far ahead of most higher classified teams. Dan K Power Rankings has Premier at number 1 and Elite at number 4. We will advance 15, yes, 15 players to college this year. Another incredible season. But we take nothing for granted – that was the regular season.”

The Typhoon are excited for their USPHL Premier playoffs debut on Saturday.

“To make the playoffs in the second year is a nice accomplishment. The Eels were one of the top teams in our division, and one of the top teams in the league every year, so it’s a tough task. In a way, you want to play the best team to see where you fit. We have nothing to lose. Three games is a short series, so it’s a tough test. They’re deep.”

Deep and resilient. The Eels have made it to No. 1 yet again despite joining the Florida Jr. Blades in having to deal with the effects of one of the Gulf Coast’s toughest hurricanes in history.

“The floor fell out on the way home from the Hampton Showcase. We got hit with Hurricane Ian. Homes were destroyed, we went with limited provisions, minimal water, food, no power or internet for three-plus weeks. Businesses in our community were desecrated – no gas, etc.,” said Scarpaci. “People around the USA and Canada thjoiught the season was done. But they didn’t understand what being an Eel was or is. My players and staff rather than wobble or feel bad and sorry for ourselves looked around and took matters into our own hands and set out to be a solution. My players helped businesses get back together, cleaned up, helped families restore their homes. We got food and water to the families. We put hockey aside for three weeks and knew full well we would catch up.”

The Eels certainly did catch up, putting together a record of 36-6-1-1, and had not one but two 70-point scorers in Collin Patterson (71) and Easton Moore (70). An already strong goaltending duo of Duncan Rolleman and Tobias Bell was given an extra boost with the signing of Adam Rouleau, who came in with QMJHL major junior experience.

Palm Beach, meanwhile, brought back Vesse-Wincent Lampen, who saw Tier II NCDC games early in the season, and he racked up 40 goals and 72 points. The heartbeat, however, has been the Typhoon’s Captain.

“Without a doubt, Garret Jackson is our leader, the straw that stirs the drink on our team,” said Flanagan. “Fantastic leader, blocks six or seven shots per game. Also, Anton Egle and John Brace. Brace is a second year player – we had a must-win against Jr. Blades and he played very well to get us in the playoffs.”

He hopes that his team stays in every game, and shows the same mental toughness that got them into the playoffs.

“We seem to dig ourselves a hole against teams early, so one of the big things for us is getting through the first period. Having a bigger start is huge,” said Flanagan. “You can’t give a good team like the Eels a two or three goal lead.”

Scarpaci, whose team went 7-0-0-1 against the Typhoon, would just as well throw that record away. No previous history matters.

“We are now focused on playoffs not even Nationals, because you cannot get to Nationals unless you advanced in playoffs,” said Scarpaci. “We are not taking Palm Beach in Premier or Atlanta in the Elite lightly. We are spending fours hour per day on ice and off-ice with video, examining our opponents. Complacency is never in our DNA. We are entitled to nothing unless we earn it. We are hungrier than ever.”

The Eels who are ranked number 2 in the Nation and #1 in the USPHL Premier showed enormous composure and discipline and thawed any sustainable attack by the Typhoon.

The Florida Eels Premier team lived up to its billing and first place in the standing as they down the Palm Beach Typhoon 7-2 in game one of the Florida Division playoffs. The first period went by quite even but the Eels with incredible depth in all positions took matters into their own hands and unleashed lethal firepower on the Typhoon netminder.

The Eels who are ranked number 2 in the Nation and #1 in the USPHL Premier showed enormous composure and discipline and thawed any sustainable attack by the Typhoon. It was all business for the Eels. They were indeed very impressive. The passing razor sharp. The shots on net dead on. The fore-check smothering and back check equally suffocating Goaltending stellar

The two squads Face-off tonight at 7:00 pm at the Skatium or you can see it on Hockey TV

The Florida Eels Elite team had to win this morning to keep alive in the playoffs and they did just that with a 2-1 win over the Madhatters. The playoffs are best of 3 so now they go to game 3 Monday

In Period one, we still   did not look like ourselves We were in neutral and had to step it up a bit.

Period  two we looked much better finding our grove but in the 3rd period the Eels looked much like the Divisional winners. We had to elevate our pace and drive hard to the net

But in the end we looked like ourselves and came out victorious

Florida Eels 2 at Atlanta Mad Hatters 1 – Status: Final
Sunday, March 12, 2023 – Fort Myers Skatium

Florida Eels 0 1 1 – 2

Atlanta Mad Hatters 1 0 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Atlanta Mad Hatters, Jazdzewski 1 (Bowden, Sims), 19:27. Penalties-Marchetta Eel (slashing), 7:58; Blair Atl (roughing), 7:58; Gagnon Eel (cross-checking), 10:08; Lundberg Atl (high-sticking), 11:05; ClIngerman Eel (roughing), 19:52.

2nd Period-2, Florida Eels, Gagnon 1 (ClIngerman, Cermak), 11:27 (PP). Penalties-Grant Eel (holding), 3:48; DiLuzio Atl (hooking), 10:11.

3rd Period-3, Florida Eels, Marchetta 3   7:58. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Florida Eels 10-15-8-33. Atlanta Mad Hatters 8-11-14-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Florida Eels 1 / 0; Atlanta Mad Hatters 0 / 0.
Goalies-Florida Eels, St-Denis-Lacombe (33 shots-32 saves). Atlanta Mad Hatters, Dees (33 shots-31 saves).

Incredible display of the Eels player development model: This season a total of 6 Florida Eels Elite players will advance to college.
This season a total of 6 Florida Eels Elite players will advance to college. Today we list the 5 players who will be moving on to college in the Fall. Evan Spinella already has moved on to FGCU men’s ice hockey program.

Today we list the remaining 5 young men

# 6 Bailey Kaiser

# 17 Neil Campbell Jr

# 19 Jachym Cermak

# 30 Jake Mork

# 97 Grady Duden

As the Eels Premier team prepares for its most important games of the 2023 season – the Florida Division playoffs,- it is very proud to report that 10 of its players will be advancing to college this Fall. These boys know their legacy and all eyes are on the games this weekend against it East Coast rivals – the Palm Beach Typhoon. In the regular season the Eels finished in 1st place. In fact 22 points ahead of its next closet opponent in 2nd place and 27 points ahead of the Typhoon. But now we are in the playoffs and it is an entirely new season so to speak. The regular season is in the history books.

These 10 players along with the remaining 15 players on the team have one thing in mind: Defeating Palm Beach. As coach Frankie Scarpaci echoes, “We take nothing for granted. We are never complacent and our boys are never entitled”

These 10 players have been such impactful players all season long and there is no doubt they have the attention of the college coaches and their scouts. Interestingly, all are not the least bit preoccupied with college at this point. They know that the process will take care of itself. Right now it is Playoffs and that is what they are dialed in on. We are proud and honored that they have chosen to have played for the Eels program and we wish them the very best in their college careers.