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Liam was a key component of the Eels Premier team’s success this past season. The Eels won their regular season championship in the Florida Division and their Playoff Division finishing as Finalist at Nationals.

He owned  the Florida Showcase back stopping all 4 games and had 13 very impressive wins over his tenure.

Best of luck buddy

2021 USPHL NCDC Combine In Detroit A Great Success For Players, Teams

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com, 04/25/21, 5:45PM EDT

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The first of two USPHL NCDC Combines took place on Friday and Saturday, April 23-24, at Mount Clemens Ice Arena in suburban Detroit, Mich.

Several teams from both divisions of the National Collegiate Development Conference were in attendance to scout 210 players. Organizations representing every one of the nine transcontinental USPHL Premier divisions, and all four USPHL Elite divisions, were in attendance to scout and offer player opportunities at those levels as well.

Throughout the weekend, there were 15 games (three for each of 10 teams put together by the event organizers), in addition to two Goaltender-specific training sessions and a USPHL NCDC Informational Seminar on Friday afternoon.

The seminar featured new USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow, as well as fellow League Office members John Rose (Deputy Commissioner / USPHL Premier and Elite) and Frank Scarpaci (South Director / USPHL Premier and Elite), along with Jim Hunt, a member of the USPHL Executive Committee and President/Associate Head Coach of the NCDC’s Dineen Cup Champion Jersey Hitmen.

Additionally, event host Justin Quenneville of the Metro Jets was joined by NCDC coaches from the Connecticut Jr. Rangers (Jim Henkel) and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders (Mike Marcou).

“Our job at the USPHL is to help advance you to a higher level of hockey, whether that be the NCDC, to a higher level of junior hockey, or to college hockey,” said Turow, to a crowd of more than 150 players and parents learning about the Nation’s Largest Amateur Hockey League. “I’m very proud and it’s very important for me as the Commissioner of the League that we are a pathway to college for everybody in this room or everyone who plays in this league, whether that be Division I hockey, Division III hockey or ACHA. We want to be seen as your pathway to college.”

“It’s a very unique ‘cradle to college’ model of player development,” said Hunt, who helped create both the USPHL and the NCDC as its top, tuition-free division. He went on to underscore the importance of being a good student, regardless of your level of play. “What we focus on is what kind of student are you? We [as the Hitmen] know what kind of hockey player a certain player is, but we ask him ‘Tell us about your Mom and Dad,’ we ask about their siblings if they have them, but most importantly we ask ‘What kind of student are you?'”

“You have a lot of choices. There are a lot of leagues,” added Scarpaci, who is the owner of the Florida Eels, who field teams at the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite levels. “This league epitomizes the concept of player development, and brings it to the next level.”

He went on to talk about the amazing success of the USPHL, which has sent more than 2,000 players on to college hockey in its eight years. More than 3,200 players have advanced to college hockey from all of the USPHL’s Member Organizations.

Throughout the weekend, NCDC, Premier and Elite coaches jumped behind the bench to coach prospective future USPHL talent. Additionally, everywhere you looked after every game, players and their parents were meeting and exchanging information with teams to make connections for future opportunities whether in 2021-22 or beyond.

The games were fast and very even in most cases as players put out every ounce of energy they had to work towards a potential spot in the No. 1 league for player advancement, whether that be from one level of junior to the next higher, or directly into college hockey.

The USPHL thanks all of the 210 players, and in many cases their parents as well, for attending and participating, as well as the more than 40 distinct USPHL organizations from coast to coast that sent representatives for making this a fantastic event from start to finish.

The USPHL also thanks the on-and off-ice officials who worked the games and made every on-ice event run smoothly.

To top it off, the staff of the host Metro Jets and their home rink, the Mount Clemens Ice Arena, went above and beyond in their hospitality and service to all of the participants, coaches and the League from before dawn Friday morning straight to Saturday evening, and the USPHL thanks them immensely for their efforts.

The next USPHL NCDC Combine will take place May 14-15 in Chicago, Ill., at Fifth Third Arena, the practice home of the Chicago Blackhawks and new home of the USPHL Premier’s Chicago Cougars. Player registration for that event is sold out.

Coaches Frankie Scarpaci Alex Sanchez and GM Frank Scarpaci all attended the USPHL Combine in Detroit Michigan this past weekend as they kicked off their 2021-22 recruiting season. There were 220 skaters and 30 goalies competing at the NCDC Combine.

The Eels coaches arrived a day early to get things started and met with over a dozen players who they targeted as key prospects who might fit into the Eels system. The Eels coaches are very selective in their scouting and recruiting. They look for a certain quality in the players’ skill set and  certain character traits.

We are looking for players who share our philosophy  and who posses the work ethic which is the hallmark of our program.

We were happy in who we talk with.

In two weeks we head to Boson MA for our first showcase. We will have 3 teams of Eels prospects. 60 players who all are looking to showcase their skills as they tryout out for the Eels’ program for the Fall

Announcing The 2020-21 USPHL Elite Florida Division All Stars

 

By USPHL Staff 

 

The USPHL is proud to announce its 2020-21 USPHL Elite Mid-Atlantic Division All-Stars as voted by the division’s coaches. Congratulations to all of these players in their future endeavors!

 

Listed below in alphabetical order:

 

Ryan Bahula, Tampa Bay Juniors (Forward ‘03 St. Petersburg, Fla.)

His 31 goals and 64 points tied him at the top of the league’s scorers. Five of his goals along with nine assists came on Juniors power plays and Bahula also fired four game-winners adding another goal on his only shootout attempt of the season. He also had two Premier game call-ups. With 105 points, he is second all-time in Tampa scoring.

 

Vincent Cartier, Florida Eels (Forward ‘04 St-Germain-de-Graham, Que.)

In 40 games with the Eels, Cartier collected nine goals and 26 points. Three of those goals, along with a half dozen assists came on Eels’ power plays and one of them was a game-winning goal.

 

Ryan Chambre, Florida Eels (Defense ‘03 Fort Myers, Fla.)

The local product for the Eels, Chambre played 39 games with the Elite Eels this season, scoring seven goals and collecting 27 points. Two of his goals along with five assists came on Eels’ plowerplays and he also notched a pair of game-winners.

 

Matt Clift, Florida Eels (Forward ‘01 Broomfield, Colo.)

Clift was a great playmaker, scoring a dozen  and setting up another 23 for the Eels for 35 points in 40 games this season. Two goals and three assists came on power play opportunities and Clift added a goal and assist while shorthanded as well. Clift scored three game winners and was called on in shootouts twice, scoring both times.

 

Nash Cobbs, Tampa Bay Juniors (Defense ‘03 Dunellon, Fla.)

One of many local area products for the Juniors, Cobbs collected five goals and 21 assists in 36 games for the Juniors, with a goal and nine assists coming with the team up a skater. He also added a shorthanded assist.

 

Case Cook, Charleston Colonials (Defense ‘03 Charleston, S.C.)

Cook notched four goals and added 17 assists for 21 points in 38 games played with the Colonials. He notched a goal and set up six others on the power play and one of the goals was a game-winner. Cook also collected two assists with the Colonials shorthanded.

 

Adam Custable, Tampa Bay Juniors (Forward ‘03 Tampa, Fla.)

Custable contributed 24 goals and 60 points playing for his hometown team. A key on the special teams, Custable had 13 assists with the extra attacker and scored another five and adding two other goals with the Juniors killing a penalty. Three of his goals were game-winners for the Juniors.

 

Landen Engles, Florida Eels (Forward ‘03 Sioux Falls, S.D.)

Engles collected 13 goals and 34 points for the Eels in 41 regular season contests, two goals and a half dozen points coming with an extra attacker. He also notched a game-winner which came on his lone shootout attempt this season. He had previously played for new USPHL Premier team the Pueblo Bulls.

 

Jack Fleer, Tampa Bay Juniors (Forward ‘02 Lutz, Fla.)

Another member of the potent Juniors’ offense, Fleer collected 20 goals and 46 points in just 38 games this past season. He scored six times and added four assists on the Tampa power play and four of his goals were game-winners. Fleer also added an assist on the penalty kill.

 

Sebastian Hale, Charleston Colonials (Forward ‘03 Dallas, Texas)

Hale played 29 games with the Colonials, collecting 10 goals and 24 points with a goal and eight helpers coming on the powerplay. Hale impressed enough to be selected four times in shootouts, and he was a big help in the playoffs and Nationals, where the Colonials reached the National Championship game.

 

Kaleb Harrop, Florida Eels (Forward, ‘01 St. Louis, Mo.)

Harrop was second overall in team scoring and first in goals, potting 27 and collecting 46 points in 40 games for the Eels. Five of those and eight points total came on the powerplay while Harrop triggered two game winners and scored on the only shootout attempt he made. He was one of many players on this list who skated in the first-ever USPHL Elite All-Star Game at Hub City Tampa.

 

Zachary Humphrey, Florida Jr. Blades (Goalie ‘02 Naples, Fla.)

Humphrey played 24 games for the Blades this past season and faced nearly 1000 shots, stopping all but 98 of 968. He collected a shootout win and stopped six of 11 post-game shootout attempts.

 

Filip Kuba, Tampa Bay Juniors (Defense ‘04 Woodbury, Minn.)

Kuba led all defenders in scoring for the Juniors, firing 10 goals and adding 19 assists for 29 points in 41 games. A key cog on the powerplay, Kuba scored four times and added three assists when the Juniors had the extra attacker, two others coming while shorthanded. His father, also Filip, is a Juniors assistant coach and a former NHL player for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

Rory Neish, Florida Jr. Blades (Forward ‘02 Wichita, Kan.)

The team might have struggled, but opposition clubs had a hard time slowing down Neish who collected 16 goals and 47 points. One of his goals and seven points came on power plays and another goal, along with an assist come with the team shorthanded. He fired two game-winners, one coming on a shootout goal.

 

Marco Pineda, Charleston Colonials (Forward ‘02 Charleston, S.C.)

Pineda played just 26 games for the Elite Colonials this season but that was enough to rack up 13 goals and 26 points. He excelled on special teams, scoring all but five of his goals with the extra attacker and adding a couple assists. He also fired a shorthanded marker and three of his goals were game winners. He also posted seven points in 16 Premier games, as well. Leading the Elite team with 51 career points, he’s set the bar high for the second-year Colonials.

 

Jeremy Pizzola, Florida Jr. Blades (Defense ’03 Cape Coral, Fla.)

Pizzola connected on three goals and added 18 assists in regulation time with the Junior Blades. One of the goals and five assists came on power play opportunities and he also added a shorthanded assist. Pizzola added a goal on his only Shootout chance of the season. A career Jr. Blade, he goes back to 15U hockey in the USPHL.

 

Brody Smojice, Charleston Colonials (Forward ‘02 Charleston, S.C.)

The team’s leading scorer this season was a hometowner, Smojice notching 16 goals and collecting 30 points in 37 games with the Elite Colonials this season. He racked up 12 points, including seven goals, on the powerplay and added a goal and assist while playing shorthanded. Two of his goals were game-winners. His 44 career points are close behind Pineda’s for career numbers.

 

Evan Spinella, Tampa Bay Juniors (Goalie ‘03 Tampa, Fla.)

Spinella split the work in goal and put up a 13-4-2-0 record in 22 games this past season. Spinella faced 570 shots and collected a 2/69 Goals Against Average with a Shooting Percentage of .909 and a shutout. He is a former 15U Jr. Blades teammate of Jeremy Pizzola from 2018-19.

 

Korey Walker, Atlanta Mad Hatters (Defense ‘04 Loganville, Ga.)

A local product for Atlanta, Walker scored five goals and picked up 13 points for the Mad Hatters in 32 games. A goal and a couple of the assists came on Mad Hatter power plays and he also set up a goal while shorthanded. One of his goals was a game-winner. The ‘04 also got his first couple games in with the Premier team.

 

Sebastian Zamborsky, Atlanta Mad Hatters (Forward ‘03 Atlanta, Ga.)

The team’s leading scorer, Zamborsky collected 19 goals and 31 points for the Mad Hatters in 40 games. Two of his goals were game-winners and Zamborsky contributed four goals and nine points on the power play. He got a three-game look with the Premier squad.

 

Anthony Zebley, Florida Eels (Forward ‘04 Philadelphia, Pa.)

He played just 34 games but that was enough for Zebley to lead the Eels in scoring this season, firing 22 goals, and collecting 49 points. He contributed five goals and 10 points on the Eels’ powerplay and another goal and assist while shorthanded. Zebley played for the Jr. Blades 16U team last season. His brother T.J. was a Premier All-Star.

2021 Florida Eels Tryouts

The Florida Eels do not host traditional tryouts. We are very unique in our approach of recruiting and signing players for its teams.

The Florida Eels use essentially a Showcase invite to prospective players so we can evaluate talent and character  of each player. Specifically the Eels invite players to join an Eels team at one of the showcases listed below. The teams are essentially All Star Showcase teams made up of prospects and existing Florida Eels players. They compete in a tournament style of play against teams from across the USA Canada and Europe. The teams are coached by Eels coaches, and in some cases college coaches Prep School coaches and Eels alumni currently playing college hockey. These are excellent vehicles for prospects to evaluate if they want to play for the Eels.

The Eels coaches and General Manager will meet individually with the players and their parents to discuss the Eels program, day in a life with the Eels ,player development , college placements and billeting.

The Eels coaches strongly feel that it is much better to evaluate a player’s skill set and hockey sense by seeing him compete in showcase settings against top players from the USA, Canada and Europe than having players perform perfunctory drills. So we encourage prospects to join us at one or more of these showcases.

There are 3 Post Season Tryout Showcases:

The first showcase will be held May 7-9th, 2021.  The USPHL Spring Showcase.     The team will compete at the Foxboro Sports Center in Foxboro, Massachusetts.  Players born 2001-2005 are eligible to play. This is an excellent “gate out of the gate” event to showcase your skills in front of NCDC and NCAA college coaches as well. It is a smaller event compared to the Pro Am Series but for players who are looking for an immediate commitment this is clearly the showcase to attend.

The second showcase is the New England Pro Am NHL PreDraft.  This showcase will be held on June 11th-13th in Canton, Foxboro, and North Attleboro, Massachusetts.  Players born 2001-2004 are eligible to play.  We will have two teams at this showcase: Junior A which is players born 2001-2004 and College which is players 2002-2004.

 

The third showcase is the New England Pro Am Senior Chowder Cup.  This showcase takes place July 22nd-25th, 2021 in Foxboro and Canton, Massachusetts.

The Pro-Am PreDraft and the Pro Am Senior Chowder Cup series are the most prestigious post-season showcases in North America.  They are the granddaddy of them all.  It brings teams from all across the USA, Canada, and Europe.  The teams consist of some of the top players in the world.  It provides invaluable experience to players who will play with and against some of the highest level of players in the world.  Many NHL, NCAA Division I and III players have competed in this venue.  Players also garner phenomenal exposure as it is scouted by NHL General Managers, Coaches and Scouts.  NCAA Division I and III coaches, and a plethora of scouts from the USHL, BCHL, NCDC, NHL, USPHL and a host of other junior leagues.

 

All of these showcases offer phenomenal exposure to college and junior coaches.  All players who compete at these events with the Eels will be assured a spot on a USPHL team.

 

 

The Eels are one of the top junior programs in the USA. They have consistently been one of the top programs in the USA for over a decade.  This past season the Eels’ Premier team were Finalist at the USPHL Nationals and were the USPHL Florida Divisional Champions.

Both the Elite and Premier  teams are amongst the top in the league.  The Eels have made it to the finals 3 times in its history, 7 times as semi-finalist.  Each year over 12 players from its teams advance to college.  Indeed, the Eels have advanced over 266 players to college hockey, including NCAA Division I and III and ACHA Division ! and II college hockey programs

This year the Eels  strongly encourages interested players to contact us to participate in one of these tryout showcase teams. Note that  these forums are in Massachusetts.

The cost for each showcase is $375.00. Players are responsible for their own transportation, food and lodging.

To make application for a spot on one of the showcase teams you must contact Clare Scarpaci at 941-400-0712. eelshockeycoach@aol.com or Frank Scarpaci Florida Eels GM at GM@floridaeels.com. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Frank Scarpaci Florida Eels Junior Program. 941-400-9023

The Florida Eels Kicks off their annual summer training for players born 2006-2001.

Also welcome are Florida Eels college and professional alumni players looking to garner post season training to get ready for the upcoming season.

These sessions are high tempo practices geared for the high end player who is looking to bring his game to the Next Level. The focus is strictly on skill development. For any player who intends to play on the Eels Premier, Elite or its newly formed Midget Junior Development team – these sessions  are a must.

There will be two 1 1/2 hour on ice practices  per week Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 am  – 10:30 am and there will be 3 off ice hours TBA to be held at  Gulf Coast Fitness and at the Ft Myers Skatium.

The cost for 4 weeks is $200.00 This includes eight  1 1/2  hour ice sessions and 12 hours of off-ice conditioning.

Players must register ahead of time. Contact Frank Scarpaci 239-728-1223