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The Florida Eels Elite team is looking for a huge Break Out weekend by some players.  In order for the team to reach its optimum potential we need  all of our guys  to perform. Not just a select few; we need them to set up and showcase their talents and this is the perfect weekend to start. It is the weekend before Thanksgiving and a pivotable juncture in the season. When we come back from the Thanksgiving break, we hit the games hard with 2 vs the Tampa Juniors home and away, 3 away games in Atlanta and the 4 game USPHL Showcase just before the Christmas break. That is 7 games set in December. Very exciting as there will be a plethora of college scouts at the Showcase and on Hockey TV  for the other 5 games for the pre showcase games garnering a snapshot and preview of the USPHL Christmas Showcase.

 

Challenges have been issued: Today we are looking for strong efforts from  20 year old veteran forward Pablo Palos from Texas. Pablo was hot earlier in the season who scored 4 goals and notched one assists. At 6’2 210 lbs. he offers size and power and has so much upside. We are looking for him to rekindle his offensive game and help pilot his team to a series of wins against the Blades and in December.  He has the scoring ability. We know that. It is time to put the puck in the net. Another key veteran that we expect to jump start his game is Nick Vasquez. He is a 3-year veteran of juniors and plays with a lot of physicality and spirit. He is very aggressive, and we are looking for him to channel those energies to score. We know he has the will to win. He needs to help put the team on the scoreboard.

 

In keeping with size we have 6’3” 200 lbs. rookie forward  Nathan Hedrick who has scored 2 goals and notched 1 helper. Nate can be a very towering forward and has very good skill set. We are looking for his fluent game to come on strong against the cross-town rivals. Once he finds his game, he will be a force to reckon with. The Eels are very high on him. This kid has a great attitude. A few goals from him will unleash the confidence he needs to become a power forward who can score. Next we are looking for 2nd year veteran Ciro Calvanese to continue with his scoring. He scored his first Eels goal in Atlanta and it was no surprise to GM Scarpaci or any of the coaching staff. He has incredible speed and acceleration. Last season he had more break always.  He simply needs to finish. Now that the ice has cracked so to speak, we feel this will be a regular occurrence. He is one of the most dedicated players on the team and we are all cheering for his success. We know he will do anything to help his team win. He now as added another element to his game. His  forechecking and physical  play. .That should help trigger offense.

 

Continuing with our Veterans is Peter Haas who came over from the Premier team. Haas no doubt will rise to the upper echelon on this team. He has a high hockey IQ very good skill set and a strong leader. He is a 3-year veteran of juniors and we are counting on him to get the team going. He is very strong in all 3 zones. I predict he will score this weekend.

 

On the rookie side  are  Trevor Bass and William Heikkila This is their  time to step up and show the coaches what they have. It is wide open. It does not matter if you are a rookie or 3-year veteran. We need players to expend every ounce of determination, spend all their  energies on every shift, forecheck with abandonment, relentlessly back check and drive to the net with thirst and hunger…. That is what we need from them.  They need to take their game to the next level. That extra shot. Make that clear pass. That effective hit. Take that  block shot. We are looking for some of the above forwards to bring secondary scoring that the team needs. Who will be that guy? Well it is as much an opportunity for any    of the guys listed above

 

On the Defense side, we have a number of guys who we need a great series  from:  2nd year veteran Steve Huitt , 3rd year veteran Payton Donica , Rookie Neil Campbell , 2nd year veteran JJ Peters and swing forward/defensemen and 2nd year veteran Zach Simbro. Simply stated we need more. Much more and it is their time that is why they are here to become impact players and get the experience to advance to the Next Level be it Premier and or college.

 

From our goalies, simple message. Stop the puck. Weather any storm. Be mentally tough.

 

We do believe the message was delivered this week at practice. No more waiting. No more thinking someone else is going to do it. No, it is up to you to step up here. This is a critical weekend to demonstrate your wares, talents energies fortitude and determination. I as General Manager is expecting to see a unit as a team and individuals to show me their unwavering commitment to win!!!

 

Congrats to Florida Eels Elite sniper Anthony Zebley for being selected as Player of the Week.
Anthony scored 2 goals in each of the 2 games against the Tampa Juniors  last week for a total of 4 on the weekend and notched 1 assists for a 5 point weekend. He was equally strong without the puck and offering his leadership in garnering 2 ties against Eels 1st place foes – the Tampa Juniors. He has already scored 9 goals and 11 helpers for 20 points He is close to scoring 2 points per game.

Weekend Round Up Eels vs Jr. Blades

This Weekend the Eels have a home and away series vs the Jr. Blades. The Premier team squares off Saturday at 3:20pm at home at the Fort Myers Skatium. They sit tied for 1st place with the Tampa Juniors with 20 points compared to the Jr Blades who are in 5th place in the Florida Division with only 2 wins 2 OT losses and only 6 points. The two squads meet again Sunday at Hertz Arena 12:15 pm to complete the weekend series.

 

The Eels are coming off a disappointing loss to the Tampa Juniors in last Sunday’s game. They were on a hot run where they out gunned Atlanta 8-0,  8-4 and 5-1 in a 3-game series in Atlanta. Then they unleashed a 8-2 bashing of the Tampa on Friday. They worked extremely hard this week to get back on track and look back to form.

 

The Elite team also has a home and away series starting with a late game Saturday evening 9:00 pm at home at the Skatium and then away at Hertz Arena at 9:15 am. The Eels Elite have 6 wins 4 losses and 3 OTLs for 15 points owning 2nd place. Compared that to the Blades 2 wins 13 losses and 1 otl for 5 points.  The Blades did manage a big win in Atlanta this past weekend and they are hoping to feed off of that this weekend. The Eels are coming off 2  tough over time losses against the Tampa Juniors and are looking to gain some day light between them and the 3rd place Madhatters who have 13 points on the season and about to travel down to Tampa to take on the Juniors. No doubt that will be a tall order for the Madhatters. The Eels know this could be a 4-point weekend and gain significant ground on Atlanta.

 

Please come and join us at the Skatium Saturday for our home games or if you cannot join us on HockeyTV.

For the 2nd time in the weekend series between the Eels and Tampa Elite the games went into OT. On both cases the Eels came up short as the Blades tipped it out of for the win the first game 7-6 and on Sunday Tampa put it to bed 4-3. These were 2 very hard fought battles for both teams. Tampa is a pretty good squad and the Eels should be proud of their efforts. They learned quite a bit from these games especially having to come back from a 4-1 deficit on Friday night. It builds character  and team identity.

The Eels Face-off vs the Jr Blades Saturday at home and away Sunday at Hertz

Demeed Podrezov is truly the best forward in the league. The numbers tell it all. He has GP 12 Goals 12 Assists 17 Points 29. 2.42 points per game. Compare those ahead of him they have 3, 5, and 8 more games  than him. In the last 6 games he has 6 goals and  6 assists for12 points. In the last game he had a hat trick including 2 short handed goals on the same shift. He is an impact player. He is a man amongst men and doing it right. With class poise and with unwavering intensity. He won Player of the Week in several times  and Player of the Month for October. What an incredible ambassador for the Florida Eels and the USPHL

Major Storm Warning Today at the Fort Myers Skatium When the Eels Take on The Tampa Juniors for Battle of West Coast Supremacy

Storms of this magnitude typically emanate from turbulence in the tropics. But here today, they develop from fierce and intense competition between the Florida Eels Junior Hockey Club and the Tampa Juniors. These two organizations have been amongst the best in the Florida Division over the past decade. The Eels have enjoyed first place most of those years and have advanced to the USPHL Nationals repeatedly. The Elite Division both the Eels and the Juniors have traded first place back and forth and National bids. Last season both the Premier and the Eels Elite teams held on to First Place the entire season.

The thunder erupted Friday evening when the Eels Premier team came storming into the Advent Center Ice and jolted the Tampa Juniors with a resounding 8-2 win. Tampa was in first place and the Eels took back what they called rightfully theirs. The Eels took no shift off. The Eels spread darkness all over the Tampa area and brought hurricane force winds within the arena. The Elite team equally made their mark. Despite spotting the Juniors a 4-1 first period the Elite guys came back, like a lingering hurricane in the Gulf, they propelled hard in the 2nd period with 5 goals to tie things up and in the 3rd period they again brought things all even 6-6 to be tipped in OT. The game showed that the Eels Elite were a team with unwavering resolve and commitment to win. This is especially impressive when you consider the Eels have 18 rookies on that squad. They brought all the energies and determination to the ice and came within inches to upset their first-place foes.

Today we can expect both Tampa teams to come roaring in with force to shake and rattle to the Skatium ice rink. No doubt the Tampa Premier is looking to avenge their 8-2 loss at the hands of the Eels. They are a solid club. Well coached and they posse 18 veteran players. They have enjoyed first place all season and “want it back.” But you know the Eels won’t be laying back sitting on their laurels. The Eels will be ready to take on the Tampa Juniors. Instead of taking yesterday off and enjoying their win, the Eels were hard at work breaking down every aspect of their game and recent wins. Winning is not happenstance. These boys take each and every opponent very serious. With instat they can and do break down every shift of every player and see what can be done to improve on it. We prepare like NCAA Div. 1 men’s teams. The Eels intend to rekindle their octane and fuel their fires. The result: One hell of a fire and ice storm expected today at 1:15 pm at the Fort Myers Skatium.

The Elite games ought to be equally thundering. The Eels want to prove they are better than a tie and they won’t let this game elude a win. Tampa wants to forget that the Eels were seconds and inches from a win. They won’t take the Eels lightly. They feel they had the Eels on the ropes at the end of the 1st period and they allowed them to stay alive. The Eels counter punch this theory by saying no way. We were asleep in the 1st period and feeling the effects of a 2 ½ hour bus ride and the real Eels team was there in the 2nd and 3rd periods. We shall see at today’s game 11:00 am drop of puck. Please join us live and support our guys or if you can’t join us on HockeyTV

The Florida Eels Premier Team Topples the Tampa Juniors 8-2 and Re-take First Place in their Division.

 

The Eels continued their 4-game winning streak and extend their record to 10 – 2 on the season and with last night’s win over the Tampa Juniors they recaptured first place in the Florida Division.  In their last 4 games the Eels have scored 29 goals and allowed a stingy 7 goals. Last night we saw the Eels continue with an offensive tent attack on their opponents. They do so without sparing defense They continue to dominate on the blue line and in net. The GAA clearly reflect this. In is impressive to watch. Every line in is sync. Every player knows and accepts his responsibility. Their passing is crisp and on target. They drive hard to the net with deliberation and with a purpose.

 

Last night the Eels fired 34 missiles on the Juniors converting 8. Moreover, the 34 shots were serious scoring opportunities. This team is on a mission. The folks in the stands were in awe as they were in Atlanta were, they saw the Eels defeat the Madhatters twice with two 8 goal games  and their 3rd game they torpedoed 5.

 

One thing for sure is the Eels coach Frankie Scarpaci has his players heads in check. They are not overly confident or cocky so to speak. They break down period by period in between periods what is going right and their inequities. What needs to be improved. What we need to fix and close the gaps. He never accepts complacency. Today for example rather than take the day off he is breaking down video and talking with each player about adjustments. This team preforms surgery out there. They expect excellence. Moreover, the players buy in. It is not a cheerleading effort. They work 5 hours per day on ice off ice and in video. The success here is not taken for granted.

 

The Eels have 20 points whereas the Tampa Juniors have 18 points in 2nd place. The game on Sunday will determine if the Eels hold 1st place by themselves or share it with the Juniors.

 

Come join us tomorrow at the Fort Myers Skatium at 1:15 pm drop of puck or on HockeyTV. This will undoubtedly be a very exciting game.

 

Stats for yesterday’s game were as follows:

 

Florida Eels 8 at Tampa Bay Juniors 2 – Status: Final
Friday, November 13, 2020 – Advent Health Center Ice

Florida Eels 2 2 4 – 8
Tampa Bay Juniors 0 1 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Florida Eels, Roost 9 (Swygert, Podrezov), 0:30. 2, Florida Eels, Dill 8 (Swygert, Zebley), 7:35. Penalties-Keenan Tbj (hooking), 5:29.

2nd Period-3, Florida Eels, Melikov 1 (Haddon- Harris, Gay), 11:41. 4, Tampa Bay Juniors, Stouffer 1 (Walker, Puterbaugh), 16:15. 5, Florida Eels, Zebley 8 (Dill, Court), 18:58 (PP). Penalties-served by Espinasse Eel (bench -too many players on the ice), 5:19; McNeish Eel (tripping), 12:53; Zimmermann Tbj (hooking), 17:20.

3rd Period-6, Florida Eels, Podrezov 10 (Court), 1:52 (SH). 7, Florida Eels, Podrezov 11 (Court, Melikov), 2:16 (SH). 8, Florida Eels, Patterson 2 (Dill, Court), 4:28. 9, Florida Eels, Podrezov 12 (McNeish, Dill), 15:05 (PP). 10, Tampa Bay Juniors, Walker 2 (Johnson), 18:39. Penalties-Maroszek Eel (tripping), 1:12; Heller Tbj (holding), 12:40; Hansen Tbj (cross-checking), 14:02; Castonguay Eel (high-sticking), 15:52.

Shots on Goal-Florida Eels 9-10-15-34. Tampa Bay Juniors 3-17-8-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Florida Eels 2 / 4; Tampa Bay Juniors 0 / 4.
Goalies-Florida Eels, Caron 6-1-0-0 (28 shots-26 saves). Tampa Bay Juniors, Kujawski 6-1-0-0 (34 shots-26 saves).

Friday Eels Premier and Elite Travel To Tampa to Square Off vs the Tampa Juniors 

12 Nov by Frank Scarpaci

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It has been since September that the Tampa Juniors and the Eels faced off. The two clubs are neck on neck tied for 1st place in the Premier Division and the Eels slightly edged out by the Tampa Elite team. These two clubs play every game and every series as though they are playoff games.
Friday night the Premier squad plays at 5:30 pm drop of puck 5:00 pm warm up.
The Elite guys play immediately after at 8:00 pm
On Sunday the two clubs square off against one another at home at the Fort Myers Skatium
The Elite team drop of puck at 11:00 am warm up at 10:30 am where as the Premier drop of puck is at 1:15 pm
Join us at the games or on HockeyTV