USPHL PREMIER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEWS: FLORIDA EELS

6 MAR | BY FRANK SCARPACI

 

USPHL Premier National Championships Previews: Florida Eels
By USPHL Staff/USPHL.com, 03/06/20, 12:00PM EST

The Florida Eels Premier team went into the Florida Divisional playoffs taking nothing for granted and leaving nothing to chance. They are a team that defies the word complacency.

They had a lot to be excited about. After all, both the Eels Premier team and the Eels Elite squad finished first in the Florida Division in their respective divisions.

In fact, they held on to first place the entire season.

“That was indeed phenomenal in and of itself,” said General Manager Frank Scarpaci. “Over the last month or so, rather than taking their foot off the proverbial pedal, the Premier team heightened its training. They continued their daily training three hours per day and then some. No letting up.”

In the playoff round, it showed. The Eels Premier team took their crosstown rivals the Florida Jr Blades by storm. In Game 1, they shut out the Blades 4-0.

“They were men on a mission. All cylinders were firing. The ice seemed tilted,” added Scarpaci.

In Game 2 of the playoffs, the Eels outgunned the Blades 6-3 to sweep the weekend in two games.

The Eels now move on to Boston for Nationals. They will face teams from the Mid-Atlantic Division, the Midwest East and the New England. The final teams are yet to be determined.

“Those decisions will be made this weekend after the playoff rounds in the North and Midwest are completed [March 5-8]. But the preparation won’t change this week,” said Scarpaci. “The boys are poised and determined as ever. These boys are anything but cocky or arrogant. All of the teams there will be very good. After all, they had to be good all season long to earn the right to advance to playoffs and they had to be very good to advance to Nationals.

The Eels have played some of the top teams still competing in mid-March, including the Rockets Hockey Club (4-2 win on Sept. 29), Islanders Hockey Club (5-3 win on Dec. 19) and the Philadelphia Hockey Club (4-3 win on Nov. 16).

“Those games are history. Teams improve. Personnel changes,” said Scarpaci. “Playoffs are a new season.”

The Eels were planning to spend between March 5-9 watching a lot of playoff hockey to scout their potential opposition.

“USPHL teams that advance to Nationals are all extremely strong and have very talented players,” Scarpaci added. “We can count on one thing and that is, knowing our team, the Eels will be ready and that is what we can control.”

National Championship Schedule To Be Determined