The Florida Eels Premier Team Sweeps The Jr Blades in Weekend Homestand.
There is no doubt the Christmas Break did the Eels Some Good. You could see it at practice. You can see it in the locker room. Most of all you could see it in games. The boys needed a break and they look refreshed. They look revived, energized and full of spirit and very focused. They came back with the same zeal determination hunger and thirst as they were in early September. It is funny. In junior hockey the Holiday breaks can go one or two ways. Players either come back lethargic unenthused and ready for the season to end. Or they come back hungrier than ever. Coach Frankie Scarpaci says he is not at all surprised. This group of guys are high character young men, they are here for a purpose. Look at our roster. We don’t have guys coming just to finish their final years before they age out. Our scouting was targeted. We wanted guys who shared our philosophy. To train develop and win a National Championship. Not guys who simply want to go to college but guys who are willing to make all the sacrifices to reach those ends.
When the boys hit the ice on Saturday and Sunday it was readily apparent how impressed folks were with their speed. They were flying. They were relentless in their for-check. They went after the puck as though it was a thousand-dollar bill. Everyone is dialed in and bought in to our program and systems. When you see very player blocking 2-3 shots. When you see every player shooting 4-5 times per game. The Eels pounded close to 50 shots on Saturday and close to 70 on Sunday. There were another 20 that even missed the net blasting the boards.
The Eels hitting was systematic and continuous. Each player finding his man and denying or frustrating the Blades offense. No doubt the Eels players are getting ready for playoffs. It is all about mental and physical preparation for the next 10 or so games.
On Saturday the Eels won 9-2.
Jean-Simon Robidouxreturns to the Eels where he left off having 4 goals and 2 assists for a 4-point night. He has 8 points in his 6 games played.
Nikita Pinimyasov a 4-point night
Lukas Aaw and Demeed Podrezovboth had 3 points on the evening.
Scoring went as follows:
Lukas Aaw (6) ASST: Nikita Pinimyasov (20), Jean-Simon Robidoux (2) (PP)
Jean-Simon Robidoux (1) ASST: Jared Figueroa (15), Colton Crabtree (15)
Gabriel Hemstrom (13) ASST: Nikita Pinimyasov (21)
Jean-Simon Robidoux (2) ASST: Nikita Pinimyasov (22), Demeed Podrezov (12)
Gage McNeish (1) ASST: Yan Kalinovskiy (18), Jean-Simon Robidoux (3)
Demeed Podrezov (17) ASST: Jace Lis-D’Alessandro (11) (SH)
Jean-Simon Robidoux (3) ASST: Jared Figueroa (16), Lukas Aaw (15)
Nikita Pinimyasov (16) ASST: Demeed Podrezov (13), Lukas Aaw (16) (SH)
Jean-Simon Robidoux (4) ASST: None (PS)
In net for the Eels was Viktor Paulsson (W)who turned away 18 of 20 shots. He played solid securing the win for the Premier team.
In Sunday’s match, up the Eels Premier team came out with the same intensity and hunger. They were not taking anything for granted. Yesterday’s win over the Jr. Blades was just that coach Frankie Scarpaci echoed. “Yes, it was nice. But we can’t be satisfied and be complacent. We cannot think for one single minute the Jr Blades or their coaching staff will cave. These guys have too much respect and heart. We know all too well a team can get beat badly one night and come back the next day and hand you a huge loss” The Eels were in their building and last night there were over 500 fans. Many Jr Blades families. Sunday, we expected the crowd to be bigger. In fact, there were over 650 people there to watch the game. It was lively and spirited.
The Eels came out in kind and win final score 8-1. They fired 68 shots on the Jr Blades goalies. The Blades countered at 28 on the Eels net minder. In fact, the Eels must have missed the net another 20 times as well. All cylinders were firing. The Blades did strike first with the 1stgoal at the 2-minute mark of the 1stperiod but then the Eels came storming back. They tied it up at the 5 minute mark with a key goal by Colton Crabtree (11) ASST: Jared Figueroa (17), Jean-Simon Robidoux (4)
and went ahead never looking back from a go-ahead goal by Jacob Handfast (10)
ASST: Gavin Medina (6), Colton Crabtree (16).
The Eels scored 6 in the 2ndperiod
Gabriel Hemstrom (14) ASST: Demeed Podrezov (14), Lukas Aaw (17) (PP)
Hayden Haldane (15) ASST: Nikita Pinimyasov (23), JP Montmarquette (13)
Stephan Sizov (4) ASST: Filip Skorec (12), Hayden Haldane (18)
Demeed Podrezov (18) ASST: Nikita Pinimyasov (24), Gage McNeish (5) (SH)
Stephan Sizov (5) ASST: Hayden Haldane (19), JP Montmarquette (14)
Yan Kalinovskiy (14) ASST: Lukas Aaw (18), Gabriel Hemstrom (21)
Danick Francoeur (W)played an outstanding game in net turning away 25 shots. He has been very strong since his return to the Eels.
