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Whalers Elite Sweep Florida Showcase, Premier Wins 3 of 4

By Whaler Nation, 12/18/17, 2:30PM EST

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Elite 3-0 WIN vs. Florida Eels

The Whalers Elite team kicked off the Florida Showcase Friday afternoon against the Florida Eels.  The Whalers started fast, striking just 1:46 into the game to go up 1-0.  Despite a 23-5 edge in shots in the opening half, the Whalers weren’t able to strike again, and the period ended 1-0.  In the 2nd half, the continued to fight penalty problems, but the penalty kill was strong and the Whalers power play converted twice to give the Whalers a 3-0 win.

Caelan Bolanowski, Nolan Cavanagh, and James Rowe scored for the Whalers.  Nolan Cavanagh and Caelan Bolanowski each notched 2 assists while Ty Brandt had 1.  Everett Yasinski notched 18 saves for his 3rd shutout of the season.

The Whalers held a 44-18 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 2 for 6 on the power play while Florida was 0 for 7.

Elite 7-2 WIN vs. Daytona Racers

In game 2 of the showcase, the Whalers Elite team faced off with a struggling Daytona Racers squad.  The Whalers came out flying, outshooting the Racers 32-4 in the 1st half and taking a 5-0 lead into the locker room.  In the second half, the Whalers continued the shooting onslaught, firing 29 more shots on net, as the teams exchanged 2 goals and the Whalers cruised to a 7-2 win.

Gary Eastlack and Ryan Lorenz each scored twice for the Whalers, while Noah Kramer, Adam Campbell, and Jacob Kaplan each scored once.  Gary Eastlack had 3 assists, Jacob Kaplan, Cody Wilson, and Ryan Lorenz each had 2, while Ty Brandt and Nick Darrow each had 1.  Michael Chmiel made 14 saves in net for his 1st victory of the season in net.

The Whalers held a 61-16 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 3 for 6 on the power play while Daytona was 1 for 2.

Elite 4-2 WIN vs. Potomac Patriots

Saturday’s night cap against Potomac was slow go early for the Whalers, as sloppy play led to a 1-0 Patriots lead in which they held until the final 21 seconds of the frame when the Whalers struck to tie things up 1-1.  With just 7 seconds left in the period, the Whalers struck again on a offensive zone face-off and the Whalers manage to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.  In the 2nd period, the sloppy play from the Whalers continued and the Patriots tied the game less than a minute into the half at 2-2.  With 13:35 left to play, the Whalers would re-take the lead, and strike again on the power play at 20:45 to take the 4-2 win.

Adam Campbell scored twice, Caelan Bolanowski and Jacob Kaplan each scored once.  Ryan Lorenz and Gary Eastlack each had 2 helpers, while Tyler Dienna, Ty Brandt, Tanner Davis, and Michael Volmert each had 1.  Everett Yasinski made 20 saves in net for the win.

The Whalers held a 44-22 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 1 for 3 on the power play while Potomac was 0 for 2.

Elite 9-0 WIN vs. Palm Beach Hawks

The final game of the showcase started much better for the Whalers elite team, as they started fast and continued to dominate all game.  The Whalers struck just under 3 minutes into the opening half and added 3 more goals before the break to take a 4-0 lead into the intermission.  In the 2nd half, the Whalers scored 5 times in the first 7 minutes of the period and cruised the rest of the way for a 9-0 win and weekend sweep.  With the win, the Whalers Elite team finished with a perfect 12-0 record at the 3 USPHL showcases this season.

9 different Whalers scored for the Whalers as Noah Kramer, Ty Brandt, Nolan Cavanagh, Tanner Davis, Gary Eastlack, Caelan Bolanowski, Cody Wilson, Adam Campbell, and Ryan Lorenz found the back of the net.  Bryce Leger, Ryan Lorenz, Jacob Kaplan, and Ty Brandt each posted 2 assists, while James Rowe, Nolan Cavanagh, Noah Kramer, Gary Eastlack, Caelan Bolanowki, Cody Wilson, Michael Volmert, and Charles DuBose each had 1.  Everett Yasinski made 21 saves for his league leading 16th win of the season and his 4th shutout.

The Whalers held a 44-21 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 2 for 6 on the power play while Palm Beach was 0 for 5.

Premier 2-0 WIN vs. Florida Eels

The Whalers Premier team would kick off the weekend against the Florida Eels.  The Eels held a 12-9 advantage in shots in the opening period but the two teams were unable to find the net as they skated to a scoreless tie after the first half.  In the 2nd half, the Whalers began to assert dominance as the outshot the Eels in the half by a count of 18-5.  Just 15 seconds into the half, the Whalers took a 1-0 lead and at 10:12 would add a power play marker to extend the lead to 2-0. From that point on the Whalers would hold serve and hang on for the shutout win.

Jonas Edwards and Jaxon Rutkowski each scored for the Whalers.  Brandon Osmundson, Jaxon Rutkowski, and Trent Wydrowski each had 1 assist.  Sean Dickson made 17 saves in net for the win and his 4th shutout of the season.

The Whalers held a 27-17 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 1 for 6 on the power play while Florida was 0 for 5.

Premier 6-3 Loss vs. Daytona Racers

In game 2 of the weekend, the Whalers would face-off with the 2 win Daytona Racers.  The two teams exchanged goals in the opening half and went to the room tied 1-1.  In the 2nd half, the Whalers struck twice at 8:10 and 13:57 to go up 3-1.  Things would remain that way until the 17:45 mark when the wheels fell off the bus for the Whalers.  The Racers would strike 5 times in the final 7:15 of the period to upset the Whalers with a 6-3 win.

Jared Sanchez, John Moncovich, and Conner Hunt each scored for the Whalers.  Jaxon Rutkowski, Conner Hunt, and Zach Zalar each had 1 assist.  Zach Alvarado surrendered 5 goals on 38 shots for the loss in net.

The Racers held a 38-37 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 0 for 2 on the power play while Daytona was 1 for 6.

Premier 3-0 WIN vs. Potomac Patriots

In game 3 of the weekend, the Whalers would face a familiar division opponent in the Potomac Patriots.  Despite 23 shots in the opening frame, the Whalers were unable to solve the Patriots goalie and the teams skated to a 0-0 tie after 25 minutes of play. In the 2nd half, the Whalers offense gained traction, as they struck at 9:07 to go up 1-0, then again at 17:39 and 19:23 to extend the lead to 3-0.  From then on out, the Whalers held serve for their 2nd shutout win of the weekend.

Zach Zalar, Hayden Knight, and Jonas Edwards each scored once for the Whalers.  Brandon Osmundson tallied 2 assists for the Whalers while Jaxon Rutkowski, Trent Wydrowski, and Riley Wagner each had 1.  Alec Lindberg made 23 saves in net for his 2nd win and 2nd shutout of the season for the Whalers.

The Whalers held a 42-23 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 1 for 7 on the power play while Potomac was 0 for 5.

Premier 5-2 WIN vs. Palm Beach Hawks

The final game of the weekend, the Whalers would look to finish strong before the holiday break against the Palm Beach Hawks.  Despite a 26-8 advantage in shots in the opening frame, the Whalers premier team again found themselves in a familiar spot, despite a dominant period, the two teams found themselves in a 2-2 tie after the first half.  In the 2nd half, the Whalers finally found a way to pull away, as they scored 3 times in the half to finish off a 5-2 win.

John Moncovich scores twice for the Whalers, while Brandon Osmundson, Conner Hunt, and Jonas Edwards each had 1.  Trent Wydrowski posted 2 helpers, while Adam Toor, Jaxon Rutkowski, Brandon Osmundson, and Jared Sanchez each had 1.  Sean Dickson made 10 saves in net for his 13th win of the season.

The Whalers held a 46-12 shot on goal advantage.  Hampton Roads went 2 for 3 on the power play while Palm Beach was 1 for 1.

What's on Tap?

The Whalers will go on break for the holiday season to enjoy time with their families before returning to practice after Christmas in preparation for a trip to Wake Forest, NC and a meeting with the Carolina Eagles.

Saturday January 6th

Elite: 5:45pm

Premier: 8:15pm

Sunday January 7th

Elite: 9am

Premier: 11:30am

All games will be played at the Factory Ice House and can be seen live online on HockeyTV.

Did you Know?

At this weekend's USPHL Florida Showcase, the USPHL Southeast Division dominated the USPHL Florida Division at both the Premier and Elite levels.

At the Premier level, the Southeast won 18 games while the Florida division won 4.  At the Elite level, the Southeast division won 17 games while Florida only won 5.

Elite Standings

Elite Southeast

Team GP W L OTL PTS GF GA
Charlotte Rush 32 27 5 0 54 153 61
Hampton Roads Whalers 30 24 4 2 50 137 68
Richmond Generals 30 19 10 1 39 118 79
Carolina Eagles 30 19 11 0 38 109 78
Atlanta Junior Knights 32 17 14 1 35 109 96
Potomac Patriots 30 2 27 1 5 41 135

Premier Standings

Premier Southeast

Team GP W L OTL PTS GF GA
Charlotte Rush 32 28 2 2 58 187 54
Hampton Roads Whalers 30 21 8 1 43 110 67
Carolina Eagles 30 21 8 1 43 96 79
Atlanta Knights 32 16 13 3 35 114 100
Richmond Generals 30 15 13 2 32 88 101
Potomac Patriots 30 9 19 2 20 74 130