Graphic by The Dan K Show. Standings are only as of the end of Day 1 and are subject to (a lot of) change on Day 2!
By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
Charlotte Rush 5, Minnesota Moose 1
Bryce Battaglia outscored the Moose 2-1 before the end of the second period, before Cam Perez, Ari Rossi and Matt Kreczman helped them cruise through the third period to victory. Nick Anderson played out of his mind, with 57 saves on 58 shots.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 5, Fort Wayne Spacemen 4
It was an absolute tug of war after Fort Wayne jumped out to a 2-0 lead, followed by two goals to tie it after two periods. Third period goals by Kyle Remo and Thomas Turgeon put Fort Wayne up 4-2, but three unanswered goals – including the tying and game-winning goals by Ethan Zupanc – were the difference when the dust settled.
Richmond Generals 3, Utah Outliers 0
Jadon Lee was the saving grace for the Generals as he stopped 32 Utah shots. The Outliers outshot Richmond 32-29, but only Richmond’s Andrew Farley, Matthew Hamacher and Zac Correia scored goals in these 60 minutes of action.
Hudson Havoc 4, Ogden Mustangs 0
The Havoc’s Brad Crook scored two goals, and Nicholas Pineo stopped all 21 shots he faced, earning a huge shutout for seeding purposes en route to the Round of 16.
Metro Jets 5, Las Vegas Thunderbirds 2
The Jets grounded the T-Birds pretty early, scoring three unanswered in the first period and had a 4-0 lead before Las Vegas answered in the second. The teams traded goals in the third, but it wasn’t enough to get Las Vegas to break even. Joe Mocnik and Carson Finney each had a goal and an assist for Metro.
Toledo Cherokee 3, Islanders Hockey Club 1
Jacob Ammar scored the only Nationals hat trick (a different kind of “Natty Hatty”) as he singlehandedly outscored the Islanders Hockey Club, 3-1.
New York Aviators 4, Vernal Oilers 1
The Aviators came out swinging, especially defenseman Hunter Scanlon. He scored a pair of goals to lead his team to a 4-0 lead through 58:32 of the game before Hugo Stalnecke scored a goal that could potentially send Vernal to the Round of 16.
Florida Eels 1, Metro Jets Development Program 0
Sixty-five minutes of team vs. team hockey was not enough, in the words of The Dan K Show. A shootout was needed to find out who could put a crack in the walls that were the Eels’ Duncan Rolleman (31 saves) and MJDP’s Taylor White (36 saves). Both earn a shutout, though it was Florida’s Kayde Budgell who scored the deciding shootout winner
Northern Cyclones 4, Tampa Bay Juniors 2
The Juniors were up 2-1 after the first 20 minutes, but the Cyclones took control – and specifically James Vermeersch, who scored the GWG and the insurance in the third. A late addition to the Cyclones in February, he was a smart addition to a National title-hungry Cyclones squad.
