#USPHLPlayoffs: Potomac Patriots vs. Hampton Roads Whalers
Southeast Division
Potomac Patriots (1) vs. Hampton Roads Whalers (4)
All Games At Pineville Ice House, Pineville, NC
Saturday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. EST
Sunday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. EST
Monday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. EST (If Necessary)
By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
The Potomac Patriots don’t want to wait any longer. They felt like they had their chance to advance to the USPHL Premier Nationals for the first time last year, but fell just short. This year, as the Southeast Division’s No. 1 seed and with their best record ever, they are ready to strike while the iron is white hot.
“We are excited for playoffs especially coming off of the series and playoffs last year,” said Gratton. “We were very disappointed and that experience has our guys appreciating how important this weekend is. Our guys are prepared and are not taking anything for granted. We know Hampton will be ready and we respect and know it’s going to be a hard series.”
The Hampton Roads Whalers have not only been to Nationals before, but they remain the only Premier team to ever repeat, winning in 2018 and 2019. They qualified for the eventually canceled Nationals in 2020, but have not been able to make the mark since that year. Brad Jones, the current GM who was on the bench for the 2018 victory and managed the 2019 team, is pumped for a Battle of Virginia chapter against the Patriots (albeit taking place in North Carolina).
“We have had some great battles with Potomac this season. Coach Gratton has loaded up his squad to make a run this year and come into playoffs with a 36-3-3 record that shows how strong they have been,” said Jones. “When our compete and structure is on point, we’ve had close battles. When we lack discipline and compete, their offensive firepower can make you pay. Coach [Colton] Teubert has done a tremendous job at preparing our team. To advance to Nationals, we need to outwork Potomac while playing within our system and maintaining our discipline.”
Gratton also had kind words for the opponent whose team he still wants to defeat and end their season.
“Hampton is well-coached, they compete and are hard on the forecheck,” he said. “We expect their best and we are prepared as a team. We have been gearing up for this weekend since Day 1 of training camp.”
The Patriots swept the season series, 7-0, against the Whalers. The most recent meeting ended up in an 8-1 Patriots victory on Feb. 16, while the closest game was a 4-3 OT win for Potomac on Feb. 10.
The Patriots’ offensive story begins with the Marshchanok twins, two ‘05’s from Minsk, Belarus, who have been tormenting their division mates since last season. Siamion Marshchanok scored a 39-73-112 line in 41 games this year to rank third in the league in scoring. Matsvei Marshchanok also made the Top 10 with 93 points. The twins also tied for the team lead in plus-minus at +67 apiece! Siamion also won 512 faceoffs for 64 percent
They were two of seven Patriots forwards and two defensemen who averaged a point per game or better. Defenseman William Olund registered a team-leading 51 blocked shots.
Samuel Couture tied for the most wins in net (with the Tampa Bay Juniors’ Savva Serdiuk) with 20, and he posted a .912 save percentage.
The Whalers were led by Wyatt Teubert at 42 points in 42 games, and fellow veteran Whaler Evan Miles (35 points) and Premier veteran Alexander Snellman (37 points) comprise their top three scorers. Miles’ two-way play, displayed over more than 120 combined Elite and Premier games in Hampton Roads, has led him to lead in hits with 62 this year.
Defenseman John Rangel, with 32 points in 37 games, has skated in 118 regular season games and three more playoff games in 2022. Rangel led in plus-minus at +27. Defenseman Samuel Russo led in blocked shots with 78 this year.
Liam Lane and Lukas Bjork together averaged .920 between them in net, and second-year Braxton Singleton has also picked up wins recently for Hampton Roads.
