Tampa Bay Juniors - USPHL

With a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Mad Hatters, the Tampa Bay Juniors Elite team secured the number one seed in the upcoming Florida Division Playoffs. The win notches Tampa’s third regular season title in four seasons. The Juniors 26-12-2 record is 4th best in the league, trailing the Charlotte Rush, Richmond Generals, and Islanders Hockey Club. TBJ currently holds a 8-point lead over the second-place Florida Eels. Tampa will face the Atlanta Mad Hatters or the Charleston Colonials in the first round of the playoffs. The Mad Hatters hold a one-point advantage over the Colonials for the three seed.

                The Tampa Bay Juniors Elite started the season on a franchise-long 15-game win streak. TBJ has been powered all season by a high-flying offense led by two of the top three scorers in the league. Ryan Bahula’s 30 goals and 31 assists (61 points) puts him second in the league behind Ivan Korcak of the Charlotte Rush. Adam Custable’s 56 points has him tied for the third in the league in scoring. The Juniors have been boosted by a stout goaltending tandem of Evan Spinella and Ethan Leigh. Both netminders have won 12 games on the season.

                Tampa Bay has three games remaining in the regular season. Their final week will start on Thursday, February 25th with a matchup against the Florida Eels at home. They finish the regular season on the road with matchups against the Florida Jr Blades on Friday night, and a rematch with the Eels on Sunday morning. The Florida Division playoffs begin during the first weekend of March at the Fort Myers Skatium.

(Photo by Earth Life Studios)