USPHL Elite: Hampton Roads Whalers vs Potomac Patriots Game Recap | 09/15/24

On Sunday morning, the Hampton Roads Whalers Elite team finished off the weekend sweep of the Potomac Patriots by a 3-0 final at Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex.

Nick Kremnister stole the show in net for the Whalers with a 29-save shutout performance for his first win this season, and third of his junior career. Liam Kelly took the loss in net for the Patriots, stopping 33-of-36 in a very solid performance by him.

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Blake Marvici had himself a morning, collecting two goals and an assist in win, while Tyler Riegle collected the game-winning goal on a penalty kill goal that gave the Whalers the weekend sweep over their I95 rivals. The Whalers powerplay still needs a bit of work as they went 1-for-5 on the man advantage for the game, but their kill was solid as it killed off both penalties they were assessed.

Both teams will meet again next weekend as the Whalers will take the trip to Woodbridge, VA. Games will be on Sept. 21 (5:15 p.m.) and 22 (10:45 a.m.) at Prince William Ice Center.

First Period

Through the first five minutes of the opening frame, neither team were able to get anything going early. Just how Saturday afternoon’s meeting went, both teams were trying to feel each other out, which was expected being only the second game of the new season. Shots through the first five minutes were 3-1 in favor of the Whalers.

At 6:25 of the first, Potomac had the first big opportunity as Braylen Cox found a streaking Adriel Bonilla all alone in the middle of the ice on a 2-on-1 situation. Bonilla recieved a pass from Cox and tried to get a quick shot off, but Krimnister read the play well and denied Bonilla of the first goal of the game.

In a scoreless first period, the Whalers held a slight 8-6 shot advantage. The Whalers were 0-for-1 on the powerplay for the period.

Second Period

Still on the powerplay to begin the period, the Whalers looked to convert on the man advantage. Just 36 seconds into the period, Potomac took another penalty as Jakob Kolega took a cross-checking penalty, giving the Whalers a 5-on-3. Off the ensuing faceoff, Hampton Roads won the draw, but instantly lost possession, allowing the Patriots to get an easy clear.

At 1:07, Whalers’ Raymond Johnson had a great opportunity from just above the left-wing circle. He received a pass from Taryk Filipuzzi right in the wheelhouse. Johnson riffled a one-time shot that beat Kelly, but did not beat the crossbar. Just moments later, Riegle had an amazing chance right in front. With a loose puck moving away from him, he was able to chip the puck over Kelly, but again, the Whalers could not get puck luck as it hit the crossbar and bounced out of the crease, keeping the game scoreless.

At 7:20, Kelly came up with a big save on a shorthanded breakaway for Whalers’ Marvici. He was able to steal the puck away from a Potomac defender and dance his way around the second. With just Kelly in his sights, Marvici tried to go over the blocker of the netminder, but Kelly read him and made a solid blocker save.

At 12:06 of the middle frame, Filipuzzi was called for tripping, giving Potomac it’s second chance on the powerplay. On the man advantage, a mistake by Potomac’s defenders not finding the fourth player on the Whalers, Riegle was able to sneak behind and get a shorthanded breakaway chance. He made no mistake to roof it over the glove hand of Kelly to give the Whalers the lead and open the scoring. Marvici’s great awareness to chip the puck off the wall into the path of Riegle gave him the primary assist. Zachary Alberico recorded the secondary. After a goal on the kill, the Whalers earned a powerplay for themselves. Filipuzzi was a step ahead of Potomac’s Robert Dwyer, but Dwyer hauled Filipuzzi down and was called for holding at 14:44. After a decent amount of possession to begin the powerplay, Hampton Roads could not get anything going, and Potomac were able to easily kill the penalty off.

Both teams had some minor chances through the remaining eight minutes of play, but nothing that was a huge threat of a scoring chance. The middle frame ended with the Whalers up 1-0. The Whalers took a 12-10 shot advantage in the period, increasing the shot totals to 20-16 in favor of the Whalers. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

Third Period

With a semi-silent start to the period, the Whalers hammered four straight shots on Kelly. The fourth shot was the one to beat him as Marvici gave the Whalers an insurance goal at 4:30. Off a set faceoff play, a d-to-d pass for a shot found a streaking Marvici on the right-way side of the net. Brycen Sprong found Marvici’s stick on the backdoor and fired one for Marvici to tap into an open cage. Sprong collected the primary assist with Johnson collecting the secondary.

At 11:55, Potomac had a great opportunity off a costly turnover by Filipuzzi in his own zone on the powerplay. Ryan Buchholtz made it look easy gaining possession of the puck, walking in, and firing the puck over the left shoulder of Kremnister and off the crossbar.

Aside from penalties, there was not a whole lot happening. That was until Potomac started to pepper Kremnister with shots in the final three and a half minutes of play. He came up strong on a few quality shots, keeping the team’s two-goal lead and preserving his well-earned shutout.

Still shorthanded thanks to John Ruggerio’s five-minute major for boarding, the Patriots pulled their goalie with less than two minutes to go to try and knot things up. Preston Michels had a great opportunity at the open net, but the puck would not go as it hit the post. Potomac ultimately gave up as they decided to take penalties with less than a minute left as Rafe Armstrong went to the box for slashing. Right off the draw, Marvici made the Patriots pay for their mistake, and collected his second goal of the game to all but seal the deal with 42 seconds remaining. With things getting a bit chippy at the end of the game, the Whalers were able to keep their composure and skate away with the 3-0 victory, and two points in the standings.

Hampton Roads went 1-for-2 on the powerplay to end the third, and held a 16-13 shot advantage.