Blades earn split, eye season opener
Training camp wrapped up for the Florida Everblades with a pair of preseason games over the weekend against in-state rival Orlando at Germain Arena.
That Florida lost 3-2 Friday and won 4-1 Saturday night means nothing to the season. Preseason hockey is all about evaluation, and based on two contests those evaluations and choices will be difficult.
“We have a very uniform team which is what we want so that when we do have call-ups we have guys who can fill those positions,” said Everblades coach Greg Poss. “We have some pretty tough decisions to make this week.”
Poss was pleased with the overall team performance Saturday, a blowout so early in the season.
“It was a good game for us because it got a little bit chippy,” Poss said. “We have a lot of first-year guys who hadn’t been in those situations, and had played with a full face mask in college. So it was good for them to see how these games work and how guys stick up for each other.”
Besides the physical play Poss referred to other highlights from the weekend’s games, including the first goal each night by Kevin Lynch and a pair of breakaway goals by newcomer Alex Lavoie Saturday. On each occasion Lavoie split a pair of defenders to get to the net, finishing off both plays with a wrist shot.
Daniel Altshuller got the start in net Saturday night and earned the win by saving 19 of 20 shots faced.
The Blades will announce its official roster on Tuesday before starting regular season play on Friday and Saturday at Germain Arena against the South Carolina Stingrays.