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Premier Streak puts USPHL on Notice

By Toby Harris, 11/11/14, 11:45PM EST

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Wayne, NJ - This past weekend the
Jersey Hitmen Premier team traveled to Andover, MA for the IHC Showcase at
Merrimack College. Winners of 10 straight, the Hitmen were cruising into a
tough three game weekend north of Boston. The weekend opponents for the Hitmen
were the Portland Pirates, who had put together a mini streak of their own
winning 3 of their last 5, the perennial power, IHC, and the pre season polls
#1 ranked team, South Shore Kings.In
game one, the high powered, Hitmen offense, took a bit to get started. At 14:41
of the first period, assistant captain, Patrick Schule, lit the lamp to send
the visiting team into the locker room up 1-0. In between periods the Hitmen
regrouped and fired up the troops, scoring four times, to put the game out of reach.
In the end, the Hitmen would beat the Pirates, 6-3, and they would be lead by a
huge effort from Patrick Schule. In the victory, Schule scored a hat trick and
figured in on line mates, Conor O'Neil (UVM '15) and Michael Laffin (Holy Cross
'15), tallies. "If it were not for Patrick Schule today, we would have had
a tough time beating Portland," coach Harris said after the game.
"Patrick has really raised his level of play from being a rookie in this
league last year. He has always been gritty, and possessed a great shot and
deft hands, but over the summer Patrick worked hard on his skating, quickness
and overall game, and it has showed. Up to this point in the season, I truly
believe that Schule is the top non-committed forward in this league." 
Schule, who currently sits second in USPHL scoring with a 14-21-35 scoring
line, is on pace to shatter his USPHL stat line from last year (17-14-31 in 36
games).In
game two, the Hitmen were looking to sweep the season series from the IHC for
the first time in franchise history. Victors in their first four meetings, the
Hitmen knew that the Trembley lead Islanders were going to be ready to
play and they were. The Hitmen struck first as at the 9:07 mark, Conor ONeil,
fired a puck home to put the Hitmen up 1-0. Five minutes later, shorthanded,
the Islanders would strike back to tie the game at one. Just two minutes later,
at 16:59, IHC would take the lead and send the home team into the locker room
up 2-1. In such a tight game, bounces and openings are crucial, and Nick Kunin
took advantage of his opening at just 2 minutes into the second frame, Kunin
snuck behind the IHC defense and scored his first USPHL career goal on a
breakaway to knot the game at two. The Kunin goal would be all the scoring in
the period. The third period would not disappoint. Four minutes into the 3rd
period, the Islanders would score on a 2 on 1 break to once again move into the
lead. The Hitmen would now begin to press, and that pressure would lead to a
Hitmen power play. After a time out, the Hitmen would go to work, and that hard
work would pay off as Luke Rodgers would pick up a rebound in front of Anthony
Tirabassi and fire it past the fallen IHC goalie to once again get the Hitmen
even with eight minutes remaining in the game. The next few minutes the game
would open up, both teams looking for that big play, and the Hitmen would get
that play from the USPHL #4 goal scorer, Eric Brenk. Brenk would notch his 15th
goal of the year, the eventual game winner, off a won, James Martello face off
play. The 4-3 victory not only set a team record for a 5-0 record vs the IHC in
season, but it also continued the Hitmen's win streak.Game
three, the Sunday matinee, would be a battle of old southern division rivals,
the Hitmen and the South Shore Kings. This game was truly a tale of two teams,
as the Hitmen road into the game on a 12 game win streak and the Kings were
losers in their last 4. That trend continued. As the Hitmen outshot the Kings
19-9 in the first period, enroute to a 7-1 win. Chris Funkey kicked out 27 of
28 shots for his 12th win of the season and the Hitmen had 8 players with
multiple point games, lead by Laythe Jadallah who had 1 goal and 2 assists.With
the Hitmen win streak at 13, the big blue head to Marlborough this weekend for
a huge 2 game weekend set with the Boston Jr Bruins. Both games, Saturday and
Sunday will be 4:20pm starts at the New England Sports Center, and be broadcast
on www.fasthockey.com