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OVERTIME THRILLER CONCLUDES JUNIORS TRAINING CAMP

By Pats Editor, 08/30/18, 12:45PM EDT

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The Junior Patriots welcomed members of the program throughout the weekend before starting camp on Monday, August 20th.  The players came in from their hometowns stretching not only across North America but all over Europe as well.  Athletes from British Columbia, Manitoba, Sweden, Ukraine, and of course right here in Northern Virginia among many others arrived early Monday morning to begin a week full of team building and skills.  

In his second season with the program, Premier Head Coach Zachary Vit explained that he wanted to create an environment that would establish the type of culture the teams will build through out the season.  “The staff and I built the camp schedule around development and team building,” Coach Vit explained, “we spent a lot of time allowing the players to get their feet back under them and to get a lot of puck touches.”  Practices were all about skill acquisition, competing using small games, and enjoying being back on the ice again.  

“It took a while for the guys to get their legs back,” states Coach Jonathan Sucese in his first year as the Elite Head Coach and fourth year as the program’s Strength Coach, “once they caught their breath, we thought the tempo of the practices and the days overall was fantastic.”  The players also participated in team workouts in the new Top-Tier Performance Center.  “Players come in with all different backgrounds and levels of experience in the gym.  For us last week, it was all about getting everyone on the same page and making sure each player feels comfortable.”  The players also participated in an on ice beep test which tested their VO2 Max or maximum oxygen uptake.  Skaters had twenty seconds to skate to the opposite goal line and back before the next beep.  Throughout the season, the coaching staff will conduct the test to measure how the players are developing and recovering physically.

Beyond the measurements, practices, and training was some team building and a lot of fun.  The players and staff took a trip to George Hellwig Memorial Park and took part in the first ever Intersquad Olympics.  Red team players were paired with grey team players to develop new interactions and relationships while they competed in a wide variety of yard games and competitions.  The games included cornhole, Kan Jam, Spike Ball, Sauce Hockey, frisbee golf, and several more.  At the end of the games, Georg Landro and Griffin Knarr were crowned the champions.

The Red versus White game concluded the week with many of the Patriot youth teams, parents, and billet families in attendance.  The got off to a rapid start with Brendan Bomay and Max Romeo scoring two early goals for team red.  Team Grey wouldn’t go away, however, answering with two of their own to finish the first half with goals by Nick Wood and Yousso Steyaert.  The action continued in the second half with Team Grey taking a 4-3 lead with time running out when Brendan Bomay added his second of the afternoon to send things into overtime.  Second year player Brian Kerrigan sealed the deal with an end-to-end rush and finish to give Team Red the victory.  

The Premier and Elite teams head to Philadelphia next weekend for a preseason showcase where they will play the Philly Jr. Flyers, Philly Little Flyers, and the Philadelphia Revolution.  Regular season USPHL contests begin September 8th and 9th against the Atlanta Junior Kings.  Be sure to check it out!