The Junior Patriots opened up the regular season against the Atlanta Junior Kings with Premier winning their first contest but dropping the Sunday game in overtime.  Elite posted a loss in their home opener and dropped a thriller in overtime on Sunday.

In their first game, the Patriots Elite took an 8-2 loss to the Junior Kings but came back on Sunday with a great response.  The Patriots lead for a vast majority of the game with Griffin Knarr holding down the fort.  Knarr finished with 40 saves on 44 shots.  Pierce Coffman scored his first Junior hockey goal to open the scoring early in the first period with a terrific snap shot from the slot off the rush going off the post and in.   Nick Wood lead the way offensively with 2 goals.  His first of the day was a tremendous effort, beating a defenseman wide down the wing and putting the puck short side high.  The Junior Kings scored just over four minutes into the third period to tie the game at 3-3.  That score would hold for the duration of the period and result in an overtime goal for the Kings just under two and a half minutes into the game. 

The Patriots Premier squad looked fresh and hungry as they started the first period but ran into penalty trouble, taking four penalties in the period.  The Kings were up 2-0 at the end of the first stanza out shooting the Patriots 15-10.  Assistant captain Joseph Kolega opened the scoring for the Pats on the first shift of the second period, which would ignite the Patriots to a 4-0 rally through the end of the game to take the 4-2 win.  Goals were also scored by Yousso Steyaert, Adam Svoboda, and Michael Kramer.  Elvinas Karla stood tall in goal for the Patriots stopping 32 of 34 on the night. 

Sunday afternoon was another tight game with the Patriots taking four penalties in the opening period for the second game in a row.  Adam Svoboda continued his hot hand from the night before by opening with a powerplay goal half way through the first.  Joseph Kolega also stepped up with a goal to put the Pats up one in the second.  Makoto Barnard was huge late in the game, making some marvelous saves including a blocker save on the back door.  The Kings would go on to tie it, however, with less than three minutes left in regulation.  The two teams traded chances early in the overtime period until the Kings converted on a give and go to take the second game of the series 3-2.

The Patriots are back in action on the 22nd and 23rd against last seasons USPHL Premier and Elite Champions, the Hampton Roads Whalers.