The defending USAH National Champion Atlanta Knights Selects and the new Junior Development teams will face off in preseason action against the Tampa Bay Ice Dogs and Florida Eels of the SEJHL. The three game showcase weekend will give the respective coaching staffs an opportunity to grade player game performance and make adjustments prior to traveling to Burlin gton, VT the following weekend for the all important Woodchuck Classic hosted by the EJHL and Emipre Junior Hockey League.

The Knights will head to Florida on Friday for two showcase games on Saturday and one showcase game on Sunday before returning to Atlanta. All games will be broadcast on www. fasthockey.com.

The Knights have become accustomed to seeing their name at the top the SEJHL as 2-time consecutive SEJHL Champions. But the young Knights were dealt a wake-up call against Hampton last weekend blowing a 4-2 lead late in the 3rd period and then lost in a shootout in a painful loss.

This weekend, Coach Matt Frank challenged his young players to understand that if they want to repeat as champions you have to play every game and every shift as if that goal is on the line, and this weekend his boys responded.

Game one saw the Knights take a big lead over the East Coast Eagles, but some sloppy play late in the game gave the Eagles hope, but the Knights prevailed with a 9-3 win. In a game, 2, the Knights fell behind early against the very young Richmond Royals, but rallied back to win 4-2 in a SEJHL exhibition game.

Coach Frank was visibly upset after game two with the lack of intensity and purpose shown by his players and gave them a stern warning about believing that a championship is their destiny as opposed to earning the right. With the rival Hampon looming six hours later, the Knights were set up for another tough lesson.

However, the young Knights responded with a strong effort, displaying at times the intensity and toughness demanded by their coach. The Knights kept constant pressure on the Whalers and never let them get back in the game, winning 5-1.

In the SEJHL Showcase final, the #1 seeded Knights faced off again against the #2 seeded Whalers. In perhaps their finest coordinated effort, offensively and defensively of the season, the Knights shutdown the Whalers completely, dominating play from the first puck drop to the buzzer with the Knights winning 5-0.

The weekend propelled the Knights into first place in the SEJHL and into a top 5 National ranking for the first time this year. Ken " Ripper" Coleman, Ryan Bray, Sean McTiernan, Alex Brissette, Kyle McRae and Cole Findlay each amassed more than 5 points for the weekend leading the Knights offensive attack. Billy Varley had another solid weekend achoring the Knights improving defensive corps. Sean Davis put up a 3-0 weekend between the pipes, giving up only 1 goal on 35 shots combined in the two final games against Hampton. Skyler Holder got his first win as a Knight in goal making 21 of 23 saves against Richmond.