Great Start to the 2026-2027 Season
September 13, 2026

Jesuit Hockey Opens Season with Varsity and JV Victories

Jesuit Hockey opened the 2026–2027 LHSHL season with victories by both the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams on Friday, September 11.


Varsity: Jesuit 5, Newsome 3

The Varsity Tigers earned a hard-fought 5–3 victory over the Newsome Wolves at TGH Ice Plex.

Jackson Blankenship opened the scoring and finished with two goals. Mark Schifeling also scored as Jesuit built a 3–1 advantage through two periods.

Newsome pulled even with two goals in the third, but Nathan Couluris scored the game-winner to restore Jesuit’s lead. Lonnie Bryant added an insurance goal to secure the victory.

Goaltender Jack Browne delivered an outstanding performance, stopping 37 of 40 shots. Jesuit was outshot 40–23 but made the most of its opportunities and held on under sustained pressure.


Varsity highlights:

  • Jackson Blankenship: two goals
  • Mark Schifeling: one goal
  • Nathan Couluris: game-winning goal
  • Lonnie Bryant: one goal
  • John Carrere: one assist
  • Jack Browne: 37 saves and the win


Junior Varsity: Jesuit 8, Plant/East Lake 2

The JV Tigers completed the opening-night sweep with an 8–2 victory over Plant/East Lake at Tampa Bay Skating Academy.

After a scoreless first period, Jesuit scored three times in the second and broke the game open with five goals in the third. Beau Burkett led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Kanon Kornett recorded the game-winning goal.

Eli Branton, John-Paul Crimmen, Luke Paone, Riley Loeb, and Logan Johnson also scored for the Tigers. Landon Coto contributed two assists, while Mason Barsema, Benjamin Hughes, Jack Pelleymounter, and Riley Loeb each added an assist.

Goaltender Eli Romanov stopped 17 of 19 shots to earn the victory.


JV highlights:

  • Beau Burkett: two goals and one assist
  • Kanon Kornett: game-winning goal
  • Landon Coto: two assists
  • Eli Branton, John-Paul Crimmen, Luke Paone, Riley Loeb, and Logan Johnson: one goal each
  • Eli Romanov: 17 saves and the win


Both teams begin the season with 1–0 records after combining for 13 goals. It was a strong opening night for Jesuit Hockey and a great start to the new season.


Full statistics are available on the official LHSHL Results and Scores page.


More News

September 4, 2026
2026-2027 Season Schedule The countdown to a new season of Jesuit Hockey is officially underway!!! The Jesuit Tigers will open the 2026–27 Lightning High School Hockey League season on Friday, September 11, with both the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams in action. The schedules feature 17 regular-season games for each team at rinks throughout the Tampa Bay area. Varsity begins its campaign against the Newsome Wolves at 8:15 p.m. at TGH Ice Plex. JV opens the same evening at 10 p.m. against Plant/East Lake at Tampa Bay Skating Academy. Both teams face demanding early-season stretches. Varsity will play twice on Saturday, September 19, meeting the Parrish Bulls at 9:30 a.m. and Cypress Creek at 3:30 p.m. at Ellenton Ice Arena. JV has its own two-game day on Sunday, October 4, hosting Steinbrenner at 8:30 a.m. and Palm Harbor at 1:30 p.m. at AdventHealth Center Ice. TGH Ice Plex will once again serve as a central location for the Tigers. Varsity is scheduled to play there against Newsome, Land O’ Lakes, Riverview, George Jenkins, Mitchell and Durant. The JV schedule includes games at TGH Ice Plex against Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Riverview, Wiregrass Ranch, Bloomingdale and Seminole. Other scheduled venues include AdventHealth Center Ice, Ellenton Ice Arena, Clearwater Ice Arena, Tampa Bay Skating Academy, NEST Hockey Academy and Polk Athletic Center. The regular season concludes for both teams on Friday, January 22. Varsity will face Lakewood Ranch at 8:15 p.m. at Ellenton Ice Arena, while JV will host the Seminole Sharks at 9:30 p.m. at TGH Ice Plex. 2026–27 Varsity & JV Schedules Fans are encouraged to come out and support both teams throughout the season. Follow Jesuit Hockey for schedule updates, team news and additional information as the Tigers prepare to return to the ice. All dates, times and locations are subject to change. Go Tigers!
Hockey players in white jerseys sit on the bench, watching the game on the ice.
May 3, 2026
Wiregrass Secures Thrilling 5-4 Win Over Jesuit Major In a thrilling showdown at the AdventHealth Center Ice, the Wiregrass Major edged out the Jesuit Major with a final score of 5-4. The game started with a bang as Jackson Blankenship lit the lamp just over nine minutes into the 1st period, assisted by Mark Schifeling, and Ethan Palso followed up shortly after with another for the home team, establishing an early lead. However, Brayden Wilson of Wiregrass would not let his team fall behind, finding the back of the net in the 2nd period to spark their comeback. The 2nd frame saw Jesuit Major regain momentum with a goal from Ethan Kakish, but the visiting Wiregrass Major came roaring back, reinforced by a pair of late goals from Brayden Wilson and Dmitry Kolpakov in the 3rd period. With only eight seconds remaining, Breyden Wilson capped off an impressive performance assisted by his brother, sealing the victory. A series of penalties kept the tempo physical, but both teams displayed resilience, making this a game to remember as the Wiregrass Major claimed a hard-fought victory.  Check out the Photos page to view images from the game.