Dailleboust headed to Nationals

Bocephus Dailleboust and his United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) Elite team, the Islanders, did not exactly have the start of the season they were hoping for.

Dailleboust, who had joined the Premier division Islanders team, was sent down to the Elite division; as for his team, they started the season with three straight losses and were 4-6 after 10 games.

But, both turned things around, and now Dailleboust, who had the third-most points during the regular season on the New England Division’s best team, will be heading to the National Championships in Wayne, New Jersey, at the end of March.

“I really got back on my feet. I did not get that many points in my last year at prep school, and then to come into Junior and just really focus on hockey every single day, that really changed how I was playing. I started to score more, get more points. It was a really successful season for my development,” said the 19-year-old forward, who scored 20 goals and added 24 assists in 42 regular season games this year.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way this group has come together,” said Islanders head coach Kevin Smith in a statement.

“The depth of this team is our biggest asset. We have 12 players who scored more than 30 points during the regular season, and we can roll 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goalies that all contribute to our success.”

Finishing the season with a 33-8-3 record, the Islanders easily defeated their first-round opponents, the fourth-seed South Shore Kings, 9-1 and 10-1 to win the best-of-three series.

“We smoked them,” said Dailleboust. Then to get to the National Championships, they needed to face last year’s champion, the Northern Cyclones.

They dispatched them too, sweeping the defending national champions, winning the first game 4-1 and eliminating them with a 3-0 shutout on Tuesday.

Six teams – the winners of each division plus the best performing team remaining – will be in Wayne to participate in a three-game round robin, with the four best teams locking into the semifinals.

“I have high expectations for us, I feel like we can go on a good run,” said Dailleboust, who added that the New England division is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, so they feel as though they have faced potentially tougher competition already than they might during the round robin.

While Dailleboust has also put up solid offensive numbers in the playoffs so far - three goals and three assists in four games - his focus has been on making sure the defensive side of the game has been up to the task.

Part of getting more ice time and more responsibilities from his coach has included special teams time, including playing on the penalty kill for the first time.

“Looking at my hand, it’s purple and swollen because I blocked a shot on the penalty kill, and that’s the first time I’ve ever really been asked to be on the penalty kill. The coach said you need to go kill this one for me, and I did,” said Dailleboust.

“I just want to do everything to win. I feel like everybody else, too, we’re all invested and that’s why we work so well together.”

Round robin games will begin on March 20.

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