The Lightning High School Hockey league kicked off the 2016-2017 Spectrum Sports broadcast season with a doubleheader from Clearwater Ice Arena. In the first game, which saw Newsome take on Freedom, with the Patriots jumping out to a 4-1 lead early by a quick hat trick from Sophomore Colton Sipperley, but with a goal a piece from Mitchell Patterson and Mason Coletta, the Ice Wolves closed the score to 4-3. But in the 3rd period, Colton Sipperley was at it again, scoring two goals, and finishing with 5 for the night, which gave him player of the game honors and led the Freedom Patriots to their 7th consecutive win. For Newsome it is their 3rd straight loss, with their next game against league leading Seminole on December 2nd. For Freedom they will take on a very strong East Lake team.
The second game saw a matchup of two historically strong Florida high school hockey programs, with East Lake taking on Manatee. Manatee, the Lightning cup runner up from last season, came in only 4-9 on the season and finds them in a rebuilding year, while East Lake, who is 2nd in their division, but came into the game with 12 scratches due to the Thanksgiving break. East Lake scored first with a goal from Nick Belanger, who is 4th in the league in points, but Manatee's Nevada Woodring would tie up it late in the first. But Belanger would not be denied, scoring another goal before the first period was done and adding an assist on a Anthony Samarkos goal as the 2nd period was coming to a close to help lead East Lake to a 3-1 lead. In the 3rd, behind with a from Nevada Woodring and two from Michael Cortelo, Manatee was able to take the lead 4-3, but East Lake's Nick Belanger would tie it up with a goal mid way through the 3rd. But Nevada Woodring was back at it, scoring a great goal on a two on one break away to put the Admirals up 5-4. Manatee would end up scoring 5 goals in the 3rd and go on to win 6-5 with Nevada Woodring taking home player of the game honors with a Hattrick. East Lake will take on Freedom in their next game out, as Manatee will take on the defending Lightning Cup Champion Mitchell Mustangs.