The Metro Jets and the USPHL Nationals have been one and the same ever since the Jets found their way to the first postseason in 2019.
In Year 1, the Jets made it to the National Championship game. Although they lost the chance to contend for a title in Year 2 when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of that year’s Nationals, they came back as the No. 1 overall seed in 2021, and that year they were joined by the Metro Jets Development Program.
The Jets and MJDP are back at it again when they move on to the USPHL Nationals Presented By GMU Sport at Cyclones Arena in Hudson, N.H., March 24-29.
The Jets were one of three teams enjoying time at the top of the USPHL Premier late in the season. They finished with a 39-4-1-0 record, and 79 points, just one point behind the eventual regular season champion WBS Knights. As far as General Manager/Head Coach Justin Quenneville is concerned, his team can go long because at Nationals everyone starts out 0-0.
“If we play our game, we are good at dictating the pace in our favor,” said Quenneville. “We have versatility in our game, good puck management and three No. 1 goalies behind us. Obviously everyone has had success to get to Nationals, so everyone will have depth and scoring, including us.”
And no one had more scoring in the Premier than the Jets – they led in goals with 327, or 7.23 per game. Flip over the record, and they also had the top defense, giving up just 67 or 1.52 goals per game. Firewagon hockey going one way, shutdown defense the other direction. Many of the Jets have been wearing the jersey for two years, no less than about half the team – 11 to be exact. Nick Ceccarini is a fourth-year Jet and Joshua German is in Year 3.
“Our group has been together all year, so this time of year for a team like us is about getting healthy and prepared for our opponents,” Quenneville said. “We will touch on some in-game details and habits to help our guys stay on point.”
It’s been over 24 weeks since the puck dropped on the 2021-22 season. The Jets obviously found their rhythm early, going 20-0 between September and November. Losing only four times in regulation and once in OT, there really isn’t much to fix, so the Jets certainly feel confident keeping their routine and program.
“We are not really changing our preparation this week from any other. Our guys are hungry and have been for a long time,” said Quenneville. “Fortunately with our team being together all year, we don’t have that challenge of needing to build chemistry. We are just counting down the days to next week and have been since last year.”
Metro Jets
Regular Season: 39-4-1-0, 79 points
Round Robin Schedule
All Games At Cyclones Arena, Hudson, N.H.
All Times EST
Game 1: Thursday, March 24, vs. Florida Jr. Blades, 1 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, March 25, vs. Islanders Hockey Club, 8:30 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, March 26, vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, 3:30 p.m.
Team Notes
Regular Season
• At 20-1-0-0, the Jets had 40 points on home ice, the fourth best points total in the league. The Jets outscored opponents by a better than 5:1 ratio on home ice as well (146-27).
• Only once did the Jets lose a game when they scored the first goal, going 32-1 in that situation for a league-best .970 winning percentage.
• Metro led the Premier Division in four goal and shot categories – first in goals for (7.43), goals against (1.52), and first in shots for (48.20) and shots against (21.45). Their goals against average was more than four goals better than their closest competition. Overall, they outscored their opposition 326-67.
• Metro was a league-best 29-0-0-0 when leading after one period and 34-0-0-0 when leading after two periods. They were also a league-best 37-2-1-0 when out-shooting an opponent.
Playoffs
• During the playoffs, the Jets will look for revenge against the WBS Knights, who defeated them 4-1 at the USPHL Winter Showcase.
• On Nov. 18, the Jets defeated the Islanders Hockey Club, 3-1.
• In their only meeting ever, at the 2019 Nationals, the Jets and Florida Jr. Blades tied 2-2.
• The Jets rank third in goals for per game during the playoffs with 7.00.
• In total, the Jets outscored the Vengeance 4-1 in both the first and third periods, and 6-2 in the second, maintaining a consistent attack.
• Their best shooting ratio (of greater than 2:1) came in the second periods of their games, where they outshot the Vengeance 30-14.
Player Notes
Regular Season
• Metro’s Braydin Lewis came away with 45 points to rank sixth in defenseman scoring in the USPHL Premier, and he was tied for third in assists with 36.
• Alex Schaumburger’s 21-game point streak that saw him post 43 points from the start of the Jets’ season to December was the league’s longest for the 2021-22 season.
• Metro’s Tim Washburn finished the season with a 3-5-8 scoring line in his last five games played, and Nick Ceccarini registered assists in his last three games.
• All three Jets goaltenders were on winning streaks of at least three games to end the season, led by Daniel Miscavish’s seven in a row.
Playoffs
• Will Augustine and Louis Pierre-Fortier improved to winning streaks of five and four combined regular season and playoff games, respectively.
• Chad Noetzel led the way in team scoring in the playoffs with 2-4-6 in the two contests against the Vengeance.
• Dakota Kott had 4-3-7 totals in five consecutive regular season and playoff games, and Austin Ieuter had 1-4-5 in the same five.
• Cody Mastay has a run of 2-6-8 in his last four combined games, and Tim Washburn went 4-5-9 in his last five games. He finished the season with two game-winners in the space of three games, including the season-ending OT GWG against Columbus.
