The USPHL Midwest East Division, in conjunction with the United States Premier Hockey League, are working to expand westward within the USPHL’s Tier 3 USPHL Elite Conference.

The new division in the USPHL Elite will continue in the USPHL’s mission of forging the Path To College Hockey by utilizing multiple tiers of junior development that will prepare players for all levels of NCAA, ACHA and CHF hockey, in addition to preparing players for Tier II and Tier I junior careers. This includes creating yet another pathway to the USPHL’s own Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference, which will see 20 teams playing on the Eastern Seaboard and in the Rocky Mountain States of Colorado, Utah and Idaho in 2023-24.

The new division will consist of the following organizations, all with existing teams at the USPHL Premier Division: Chicago Cougars, Fort Wayne Spacemen, Motor City Gamblers, Decatur Blaze, Chicago Crush and Metro Jets.

“We are excited to field another model of opportunity for young players who want to develop,” said Justin Quenneville, Head Coach/GM of the Metro Jets organization, which fields the current Premier teams the Metro Jets and Metro Jets Development Program (MJDP) out of Mount Clemens, Mich. “Our platform is unique and we have always prided ourselves on giving the best environment for players to invest in themselves. Our program is dedicated to providing this additional opportunity and look forward to joining Elite teams in the Midwest. “

“We are very excited to extend the reach of our program with the addition of an Elite program,” said Jason McCrimmon, founder and owner of the Motor City Gamblers, who play at Fraser Hockeyland in Fraser, Mich. “We are looking forward to strengthening our rebrand and continuing to develop players on and off the ice. The Elite division will give us the opportunity to create another solid foundation within our organization and an additional pipeline that will move people who come through our organization to higher levels of Junior Hockey and beyond.”

“We feel strongly that this well enhance our development process and help get more guys to the next level,” said Fort Wayne Spacemen General Manager John Finch. “Fort Wayne is a good landing spot for players wanting to get the best opportunities to play college hockey in the United States.”

“We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to the players here in Chicago and beyond,” said Peter Olson, Owner of both the Chicago Crush and Chicago Cougars. “We are solely focused on providing them with this special semi-professional experience that only junior hockey can offer and are proud of our partnership with USPHL. Standing tall, we look forward to the League’s expansion. The efforts it has taken to enhance the experience to better the game offers an amazing unparalleled opportunity for these young men to get to the next level and achieve their dreams of college hockey and beyond. We are proud to be a part of their journey and help them on their way.”

“I think it was time for the Midwest to add an Elite Division because it helps with the development of players,” added Zac Pearson, Head Coach/GM and Co-Owner of the Decatur Blaze. “If you would have asked me, with our ownership group five years ago, there was no way we could ever support an Elite team, but with this group of ownership and their morals of how they run their business and treat kids and develop, it was time to take the next step and expand to Elite programs. The Decatur Blaze are excited to add an Elite team as it will allow us to have more local players in our organization and help develop players locally and within our organization to become better hockey players and human beings.”

Limited Travel = Greater Development

Travel will be light, limited generally to the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The vast majority of Elite Midwest games will be played as a half of double-header nights in some of the most exciting and fan-friendly facilities in the USPHL.

All teams will also take part in multiple USPHL Showcase Series events facing fellow USPHL Elite teams from the Northeastern and Southeastern United States.

“The USPHL Elite Division is one of the best paths to college hockey provided by the United States Premier Hockey League. A young player new to junior hockey can get a first taste of full-season junior hockey in the Elite Division as they begin their climb up the #USPHLAdvancement ladder from the Elite to the USPHL Premier and potentially to the Tuition-Free Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference or straight into college hockey,” said Commissioner Bob Turow, of the USPHL Elite Midwest Division. “We have a very enthusiastic and driven Midwest East membership group who want to continue to build upon the focus of skill development and maturation of Elite Division players on their way upwards in their career.”

The new Midwest Division will also have representation at the USPHL National Championships. “We are excited to work with the organizations who have applied for Elite membership, which includes the Chicago Cougars and Metro Jets, who have both made several appearances at the USPHL Premier Nationals with their Premier teams,” added Turow.

About The USPHL

The United States Premier Hockey League of 2022-23 is the nation’s largest junior amateur ice hockey league and the only league to span the continental United States, from Maine to California, and from Florida to Washington State.

The USPHL includes over 100 organizations comprised of 11,000 players spanning the ages of 6 through 20, including Youth and Midget Division teams in the Tier 1 Hockey Federation.

Overall, across all its divisions, the USPHL see more than 3,100 alumni playing college hockey each year and more than 250 playing pro hockey, including in the NHL.

The league’s top level, the Tuition Free Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference, led all North American Tier II leagues with three players selected in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has seen more than 200 NCAA Division I commitments since its 2017 inception. The NCDC will also expand to include the NCDC West, with teams in Colorado, Utah and Idaho for 2023-24.

UTICA, N.Y. – Both the Metro Jets and MJDP teams qualified for the USPHL National Championships this season, making it five straight for the Jets and three in a row for the MJDP.

This year, the event was held at the new Utica University Nexus Center.

The Jets and MJDP teams each made it to the round of 16, with the Jets going one step further to the quarterfinals, before each squad bowed out.

In Utica, the Jets defeated the Las Vegas Thunderbirds 5-2 Thursday and the USPHL regular-season champion New York Aviators 7-2 Friday in the seeding round. The Jets then beat the Ogden Mustangs 4-2 Saturday before losing 5-1 to the Florida Eels in the quarterfinals Sunday.

The MJDP fell 1-0 in a shootout to the Eels Thursday before suffering a 3-0 setback to the Northern Cyclones Friday in seeding round games. The Cyclones then took the rematch 5-1 on Saturday.

“First off, I want to congratulate all our guys on the hard work and success they had this year,” said Jets head coach-GM Justin Quenneville. “This time of the year is always difficult, but we were able to get to nationals and compete against the best. We’ve been fortunate to go all the way and win, and go all the way and lose, but falling a little short this year in the quarterfinals is difficult because we knew we didn’t play our best. Sometimes it’s not the best team that wins, but the better team that day. We stayed true to our model and loyal to our guys and I’m proud of their effort and how they represented the Jets. They deserved better fate, and I know many will remember this moment and say we missed an opportunity to go all the way. This group had it in them even while dealing with adversities and challenges throughout the year.

“But we have a bright, young group coming back with even more experience now and a veteran group that has nothing to hang their heads about. I want to thank the entire Jets players, staff and community for their efforts and support, and look forward to announce many of our commitments and opportunities for next year. We will be back.”

Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell was on the same page as Quenneville.

“Two tough losses for our guys,” said Lovell. “It’s a tough format in these one-game elimination settings and you have to be at your best each game. It’s March madness and it’s not necessarily the best team that wins, but the team that plays best that day. For the DP, they ran into very good Cyclones team, and we just couldn’t get our offense going at all. For our Jets, we just weren’t very good this quarterfinal game and Florida got the goaltending they needed and capitalized on our mistakes. Not taking anything away from our opponent, but it really felt like we beat ourselves.

“Big picture, as a staff, we are proud of what we do as a program year in and year out. We focus on developing these guys as individuals both on and off the ice in an effort to make them better hockey players and better people. Our main goal is to promote them on to college or to higher levels and, ultimately, the next chapter in their hockey careers and lives. We have been fortunate to have quite a bit of success on the ice challenging for a national championship each year with both our groups, so in our minds this was another successful year despite falling a little short on what every team wants to do – win that last game and hang a championship banner, but we know there’s a lot more to this than that. We had another incredible group of human beings that we got to coach and work with each day and look forward to continuing to do so next season with next group who will join our returning players.

“As far as our graduating players, we know it’s tough for them to lose their last junior game, but they know they’re off to bigger and better things. They have plenty of hockey left ahead of them, starting that next chapter at the college level, but they know ‘Once a Jet always a Jet’ and we wish them all the best.”

The USPHL Premier national championship game is set for Tuesday at 1 p.m., pitting the Charlotte Rush against the Cyclones.

Metro Jets Development Program

Seed: Midwest East #2

Seeding Round Schedule

All games to be played at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y.

Day 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Florida Eels, 7 p.m. EST

Day 2: Friday, March 24, vs. Northern Cyclones, 5:30 p.m. EST

Remainder of schedule determined by results of seeding round.

For the third consecutive season, the Metro Jets Development Program will be competing at the USPHL Premier National Championship. The 2022-23 Midwest East No. 2 seed have put together fantastic runs in the past and are pumped to have earned another shot this season.

“It’s exciting to be heading there again,” said associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “It speaks to our program and how much we preach development. If we develop our players, they’ll eventually come through for us and earn the rewards they want. They put the work in and earned the bid.”

Player development is paramount in Mount Clemens, and the MJDP roster reflects that fact well. Six Jets will be making their second Nationals appearance in Utica, and Lovell knows how important their experience in big moments will be. He sees Nationals as a sort of “fourth season,” different from the preseason, regular, and early postseason rounds that come before it.

“Everybody’s there for a reason. They’re all top teams, so everyone’s confident and playing on a high. Six [games] in six [days] is a tall task but we’ll be ready to bring it each game.”

Leading the Jets into the fourth season will be returners Nolan Bruxfoort [‘02/Grand Rapids, Mich.] and Jack Rivera [‘02/Macomb, Mich.], a forward and defenseman who were each at the top of their game in MJDP’s Midwest East Finals series against Motor City.

Bruxfoort had a big goal and assist in MJDP’s series-extending Game 2 victory while Rivera scored and assisted the winning goal in Game 3. The Jets won these elimination games by nine combined goals, a feat that becomes even more impressive when you learn how they lost the series opener.

MJDP led Game 1 by a 1-0 score with under a minute left when Motor City pulled their goaltender. The Jets defense held off the intense Gambler attack as long as they could but ended up surrendering a goal with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation. Motor City then scored off of a rebound in overtime to take the game. It made for a stinger of a loss, but MJDP rose to the occasion and responded well.

“We knew it was going to be a tough hard-fought series, but we preach character and how you respond when facing adversity. Tough way to lose Game 1, but we preached character and our guys definitely bounced back and responded in Game 2. It all came to a head in Game 3.”

Experience may often be the Metro Jet M.O. but don’t let it fool you, they’ve got some rookies who can play, too.

Goaltender Taylor White [‘03/Bay City, Mich.] was one of the best netminders in all of Premier this season. He led the league in save percentage with a .944 figure and tied for second among all qualified goaltenders with a GAA of 1.64. White started all three games during the Motor City series and has stopped 93 of the 99 playoff shots he’s faced.

“Can’t say enough about our goaltending. White’s been the best goaltender in the league all year,” said Lovell, when asked about what aspect of play is most important to the Jets’ success. “It’ll also come from our depth and contributions all down the line.”

MJDP’s seeding round games will be played against the Florida division champion Florida Eels and the New England division top-dog Northern Cyclones. They did not face either team during the regular season but have played both teams at Nationals before, dropping seeding round contests to the Cyclones in 2022 and the Eels in 2021.

Whether or not revenge is on their minds is another question, but we can assure that MDJP will be unfazed by whatever Northern and Florida throw their way. The Jets faced five of the other 17 Nationals contenders during 2022-23 and know that they can do more than just hang with the big boys if they play their game.

“We’re going to focus on being strong defensively and cashing in on the chances we are able to create. Do that and we’ll be just fine.”

Metro Jets

Seed: Great Lakes #2

Seeding Round Schedule

All games at Utica University Nexus Center, Utica, N.Y.

Day 1: Thursday, March 23, vs. Las Vegas Thunderbirds, 4 p.m. EST

Day 2: Friday, March 24, vs. New York Aviators, 11 a.m. EST

The Metro Jets are gearing up for their upcoming trip to Nationals in Utica, New York. The team has qualified for the Nationals every season of their existence for a total of five. With a championship win in 2018 in their previous league, they know what it takes to succeed on the national stage.

The Jets defeated Columbus in the playoffs to continue to Nationals in a two-game series.

“Overall, it was a good series and test for us. We have a very good core group that extends beyond our veterans that made that series a true team effort,” said Head Coach/GM Justin Quenneville. “Columbus always plays a hard 60-minute game and will keep you honest. Our players and staff did a great job preparing for that series and it paid off.”

Quenneville believes that the team’s success is a result of their unique process of developing and advancing players.

“We have been fortunate to have success for many years and we credit that to our process. We are unique in that our model is to develop and advance players. We don’t have roster additions throughout the season and stay loyal to our guys,” Quenneville added. “It’s paid off for us for years and likely a reason why we have had the opportunity to play in the last game a few times.”

The Jets made the National Final in the USPHL Premier in both 2019 and 2022, but came up just short of the ultimate prize both years.

Quenneville acknowledges that getting to the finals is a mental challenge and a physical grind, but he believes that the team’s process and platform have prepared them for this type of format. The team is not just looking to do well – they are there to win.

“Our expectations are no different than anyone else. You are at Nationals to win. Nobody enters this time of year hoping to do well. We are fortunate to have several players who have gone all the way at Nationals and they know firsthand how difficult it is to be there the last day,” he added.

As they prepare for the nationals, the Metro Jets will be focusing on getting back to full health and working on the details of their game. They know that the competition will be tough, but they are ready to take on the challenge.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The MJDP will join the Metro Jets next week at the USPHL National Championship Tournament following a 7-1 win over the Motor City Gamblers in the deciding Game 3 of their second-round playoff series Monday afternoon at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

After losing Game 1 in overtime Friday night on home ice, the MJDP team rallied to win Saturday afternoon at Mount Clemens before bringing out the offense Monday.

Taylor White made 23 saves in goal, Jacques Lavrack went for a goal and three assists and Nolan Bruxvoort scored twice in Monday’s clincher. Josh Boze and Jack Rivera added a goal and an assist each and Aidan Shannon and Ethan Smith also scored. Royal St-Cyr and Bennett Sheppard chipped in two assists each.

For Motor City, Will Boyer scored and Robert Allport and Larkin Dolan combined to stop 33 shots.

“The theme going into this series was all about character,” Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell said. “We knew this was going to be a tough series with a lot of adversity and we told our guys that the character of a player is defined by how they respond in moments of adversity. We were 15 seconds away from winning Game 1, so to lose that game in the manner in which we did, you know, some teams may not be able to bounce back from that. It speaks to our character as a group. The team knew that it was just one loss, whether 2-1 in OT or 10-1. We forgot about it and moved our focus to Game 2 immediately.”

In the opener Friday night, Shannon scored at 15:11 of the third period to snap a scoreless tie, but Aidan Canady scored at 19:45 of the third period before Jayden Tkaczuk won it 2-1 for the Gamblers 7:59 into overtime.

White finished with 33 saves and Allport made 41.

Saturday afternoon, Bruxvoort had a goal and an assist and Sheppard notched two assists in a 3-1 win. Smith and Lucas Millmine also scored to back White’s 27 saves.

Tkaczuk opened the scoring for Motor City before the MJDP scored three unanswered. Allport collected 30 saves.

“Not taking anything away from Motor City,” Lovell said. “They have some really talented players that have carried the mail for them all season, and particularly against us, but we knew our depth would ultimately come through. We rolled four lines, six ‘D’ and kept our composure throughout each game when we needed it most. It finally all came to a head today with that offensive outburst, getting contributions from everyone, but we can’t talk enough about the contribution we got from Taylor White in net in all three games. He proved again why he’s been one of top goaltenders in the league this season.

“We are proud of this group and will enjoy the victory today, but it’s back to work tomorrow to prepare for next week in Utica, N.Y.”

More information on USPHL Nationals is available on the USPHL website.

All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio – Since joining the USPHL ahead of the 2018-19 season, the Metro Jets have qualified for the USPHL National Championship Tournament every year.

This season is no different.

After sweeping the Columbus Mavericks in two straight games over the weekend, the Jets will head to Utica, N.Y., later this month to play for the game’s ultimate prize.

“The boys knew going into this weekend that they needed to focus on doing their jobs by outworking and outscoring our opponent,” Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo said. “Not only doing it once, but twice before we could move forward, and they did just that.”

Friday night at Mount Clemens Ice Arena, Freddy Soderberg stopped all 21 shots he faced in a 6-0 win for the Jets.

Yarne Vaerewyck scored twice, Chad Noetzel, Alex Schaumburger and Carson Finney had a goal and two assists each, and Ethan Hellman also scored. Dakota Kott and Jets captain Josh German chipped in two assists each.

Columbus goalie Brenden Cobb finished with 38 saves.

Then Saturday night at the OhioHealth Chiller North, Finney scored twice as the Jets clinched a nationals berth with a 7-3 victory.

Kott and Bryce O’Rourke each had a goal and an assist, Devon Mastay, Tyler Husted and Hellman all scored once, and Dylan Eliason and Rocco Stolz combined on a 30-save effort in goal.

Schaumburger and Noetzel tacked on three assists each and Alex Bedenko collected a pair of helpers.

For the Mavericks, Jadon Beard, Yannick Rizzi and Jeffrey Slivon scored with Cobb and Kyle Diehr stopping 49 shots.

The 2023 USPHL Premier National Championship Tournament is March 23-28 at the Nexus Center in Utica, N.Y.

For more information, visit the USPHL website.

All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The MJDP is moving on to the second round of the USPHL playoffs after defeating the Decatur Blaze in two straight this past weekend at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

Friday night, the MJDP took a 12-0 win and then wrapped up the series with a 12-3 victory Saturday afternoon.

With the wins, the MJDP will now play the Motor City Gamblers in another best-of-three series with a berth to the USPHL National Tournament in Utica, N.Y., on the line.

“Not much to say about this series,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “We did our job and got the two wins. We tried to preach good habits, but it’s difficult when the games are so lopsided score-wise.”

In the opener, Austin Muirhead pitched a 17-save shutout and had an assist to go along with two goals and four assists from Jacob Lawrence and a goal and five assists from Jordan Rivera.

Ethan Smith added two goals and two assists, Robert Grasso chipped in two goals and an assist, and Lucas Millmine and Jacques Lavrack each went for a goal and an assist.

Ryan Elmblad, Jack Rivera, and Max Rastello tallied one goal each and Nolan Salayko (pictured front) and Nick Juzych had two assists apiece.

For Decatur, Daniel Kreiner and Noah Banes combined to make 57 saves in goal.

In the finale Saturday, Jack Rivera posted three goals and two assists, Josh Boze two goals and an assist, and Lawrence and Alek John a pair of goals each as Taylor White and Andrew Parmentier stopped 15 shots.

Smith and Nolan Bruxvoort each contributed a goal and an assist, Royal St-Cyr scored, Jake Taylor rang up four assists, and Jordan Rivera and Jackson Hinkle tacked on two helpers.

Decatur captain Walker Smith had a goal and an assist, Duke Kersting and Brendan Hirliman scored, and Banes and Kreiner turned aside 37 shots.

Next up, the MJDP will host Motor City Friday at 5 p.m., Saturday at 12:45 p.m., and, if needed, Monday at 12:30 p.m.

The Gamblers swept the Battle Creek Kernels in their first-round matchup.

“Moving forward, we know next weekend’s series with Motor City will be a much taller task,” Lovell said. “They’ve had our number in the regular season, so we need to quickly refocus and get back to work Monday and use this week to prepare for Game 1 on Friday.

“We are all looking forward to the challenge.”

In addition, the Jets will play the Columbus Mavericks with a nationals berth on the line. Games are Friday at Mount Clemens at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at the OhioHealth Chiller North at 7:30 p.m., and, if needed, Sunday at 2 p.m. back at Mount Clemens.

All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The Metro Jets and MJDP teams wrapped the 2022-23 USPHL regular season over the weekend by taking a combined seven of eight points.

The Jets swept the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones in a home-and-home series, while the MJDP went on the road and downed the Chicago Crush before falling in a shootout.

Both teams finished second in their divisions, the Jets in the Great Lakes and the MJDP in the Midwest East.

Friday night at Addison Ice Arena, five different players scored – Robert Grasso, Lukas Nies, Ethan Smith, Jordan Rivera, and Bennett Sheppard – and Taylor White finished with 20 saves in goal. Jacques Lavrack chipped in two assists.

Owen Rycerz and Nick Zehelein scored for the Crush, and Andrew Young made 27 saves in suffering the loss between the pipes.

In the finale Saturday afternoon, Sheppard, Nies, and Lucas Millmine scored, with Pierce Ashcroft tacking on a pair of helpers. In goal, Andrew Parmentier stopped 16 shots and two of three in the shootout.

Zehelein, Jace Levine and Bailey McCarthy scored for the Crush and Kyle Tyszkiewicz made 30 saves plus all three in the shootout.

For the Jets, Alex Schaumburger posted a goal and six assists and Freddy Soderberg made 13 saves Friday night in a 17-1 win at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

Chad Noetzel and Alex Bedenko each went for three goals and an assist, Ugo Lollier (pictured below) scored three, Carson Finney and Robert Vanderdonck each added two goals and two assists, and Seve Litz scored a pair of goals.

Tyler Husted had a goal and an assist, Joey Carpenter collected four assists, Ethan Hellman (pictured front), captain Josh German and Dakota Kott all registered three assists, and Alex Blankenship added two assists.

Mitchell Elliott scored Cincinnati’s lone goal and Blake Mitchell and Tyler Siuda combined to stop 30 shots in the loss.

Wrapping up the weekend Sunday afternoon at the Heritage Bank Center, 10 different players scored goals in a 10-2 victory.

Schaumburger went for a goal and four assists, Noetzel, Husted and Vandedonck a goal and two assists each, and Rocco Stolz turned aside 23 shots in goal.

Bedenko added a goal and an assist, German, Hellman, Litz, Devon Mastay, and Yarne Vaerewyck contributed goals, and Carpenter, Finney, Kott, and Joey Mocnik had two assists apiece.

Jake Lamm and Chris Lanier scored for the Jr. Cyclones and John Rampe finished with 60 saves in goal.

“Overall, the boys played well this weekend,” said Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo. “Sometimes it’s tough to play when it’s a high-scoring game. We told the boys they need to make sure that they are keeping good habits and not to get away from our game. They kept their heads and played well. I know that they all have playoffs in the back of their minds, so to finish up the regular season with two wins was good.

“Now, it’s time to get back to work these next two weeks and prepare for playoffs.”

The MJDP hosts the seventh-place Decatur Blaze this weekend in a best-of-three series at Mount Clemens Ice Arena – Friday night at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 12:45 p.m. If a deciding Game 3 is needed, it will be played Sunday at a time to be determined.

The Jets have a bye this weekend and will play the Columbus Mavericks in the best-of-three second round, starting Friday, March 10 at Mount Clemens with dates, locations and times for the second and third games (if needed) to be finalized.

All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.

FOXBORO, Mass. – In their final showcase of the 2022-23 season, the Metro Jets and MJDP teams combined for six wins in eight games at the SSK Presidents’ Day Showcase at the Foxboro Sports Center.

The Jets defeated the Connecticut Jr. Rangers 5-0, Springfield Pics 8-2, Northern Cyclones 4-1, and Bridgewater Jr. Bandits 5-1.

“Pretty pleased with our game this weekend,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “They played with a playoff mentality and came away with four wins. We weren’t sure how the guys would approach these games knowing they didn’t really mean anything in terms of positioning in the standings. We preached habits and details all week long in an effort to make sure that the team was prepared for not only this showcase but looking ahead to playoffs.

“Most importantly, these showcases give our players an opportunity to play top competition in front college scouts, which ultimately is what this is all about – development and moving players on to the next level.”

The MJDP earned a 7-3 win over the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and a 2-1 victory over the Boston Advantage with losses to the Utica Jr. Comets 5-2 and Islanders Hockey Club 1-0.

“Overall, the weekend was good, but we still need to be more consistent with our game,” Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo said. “We got a lot of offense the first game but then all of a sudden in the second and third games, it dried up and we got away from what made us successful. We came here knowing that we needed points. We’re in a battle for positioning in our division, so coming away with four points against top competition from the Atlantic divisions is a job well done in our minds. We put ourselves in the driver’s seat going into the last weekend of the season against Chicago.

“More importantly, what these showcase weekends are about is exposing our players to the best competition and getting them in front of top college programs for next-level opportunities.”

This weekend, both teams wrap the regular season. The Jets play a home-and-home series with the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones (Friday at Mount Clemens at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday on the road at the Heritage Bank Center at 3 p.m.), while the MJDP plays two away games versus the Chicago Crush at the Addison Ice Arena (Friday at 7:50 p.m. Central time and Saturday at 2:20 p.m. Central time).

All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Over the past week, the Metro Jets came away with a trio of wins while the MJDP didn’t fare so well, dropping two games.

For the Jets, their week started with a 14-2 win in Cincinnati last Wednesday, followed by a 2-1 win in Columbus on Friday, and finishing with an 8-3 win in Battle Creek this past Monday.

Against the Jr. Cyclones at the Heritage Bank Center, Dakota Kott tallied a goal and six assists, Tyler Husted and Joey Mocnik had two goals and three assists each, Robert Vanderdonck scored three goals, and captain Josh German went for a goal and three helpers as Zach Robert and Karl Ullmann combined to make 24 saves in goal.

Seve Litz scored twice, Ethan Hellman had a goal and two assists, and Michael Lucia and Chad Noetzel notched one goal each.

Alex Bedenko and Steven Miller posted three assists apiece, and Alex Schaumburger chipped in a pair of helpers.

On the Cincinnati side, Mitchell Elliott and JT Hosack scored, and Jadon Atchison finished with 37 saves.

Then in Columbus at the OhioHealth Chiller North, Litz’s goal eight minutes into the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and the Jets held on for the win.

Mocnik scored the game’s first goal late in the second period before Colin Crowley tied the game 5:13 into the third period.

Dylan Eliason made 13 saves for the win between the pipes, while Brenden Cobb made 38 stops for the Mavericks.

Last night against the Kernels at The Rink Battle Creek, Hellman scored twice, and Freddy Soderberg and Rocco Stolz combined on a 34-save effort in goal.

Bryce O’Rourke, German, Mocnik, Noetzel, Husted, and Miller added single goals in the win.

Luke Tinker, Caleb Dunuroglu, and Jacob Felmeden scored for Battle Creek, Seamus Killian had two assists, and goaltenders Galvin Reagan and Liam Donnelly turned aside 59 shots.

For the MJDP, the team lost 3-1 Friday night at Mount Clemens Ice Arena to the Motor City Gamblers and then 5-1 Saturday afternoon to the Fort Wayne Spacemen at the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse.

On home ice, Jacob Lawrence scored the lone goal to give the MJDP a short-lived 1-0 lead midway through the second period.

In goal, Taylor White finished with 29 saves.

Aidan Canady, Donovan Ascensio, and Owen Wilson scored for the Gamblers, and Robert Allport stopped 27 shots for the win in goal.

Then in Fort Wayne, Nolan Salayko broke Maxim Zinchenko’s shutout bid with a goal at 18:43 of the third period.

Zinchenko tallied 33 saves as Andrew Parmentier and Austin Muirhead combined to kick out 45 shots for the MJDP.

Logan Robins netted two goals for Fort Wayne, while RJ Rollman and Cam Perry had a goal and an assist each. Kyle Remo scored the other Spacemen goal.

This weekend, both the Jets and MJDP teams head to Foxboro, Mass., for the USPHL Presidents’ Day Showcase.

METRO JETS SHOWCASE SCHEDULE

MJDP SHOWCASE SCHEDULE

All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.