DECATUR, Ill. – The MHC couldn’t get the sweep Sunday, falling 6-3 to the Decatur Blaze at the Decatur Civic Center.

Brent Wolf (pictured) had a goal and an assist, while Brennan Zatelli and Connor Hilliker also scored.

In goal, Sal Carabelli finished with 40 saves.

This weekend, the MHC travels to Erie, Pa., for two games with the Lake Erie Bighorns. Game times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday from the ErieBank Sports Park.

All games will be available on HockeyTV.com.

DECATUR, Ill. – Down 3-0 late in the second period to the Decatur Blaze, the MHC rattled off four unanswered goals to defeat the Blaze 4-3 Saturday night at the Decatur Civic Center.

Captain Brandon Plummer’s goal at 12:37 of the third period stood as the winner.

“What a game these guys played tonight,” said Metro Jets associate coach Dan Pszenyczny. “Coming off a rough couple games in Lake Erie, being down early, they never gave up. Everyone on the team chipped in some way.

“Ethan Ryan played a great game tonight, making some great saves to keep us in the game, and Plummer played a strong game in all three zones and got rewarded for his hard work.”

Brent Wolf, Joey Sherman and Ronny Zamojski also scored for the MHC, while Plummer (pictured below) and Sherman added assists for multi-point games.

Ryan (pictured front) made 41 saves in goal to collect the victory.

The two teams wrap up their two-game weekend series Sunday at 1:15 p.m. EST, with the game available on HockeyTV.com.

Earlier in the day, the MJDP won their last two games at the USPHL Erie Showcase, downing the Buffalo Thunder 5-2 and then shutting out the Elmira Jr. Enforcers 5-0 at the ErieBank Sports Park.

The MJDP went a perfect 3-0 at the showcase event.

In the win over Buffalo, Joey Mocnik had a goal and two assists, Garrick Smith and Seth Beagle each posted a goal and an assist, and Jake Aslanian and Tommy Purton scored.

Brendan Rachfal tacked on a pair of assists and Caden Fisher stopped 14 shots between the pipes.

Against Elmira, Daniel Miscavish fashioned a 17-save shutout as Hugo Fonovic had a goal and an assist and Tim Washburn, Derek Dreher, Max Hartwell and Rachfal scored single goals.

Nick Twombley, captain Brayden Tayles and Mocnik all recorded two assists each.

The MJDP next plays the Motor City Hockey Club this coming Wednesday night at the Jack Adams Memorial Arena in Detroit at 6 p.m.

ERIE, Pa. – The Metro Jets picked up two more wins Friday at the USPHL Erie Showcase, being staged this week at the ErieBank Sports Park.

This morning, Matt Cole (pictured below) scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Hockey Club.

Cody Mastay, Alec Lindecker and Will Jentz all had a goal and an assist as Will Augustine made 20 saves between the pipes.

In the nightcap, Karl Ullmann stopped 18 shots in goal as the Jets topped the host Lake Erie Bighorns 4-1.

Anders Grongstad tallied a pair of goals, Joey Carpenter and Cristian Adragna one each, and Jentz had two assists in the win.

Also Friday night, the MJDP opened the event with a 7-1 win over Philadelphia.

Patrick Hays (pictured front) scored two goals with an assist, Joey Mocnik went for a goal and three assists, Max Hartwell and Hugo Fonovic added a goal and an assist each, and Tim Washburn and Brendan Rachfal each scored.

In goal, Daniel Miscavish finished with 22 saves.

The MJDP finishes up the showcase Saturday with games against the Buffalo Thunder at 10:30 a.m. and the Elmira Jr. Enforcers at 4:30 p.m.

The MHC lost 4-1 to Buffalo and 5-0 to Elmira in showcase games Friday.

Connor Hilliker scored in the loss to Buffalo and Sal Carabelli turned aside 37 shots in net.

Ethan Ryan stopped 35 shots in the Elmira game.

The MHC now heads to Decatur for games against the Blaze Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. EST and Sunday at 1:15 p.m.

All games will be available on HockeyTV.com.

ERIE, Pa. – The Metro Jets kicked off the USPHL Erie Showcase with a 4-1 win Thursday afternoon over the Elmira Jr. Enforcers at the ErieBank Sports Park.

Matt Cole recorded a goal and an assist, while Joey Johnson, Alex Schaumburger and Alec Lindecker also scored, and Cristian Adragna (pictured front) added two assists for the Jets.

In goal, Louis-Pierre Fortier (pictured below) made 18 saves.

The Jets continue the showcase Friday with games at 8 a.m. against the Philadelphia Hockey Club and then at 3 p.m. against the Lake Erie Bighorns.

Also Thursday, the MHC fell 8-2 to Philadelphia.

Danny Haack and Jacob Gray scored and Tate Potteiger suffered the loss in goal.

The MHC plays the Buffalo Thunder Friday at 8 a.m. and Elmira at 3:15 p.m.

In addition, the MJDP plays Philadelphia Friday at 6:30 p.m.

All games at the showcase are being streamed on HockeyTV.com.

ORLAND PARK, Ill. – The Metro Jets, MJDP and MHC wrapped up the USPHL Chicago Showcase at the Arctic Ice Arena Sunday afternoon.

In the early games, the MHC knocked off the Dells Ducks 4-1 (pictured below), the MJDP fell 2-1 in overtime to the Pueblo Bulls, and the Jets lost 2-1 to the Minnesota Moose.

Joey Sherman scored two goals, captain Brandon Plummer added a goal and two assists, and Brent Wolf scored for the MHC while Tate Potteiger made 40 saves in goal.

Nick Twombley scored the lone goal for the MJDP (pictured front) and Daniel Miscavish finished with 16 saves.

For the Jets, Conner Graham scored, and Louis-Pierre Fortier kicked out 30 shots between the pipes.

In the late games, the Jets doubled up the Northern Colorado Eagles 6-3, the MJDP suffered a 4-1 setback to the Moose, and the MHC was downed 7-0 by the Rum River Mallards.

For the Jets, Cristian Adragna scored a pair of goals, Josh German and Will Jentz a goal and an assist each, and Justin Song and Anders Grongstad posted one goal apiece. Graham also scored and Will Augustine made 16 saves in the Jets’ crease.

Max Hartwell tallied the MJDP goal, and goalie Caden Fisher stopped 31 shots.

Ethan Ryan finished with 38 saves in net for the MHC.

All three teams now break for the holidays before getting back to game action in January.

The MHC is in Decatur to play the Blaze Jan. 9-10, while the MJDP travels to play the Motor City Hockey Club on Jan. 13, and the Jets host the Columbus Mavericks on Jan. 16.

All USPHL games will be streamed on HockeyTV.com.

ORLAND PARK, Ill. – Patrick Hays’ goal 1:07 into overtime (pictured front, below) lifted the MJDP to a 2-1 win over the Rochester Vipers Saturday afternoon at the USPHL Chicago Showcase, which is being held at the Arctic Ice Arena.

Nick Twombley scored in the first period before Rochester’s J.P. Krone scored with one second left in the third period.

Caden Fisher finished with 25 saves for the MJDP.

In other action Saturday, the MHC suffered a 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cougars as Brent Wolf scored the lone goal and Tate Potteiger made 39 saves, while the Pueblo Bulls shut out the Metro Jets 3-0 as Will Augustine turned aside 27 shots in goal.

Sunday at the showcase, the Jets play the Minnesota Moose at 8 a.m. and the Northern Colorado Eagles at 2:30 p.m., while the MJDP plays Pueblo at 8:15 a.m. and the Moose at 2:45 p.m., and the MHC plays the Dells Ducks at 10:25 a.m. and the Rum River Mallards at 4:55 p.m.

Game times Central.

All showcase games will be streamed on HockeyTV.com.

ORLAND PARK, Ill. – All three Metro Jets teams picked up wins to open the USPHL Chicago Showcase Friday afternoon at the Arctic Ice Arena.

Brent Wolf’s power-play goal 1:33 into overtime (pictured front) lifted the MHC to a 2-1 win over the Decatur Blaze.

Captain Brandon Plummer also scored, and Ethan Ryan made 34 saves in goal for the MHC.

The MJDP offense (pictured below) exploded in an 8-2 win over the Minnesota Blue Ox.

Joey Mocnik tallied three goals, Anthony Cinato added a goal and two assists, Max Hartwell tacked on three assists, and Daniel Miscavish turned aside 24 shots in goal.

Nick McDougall posted a goal and an assist, Mitch Forton, Seth Beagle and Jake Aslanian scored one each, and Tim Washburn and Austin Ieuter chipped in two assists each.

Five different players scored goals as the Jets knocked off the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings 5-3.

Cody Mastay and Jason Crossland each had a goal and an assist, while Matt Cole, Ryan Messing and Alec Lindecker notched one goal apiece.

Anders Grongstad and Cristian Adragna registered two helpers each, and Louis-Pierre Fortier made 15 saves for the win in goal.

On Saturday, the MJDP plays the Rochester Vipers at 1:40 p.m., followed by the Jets playing the Pueblo Bulls at 3 p.m., and the MHC taking on the Chicago Cougars at 4:40 p.m.

All times Central Time.

Each game at the showcase is available on HockeyTV.com.

FRASER, Mich. – Traditionally, the Metro Jets have built their teams in recent years with players from the Metro Detroit area.

And while that may still be the case going forward, the organization has started to branch out a bit into more areas of Michigan when it comes to finding junior hockey-ready players, specifically in the Grand Rapids area.

That’s where new Jets scout Ray Hyde comes into play.

“I became familiar with (Jets coach-GM) Justin (Quenneville), (assistant coach) Randy (Wilson) and the Jets organization while recruiting the junior level for Davenport’s college teams,” Hyde said. “I was very impressed with not only the talent level the team possessed but also in the professionalism that the program showed in all aspects – the coaching staff, facilities, resources for players, you name it.

“The more I spoke with players from the program and with Justin at different events, it became even more apparent that the Jets are a first-class organization that provides players great opportunities to develop on and off the ice, then take the next step in their hockey journey.”

A former goaltender in the Illinois high school ranks, the 30-year-old Hyde now lives in Caledonia with his wife of five years, Kelsey, with a baby girl set to be born next month.

Once his playing days wrapped up, Hyde served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Cary Grove High School in Cary, Ill., and also worked as the head coach for the GRAHA 16U AA team from 2014-18 and as an assistant coach with MDHL West Michigan since 2019.

In the college ranks, Hyde was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Davenport University from 2018-20.

Hyde is also a scout for the MDHL West Michigan Fall Elite League.

“I have known Ray for some years now and no different than other hockey relationships, he worked closely with a former player of mine from the NAHL that was coaching on the west side of Michigan,” said Quenneville. “Not only was I impressed with how Ray conducted himself, but he was always professional and many of his philosophies lined up with ours. After many conversations, we felt Ray would be another asset to our stellar scouting staff and solidify that side of the state.

“We are fortunate to have a great circle of hockey people who work with the Jets, and he will fit in great moving forward. Ray will continue to work closely with myself and our coaches and scouts while maintaining presence on the west side of the state.”

Needless to say, fitting in with the Jets is the ideal situation for Hyde.

“As the summer progressed, and I saw an opportunity to become a part of this program, it was something that I didn’t want to let slip by and I’m very excited to help the program continue to achieve at the highest levels,” said Hyde. “I believe that the West Michigan market has a lot of untapped potential for local players and I can’t wait leverage my knowledge of high school and youth hockey here to provide players in this area an avenue into junior hockey with a program that has such a great foundation in team success and personal development.”

DECATUR, Ill. – As part of a six-goal explosion in the second period en route to a 10-2 win over the Decatur Blaze Sunday afternoon at the Decatur Civic Center, completing the weekend sweep, one goal noticeably stood out over the others.

Garrick Smith scored at 16:02 of the period to give the MJDP a 5-0 lead, and as he skated by the team bench for post-goal fist bumps (pictured), Smith was smiling from ear to ear.

Quite the moment for the 18-year-old who lost his father, Kevin, suddenly last Wednesday morning.

“Seeing Garrick score that goal and smile is always an amazing thing to see,” said Metro Jets defenseman Brendan Rachfal, who had two goals and an assist Sunday. “It takes a lot after news like that to come out this weekend and play like he did. I’m proud of him and we will all be there for him through everything.”

Mitch Forton posted a hat trick for the MJDP, but like Rachfal, was excited to see Smith score that goal.

“There are absolutely no words to describe Geno’s goal,” Forton said. “We all had a feeling he was going to get one and when that play developed and when he buried, we were electrified as a team. It was a huge moment for Geno and the Metro family and all you can really do is appreciate the family dynamic that we have here. He’s family and we’re with him all the way no matter what. It was truly special to see him get one this weekend.

“Jets fly together.”

Jake Aslanian also had two goals and an assist, while Max Hartwell recorded four assists, captain Brayden Tayles tacked on three assists, and Patrick Hays went for a goal and an assist. Nick Twombley and Anthony Cinato added two helpers each, and Tommy Purton picked up a goal as well.

Caden Fisher stopped 28 shots in goal as the MJDP outshot the Blaze 57-30.

“We got off to a great start, much better than last night, and put Decatur on their heels early with two big goals in the first,” Jets associate coach Jamie Lovell said. “Caden Fisher was very good today. If you were to just look at the box score, you would only get half the story. It was a 2-0 game for half of it and Fisher was a huge part of that. He was calm, collected, and made saves look easy.”

For Decatur, Stepan Skvirskii scored both goals in the third period, and Tanner Rusnak and Cooper Stewart combined to make 47 saves.

“It was really good to see guys like Forton and Purton chip in on the offense,” Lovell said. “We knew going into this weekend we’d be missing our two leading goal scorers, so it was great to see others step up and deliver. Today, we delivered in a big way. Nice finish to a solid weekend, and it should give this group plenty of confidence going into the Chicago showcase.”

After Tuesday’s MHC-Detroit Fighting Irish game at 2 p.m., all three Metro Jets teams head to Orland Park, Ill., for the USPHL Chicago Showcase Dec. 18-20.

MHC Schedule

MJDP Schedule

Metro Jets Schedule

“The sweep this weekend keeps the confidence high,” said Forton. “We’re rolling, and we plan to stay rolling.”

All showcase games will be streamed on HockeyTV.com.

DECATUR, Ill. – The MJDP went on the road Saturday night and defeated the Decatur Blaze 5-3 in the first game of a two-game set at the Decatur Civic Center.

Seth Beagle scored twice, while newcomer Max Hartwell, Patrick Hays and Tim Washburn (pictured) added goals in the win.

“Not our best effort tonight, but we found a way to win,” Metro Jets associate coach Jamie Lovell said. “Our specials made a big difference tonight. We capitalized on the power play in the second, which gave us some momentum. And our penalty kill took away any momentum that they tried to gain, and ultimately frustrated them.

“We will take the win and refocus for tomorrow’s rematch.”

In goal, Daniel Miscavish stopped 27 shots for the win.

“The biggest keys to tonight’s win were getting pucks to the net and controlling the puck so well,” Beagle said. “Tomorrow, we need to finish more on our big chances, and we need to cut back on the defensive breakdowns in front of the net.”

Dominick Didzerekis, Artem Alekhin and Trevor Colberg scored for the Blaze and Tanner Rusnak made 38 saves in suffering the defeat in goal.

The two teams meet again Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

Streaming of the game will be available on HockeyTV.com.