MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Just four games were on the schedule this past week, and two of them amounted to two points for Metro Jets teams.
Starting the action on Wednesday, the Jets Elite team defeated the Fort Wayne Spacemen 3-2 in a shootout at Mount Clemens Ice Arena to gain a victory in the team’s home opener.
Dimitry Aksenov and Connor Stamp scored 1:24 apart early in the third period and after nothing was settled in overtime, the Jets earned the extra point winning the shootout.
“Good comeback win for the boys,” Jets associate coach Danny Vanderwiel said. “Was grateful to push OT, even more grateful to get the ‘W.’ Nothing like coming from behind and getting the two points, especially in the home opener. I think our younger guys are starting to settle in a little bit more and have some more confidence.
“Still plenty that we can clean up and we are excited to get back to work the rest of the week dialing in on those details.”
Jets goaltender Brendan Dreisbach made 24 saves in the win.
For Fort Wayne, Braedon Rasinskis and Cameron Rees scored and netminder Aiden Karst finished with 39 saves.
In the second game of the afternoon, Fort Wayne doubled up the MJDP team by an 8-4 count.
Noah Bodurka tallied two goals, Lucas Benavides-Forte and Clovis Gamelin one each, while goalies Cam Cyrus and Cooper Langley combined to make 28 saves.
Nikita Voloubiev scored three goals, Ivan Barnashov and Evan Wilson two each, and Robert Gross added one with goaltender Gleb Rakov making 29 saves.
In the Nashville area for a two-game set, the Jets split with the Red River Spartans at F & M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tenn.
Friday night, Aidan Charron and Luka Pivec scored in a 5-2 setback.
Goalies Jakub Obzera and Philip Hall combined to make 22 saves. Hall also drew an assist on Pivec’s goal.
Jack Treacy had a goal and an assist for the Spartans, while Peyton Williams, Ryan Tucker McKinney, Greyson Betzold and Jett Jock also scored. Bryson Walz tacked on two assists and Hunter Oger made 34 saves in goal.
In the finale Saturday night, the Jets scored four in the third period to take a 7-5 win to earn a series split.
Pivec went for two goals and two assists, Charron added two goals and an assist, and Evan Peacock picked up the win in goal with a 22-save performance.
“I guess if we put it into perspective, we feel pretty good leaving for home on a winning note,” Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell said. “Had the games been reversed and we won the first game and lost the second, we’d feel a lot different, but I think we learned from a very poor first period to start the weekend off in the first game and finished with five pretty good ones after that.”
Jaxon Stone collected a goal and an assist and Ryan Glomboske and Alessandro Evangelista also netted goals. Captain Jake Taylor and Sutton Majeske registered two assists apiece.
For Red River, Sander Korrell had two goals and an assist, Jake Hayward, Ethan Smith and Jack Treacy one each, and Walz chipped in a pair of assists.
Oger finished with 41 saves.
“We still have a lot to work on and I don’t think we’re even close to reaching the potential and the standards that we set for this program,” Lovell said. “It’s going to take time, we’re young and in experienced, and it will be more of a challenge to us as a coaching staff to get these guys where we want them to be.
“It’s a challenge we all welcome.”
Next week, the Jets Elite plays at Fort Wayne Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the MJDP is in Battle Creek Friday at 7 p.m., and the Jets play in Fort Wayne Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday in Battle Creek at 7 p.m.
All USPHL games are available on BlackBearSports.tv.
Photo/Sara Vasseur
