The Metro Jets took a 3-0 lead on the Toledo Cherokee and held off a late-game push by Toledo to collect a 3-2 win Wednesday evening.
With the victory, the Jets extend their lead in the USPHL Great Lakes Division to seven points over Toledo.
“It’s nice to have a win when we probably didn’t have our best effort,” Jets associate coach Jamie Lovell said. “I don’t know what was going on in the first period. We just didn’t have it. Guys were mishandling pucks, missing assignments, stuff like that, but good thing ‘LP’ (goaltender Louis-Pierre Fortier) was back there, held the fort, and kept us in it. The second period, we did a much better job, and that’s probably where we took over the game.”
After a scoreless first period, Alec Lindecker and Will Jentz (pictured) scored in the second period, and then Luke Blasy notched what proved to be the game-winning goal early in the third period.
“I just found myself in front of the net and Joey Johnson took a shot and it hit me right in the gut,” Blasy said. “I just figured I’d get it on net and there was traffic in front. It just ended up going in.”
Johnson had two assists in the game to go along with 30 saves from Fortier.
Caleb Williams and Matt Snyder scored in the third period for Toledo and Mason Snyder and Joey Cormier combined on a 35-save effort in goal. Cormier replaced Snyder at 13:43 of the second when Snyder left the game with an apparent injury.
The two teams play again Friday night at the Team Toledo IceHouse. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be available on HockeyTV.com.
“We have to dictate the play early like we had been doing the past couple games,” Lovell said. “We didn’t do that tonight, but if we do that come Friday night, jump on them early and do the job, we should be fine.”
