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.
