MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The MJDP earned four points this weekend with a sweep over the Decatur Blaze on home ice at Mount Clemens Ice Arena, winning 9-0 Friday night and 6-2 Saturday afternoon.
The Metro Jets played a single game, falling 2-1 to the Toledo Cherokee Friday night at the Team Toledo IceHouse.
Friday night, Jacques Lavrack went for three goals and an assist, Darin Kennedy scored twice, and Austin Muirhead made 17 saves for the shutout in his season debut between the pipes.
“The boys were really moving the puck around and it was nice to see some of the new guys that were in the lineup put pucks in the net and stop pucks on the back end,” Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo said. “Of course, there’s always things we can improve on.”
“The forwards were moving hard on the forecheck and dominating the posession for majority of the game, so that was really good to see,” added Muirhead. “(The shutout) feels really good. The boys made it pretty easy on me and, hopefully, the team and I can carry this momentum into the next games.”
Josh Boze, Avery Byron and Jack Rivera all had a goal and an assist, Lukas Nies chipped in a goal, and Lucas Millmine posted three assists and Robert Grasso and Robert Vanderdonck tacked on two helpers apiece.
For Decatur, Chase Miller and Elisha Caine combined to stop 50 shots in goal.
In the finale Saturday, Alek John (pictured below) registered a hat trick and Bennett Sheppard scored twice to back Zach Robert’s 20 saves in the MJDP cage.
“We had a tough start to the game and it took the guys a couple minutes to get going,” Jets associate coach Adam Morrison said. “Once we settled in and started executing passes and handling the puck, we put the pressure on them. I thought we did a good job getting traffic out front when our ‘D’ had the puck, which helped us generate offense and scoring opportunities. Still have a lot to work on to clean up our game.”
Boze added a goal and Nicco DeStefanis contributed four assists with Nies picking up a pair of assists.
Riley Zeno and Duke Kersting netted Decatur’s goals, Walker Smith assisted on both, and Rigel Goodrich and Caine stopped 45 shots for the Blaze.
In Toledo, Carson Finney scored the lone Jets’ goal early in the third period to tie the game 1-1, but Collin Preston scored at 10:55 of the third to put Toledo ahead and that’s how the game ended.
“That’s a tough loss to a division rival,” said Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell. “I thought we played well at times during the game but during those times, we just couldn’t capitalize on our chances. We just weren’t dangerous or threatening enough offensively. Then there were stretches in the game where we just looked out of sync, not sharp, not making smart plays coming out of our zone, which ultimately created turnovers and forced the play back in to our zone to defend. You got the feeling in this game that one mistake or one bounce was going to win it or lose it. Tonight, that mistake was ours, and they got the fortunate bounce for the game-winning goal. We have to be a lot better and way more consistent in our game if we want to win these tight close games..
“The nice thing is we get to come right back here next week and do it all over again.”
Freddy Soderberg made 29 saves in the Jets’ net in taking the defeat.
Cameron Reel scored Toledo’s first goal and goalie Frank Murphy stopped 28 for the win.
Next weekend, the Jets are back in Toledo Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and then host the Columbus Mavericks at Mount Clemens Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The MJDP hosts the Motor City Gamblers Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and the Fort Wayne Spacemen Sunday at 4 p.m.
All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.
