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Jets Elite sweeps three-game road series from Cougars, MJDP splits OT games in Chicago

By Matt Mackinder, 02/17/24, 11:45AM EST

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BENSENVILLE, Ill. - The MJDP and Metro Jets Elite teams ventured to suburban Chicago this week for their respective series with the Chicago Cougars at Edge Ice Arena.

The Jets Elite won all three of its games, while the MJDP split a pair of 5-4 overtime games with the Cougars.

Kicking off the Chicago trip Wednesday, the Jets Elite took a 5-3 win as Max Rastello, Matt Hopersberger, Jackson Hinkle, John Spiridonakos and Peter Spiridonakos, also with two assists, all scored. 

Eliot Duerr finished with 30 saves in goal.

For the Cougars, Josh Roman, Mark Shibalov and Rocco Bifano scored and goalie Jared Ablack made 39 saves.

Thursday, it was another 5-3 Jets win as McKenna Baker tallied two goals, Caleb Simpson went for a goal and an assist, John Spiridonakos had a goal plus a helper, and Hinkle also scored.

Peter Spiridonakos added two assists and Zach Robert turned aside 29 shots between the pipes.

Lukas Kurowski had two goals and an assist for Chicago, while James Gudino chipped in a goal with Kole Wendt making 23 saves in net.

Wrapping up Friday, John Spiridonakos collected two goals and two assists and Rastello also scored two goals in a 6-3 victory to sweep the three-game series.

Simpson and Peter Spiridonakos each had a goal and two assists and Baker and Avery Byron each tacked on two assists apiece.

In goal, Duerr made 24 saves.

Bifano and Kurowski each had a goal and an assist for the Cougars, while Caleb Lind also scored and Ablack kicked out 29 shots.

Next action for the Jets Elite is a three-game series at Mount Clemens Ice Arena against the Chicago Crush - Friday at 2:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.

The MJDP team started its two-game set with the Cougars with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win on Thursday.

Lucas Millmine (16:02) and Jake Taylor (19:59) scored late in the the third period to send the game to overtime, where Royal St-Cyr won it at 2:52.

Taylor added another goal and two assists and Josh Boze put up four assists. Jacques Lavrack added a goal and Austin Combs posted a pair of assists to back Andrew Parmentier's 23 saves in goal.

Gerdas Paulaskas scored twice with two assists for Chicago, Arthur Pawlik also collected two goals, and goaltender Cameron Boville stopped 37 shots in net.

In the finale Friday, Lavrack's second goal of the game tied it 4-4 at 19:15 of the third period before Paulaskas won it for the Cougars 4:10 into extra time.

Lavrack also added an assist for a three-point game, while Combs had a goal and an assist, Oka Forsberg netted a goal, and Millmine chipped in two assists. 

Austin Muirhead made 31 saves in goal.

Paulaskas, Cooper Brackett, Cameron Krause and Alex Musyakevych all had a goal and an assist and Kevin Hanly also scored. Landon Edwards contributed two assists and in goal, Bennett Pieters finished with 23 saves.

The MJDP wraps up February with a road game against the Motor City Gamblers next Tuesday at noon from Big Boy Arena in Fraser, followed by two with the Crush at Mount Clemens, Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

On Friday, the Jets hosted the Columbus Mavericks and came away with two points.

Next week, the Jets play the Toledo Cherokee at the Team Toledo Ice House on Saturday at 7 p.m.

All USPHL games are available on FloHockey.tv.


Photos/Sara Vasseur