ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Metro Jets continue to make waves in the junior hockey world.
Notoriously known for their offense and setting records over their 34-year history, the Jets did something at the USPHL Chicago Showcase never done by any team before: record four straight shutouts at a showcase event.
Games were held Dec. 15-18 at the Leafs Ice Centre and Canlan Romeoville in suburban Chicago.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as playing a perfect game in hockey, but I would have to say we came as close as you can to it, and then we did it three more times and actually got better as the showcase went on,” Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell said. “We played four games against tough, quality opponents in a showcase format and did not give up a single goal against – that’s pretty impressive.
“The theme of the weekend was our offense being our best defense as we played so well in the offensive zone that we didn’t give up a lot, making our goalies’ workload light. Not to take credit away from Rocco (Stolz) and Freddy (Soderberg), who pitched two shutouts each, and made the big saves when they were called upon. I’d say that’s even more difficult to be a goalie in games where you go long periods without getting tested, and then all of a sudden have to make a big save.”
The Jets defeated the Northern Colorado Eagles 2-0, the Minnesota Blue Ox 1-0, Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings 3-0, and the Pueblo Bulls 3-0.
“If there was any negative to take away, it would be that we didn’t convert as many chances as we would have liked,” said Lovell. “Eight goals of offense in four games isn’t anything to brag about, but the way we won these games this weekend was a coach’s dream. Great way to go into the holiday break, get some much-needed rest, and come back for the second half of the season starting in the Tampa showcase.”
“The Jets were outstanding and played some of the best hockey I’ve seen from them,” added Jets associate coach Adam Morrison. “It was great to see the whole team contributing and buying in for the success. Our leaders led the way but from top to bottom, they were really fun to watch.”
Also at the showcase, the MJDP and MHC teams took part, with the MJDP finishing 3-1 and the MHC 1-3.
The MJDP squad defeated the Riverkings 2-0, the Steele County Blades 2-0, and the Columbus Mavericks 2-1 in overtime before falling to the Blue Ox 3-1.
On the MHC side, the team downed the Decatur Blaze 6-2 and lost to the Dells Ducks 5-1, the Minnesota Moose 5-1, and the Chicago Cougars 5-1.
“Given the circumstances, we felt the guys competed hard and represented the organization professionally,” said Jets associate coach Tina Ciraulo. “We strive to give many opportunities for our guys, and they impressed a lot of scouts. Our program is all about providing the best platform for development and exposure, and each one of our guys did a great job taking advantage of this. They were the youngest team in the event and were right there with each team they played. Even after their win, they continued to scale up and can walk away from this knowing it was good for their development.”
“The MHC competed in every game and gave everything they had, even getting a win over Decatur,” added Morrison.
After a two-week break, next up on the schedule is the USPHL Tampa Showcase, slated for Jan. 5-9 at Advent Health Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, Fla.
