HUDSON, N.H. – The defending USPHL national champion Charlotte Rush snapped the Metro Jets’ season-opening 20-game winning streak with a hard-fought 4-3 win Saturday morning at Cyclones Arena.
The two teams were tied 1-1 after one period and 2-2 after two periods before Charlotte scored two goals late in the third period to escape with the victory.
Chad Noetzel had a goal and an assist for the Jets, while Cristian Adragna (pictured below) and Josh German scored to go along with a pair of helpers from Jets captain Cody Mastay.
Louis-Pierre Fortier played well but took the loss in goal for the Jets.
Also Saturday, the Jersey Whalers scored a late goal of their own to down the MJDP 1-0 at Skate 3.
Goaltender Freddy Soderberg (pictured front) finished with 20 saves as the MJDP outshot the Whalers 29-21.
“We are proud of our guys and all the wins they had this weekend, but more importantly, they handled themselves professionally throughout the event,” Jets coach-GM Justin Quenneville said. “These formats are difficult to go 4-0 in with such short breaks between games, but our guys battled through and found a way to compete with everything they had left in the tank on the last day. Even though both teams fell short by a goal, both their opponents played hard on their first game of the event unfortunately. Regardless, our guys won a lot of games and garnered even more attention. We already have several NAHL and NCDC call ups in the next couple weeks again and even more NCAA schools looking at our players. I’m the end, that’s the point, and that’s why we operate to providing the most amount of opportunities and exposure.
“We’ll enjoy this short break and look to keep going into December with even more difficult games and another showcase in Chicago. Two teams both in first place in their respective divisions says something, but our focus will continue on getting better as the season develops.”
After time off for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Jets will host the Lake Erie Bighorns at Mount Clemens Ice Arena December 4-5. Game times are 4:30 p.m. for the opener and noon for the finale.
The MJDP next plays on the road against the Decatur Blaze December 4-5 with game times 8:30 p.m. EDT Saturday and 1:15 p.m. Sunday.
All USPHL games are available on HockeyTV.com.
