MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – The Metro Jets played two games on home ice last weekend at Mount Clemens Ice Arena, winning both over the Battle Creek Kernels and Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones.
The MJDP team went on the road to play the Chicago Cougars in a two-game set from Fifth Third Arena, winning the first game in a shootout and then falling in the second for the squad’s first loss of the 2022-23 USPHL season.
“Unfortunate to head home on a losing note after last night’s emotional win,” Jets associate head coach Jamie Lovell said Saturday night from Chicago. “We did a lot of good things all weekend, but we’re having trouble scoring right now. Three goals in our last three games just isn’t going to get it done. I know we’ve won two of those games, but it just puts too much on our goaltenders to be perfect, and we can’t expect that night in and night out despite what they’ve been doing to this point.
“I believe in this group, and they’re really buying into the details. The goals will come if they keep committing to getting better each day.”
Friday night, Taylor White made 39 saves in the 2-1 shootout win as Robert Grasso netted the regulation goal.
Kevin Maisells scored for the Cougars and Sebastian Wigfield stopped 45 shots in taking the defeat.
In the finale, Aidan Shannon scored the lone goal in the 3-1 setback. Andrew Parmentier finished with 27 saves between the pipes.
Matt Lombardi had a goal and an assist for Chicago, while Maisells and Gerdas Paulaskas posted the other goals for Chicago. Connor Schuckmann collected two assists and Jack Coleman turned aside 26 shots in net.
In Mount Clemens, the Jets defeated the Kernels 11-2 Friday night and the Jr. Cyclones 16-1 Saturday evening.
Chad Noetzel and Andreas Fleutot each went for two goals and an assist in the opener, while Dakota Kott added a goal and two assists and Alex Blankenship, Devon Mastay, captain Josh German and Joey Carpenter all posted two assists to back Freddy Soderberg’s 14 saves in goal.
Alex Schaumburger (pictured below) recorded a goal and an assist and Joey Mocnik, Yarne Vaerewyck, Ugo Lollier, Carson Finney and Steven Miller all scored one goal apiece.
For Battle Creek, RJ Graziano and Owen Miller scored and Galvin Reagan and Harber Cassel combined on 48 saves in the Kernels’ net.
Wrapping up Saturday night, Fleutot scored four goals and added two assists, Vaerewyck added four goals of his own with an assist, and Tyler Husted registered a goal and three assists.
Bryce O’Rourke and Noetzel scored two each and Rocco Stolz stopped 11 shots in goal.
Finney and Carpenter each went for a goal plus two helpers, Schaumburger chipped in four assists, and Mocnik, Kott, Blankenship and Lucas Wiktorowski all had two assists.
Jadon Barron added a goal for the Jets.
For Cincinnati, Aiden Hansen scored and goaltenders Tyler Siuda and John Rampe combined to stop 38 shots.
This weekend is the USPHL Detroit Showcase, hosted by the Jets at Mount Clemens Ice Arena. Each team will play four games (one each Friday through Monday).
The Jets play the Fort Wayne Spacemen Friday at 5:30 p.m., the Steele County Blades Saturday at 4:30 p.m., the Minnesota Moose Sunday at 1:30 p.m., and the Hudson Havoc Monday at 11:30 a.m.
The MJDP team has the Toledo Cherokee Friday at 3:30 p.m., the Moose Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Havoc Sunday at 5:30 p.m., and the Isanti Outlaws Monday at 9:30 a.m.
“We’re excited for this weekend’s showcase and playing some quality opponents from other divisions,” said Lovell.
All showcase games will be available on HockeyTV.com.
