By Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – The Jets won one of two games over the weekend to give them two points for their troubles. The club began the weekend with a Friday night road game to take on the Sherwood Park Knights, a club who shut the Jets out with a 4-0 victory. Sunday night’s home game was a better outcome for the Jets, one in which the Junior B club defeated the visiting Edmonton Mustangs 4-2.
The Oct. 16 home game was a contest in which the Jets were slightly outshot by their opponent 34-31, but it was one in which they got far more bang for their buck on their chances. Although they accumulated 16 minutes in penalties, the Jets penalty kill prevented the Mustangs from pocketing any power play goals.
The Jets ended the first frame tied 1-1 with Edmonton, the Mustangs answering an early period goal before the middle of the frame. However, the Jets increased their tally by one in the second period while preventing the Mustangs from capitalizing on any of their chances. The third period saw the Jets pull ahead by two to bring the game 4-1 in Morinville’s favour. Although the Mustangs pocketed another with 4:11 left in the contest, the Jets held Edmonton off for the remainder of the game.
Leading the pack Sunday night was Dalen Paul. The Jet Veteran earned a hat trick for himself and three-quarters of the Jets’ tally. The three goals, while helping to earn the Jets another victory, have almost certainly kept Paul at the top of the CJHL’s league leaders. Prior to Sunday night’s game, Paul was tied with Ryann Ben of the Spruce Grove Regals for top spot.
Sunday night’s victory brings the Jets to a 6-2-1 record this season and puts them in a three-way tie for top spot in the CJHL’s West Division. While the Jets and the Beverly Warriors have the same record over nine games, the St. Albert Merchants have only played eight games.
The Jets take to the road Wednesday night to take on the 6-2-2 Beverly Warriors and return to home ice Sunday night for their second outing against the Stony Plain Flyers. Game time for the Oct. 23 home game is 6:45 p.m. at the Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
