Column: Coach’s Corner with Scott Rodda

Coach Scott Rodda
By Scott Rodda, Morinville Jets Head Coach

Almost one third into the season, now’s a good time to weigh in on how the Jets season is progressing to date. Overall the coaching staff is pleased with the results, particularly with the low goals against average which is one of the best in the league. The attention being shown by our club defensively is awesome and certainly our goaltending is a huge part of that. Both [Mike] Saunders and [Brad] Miller have been very solid between the pipes. We’re not scoring at the pace we expected or should be, given the number of shots we are averaging per game. We have the talent up front to fill the net but are struggling to finish at the right time. We’re confident this will improve. Our power play is around 26 per cent and our penalty kill is at 85 per cent. Best of all, we’re managing to stay out of the box most nights as we’re one of the least penalized teams in the league. Special teams are a huge part of success, so this will continue to be an area we work on.
Our vets have shown great leadership and several rookies have stepped up to play significant roles and minutes for us. There are many positives to date. The line of David Hauptman, Jorey McRae and Troy Roberts have been very consistent, as has the duo of Brady McCorriston and Dalen Paul. The Arcands are off to a solid season up front as well. Rookie Tyler Kampjes leads our defence with points, but as a group, all of our defence have been very consistent and dedicated to playing defence first.

The next stretch of ten or so games should tell a lot in terms of our team as we will have played every team at least once. Competition is strong this year , and on any given night any team can win. We will need to maintain our discipline and improve as the season progresses.