Jets two for two on opening weekend

 

Above: The Morinville Jets won their home opener against the Wetaskiwin Icemen handily on Sunday, Sept. 25. The 7-1 win over the Icemen was their second win of the Capital Junior Hockey League’s opening weekend. The Jets defeated the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks 5-4 in overtime on Friday, Sept. 23. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

by Stephen Dafoe 

The Morinville Junior B Jets took to the ice for the start of their 2022-2023 Capital Junior Hockey League Season over the Sept. 23 weekend and ended up with back-to-back wins. 

The Jets earned a 5-4 overtime win on Friday. Sept. 23 against the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks and followed it with a 7-1 victory over the visiting Wetaskiwin Icemen on Sunday, Sept. 25. 

Jets Vs Hawks

The Jets led 1-0 and 2-1 in the first 20 and 40 minutes of Friday night’s game against the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks, but the final frame saw a back and forth affair with the Hawks tying and then the Jets advancing by one until the last 10 seconds when the Hawks pushed it to overtime at 4-4. 

Over 60 minutes, the Jets outshot the Hawks 51-21 and another 4-12 in overtime. 

Ultimately, the Jets took Friday night’s game in a shootout. 

Jets Vs Icemen

Sunday saw the Jets strong on goaltending with backstop James Hunt stopping 40 of 41 shots sent his way and the club’s defence keeping even more shots on net from happening. Offensively, the Jets earned seven goals for 32 chances. 

Both sides were scoreless for most of the opening frame Sunday night, but in the final two minutes, the Jets picked up two to start the second period with a 2-0 lead. 

A minute and sixteen seconds into the middle frame, the Jets found their third goal and added another while letting just one in to end the frame 4-1. 

The Jets pocketed three more goals in the third, their fifth four minutes into the final 20, their sixth just past the halfway mark, and their seventh goal with just 1.3 seconds left on the clock. 

With back-to-back wins out of the gate, the Jets start the season with a 2-0-0 record and join the St. Albert Merchants and Beverly Warriors in being two-for-two. 

Jets President Brent Melville is hopeful for a great season. 

“We should have a pretty good team. We’ve got quite a few returning players from last year and some new guys—midget double As,” Melville said. “We’ll compete again.”

Next up for the Jets is a road game against the North Edmonton Red Wings on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. at Londonderry, and then a home game against the Stony Plain Flyers on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Below Are some photos from Sunday night’s game.

 

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