Above: Morinville Jet Graeme Hampton works the puck away from the Regals during the Jets’ home-ice opener on Sunday, Sept. 17. The Jets defeated the Regals 7-3. – Stephen Dafoe Photo
by Stephen Dafoe
The Morinville Jets were one for two in their opening weekend of the 2023-2024 Capital Junior Hockey League season. The Jets started the series on the road with a 5-2 loss to the St. Albert Merchants but reversed their fortunes at home on Sunday afternoon with a 7-3 victory over the visiting Spruce Grove Regals.
Friday’s game saw the Jets leading the opening frame 2-1, but after forty, the score was 3-2 in the Merchants’ favour. The final twenty saw St. Albert pocket another two while keeping the Jets off the board to take it 5-2.
Over the game, the Merchants out-chanced the Jets 47-24 or almost by a factor of two-to-one.
Sunday saw the Jets return to their old stomping grounds – the Morinville AAA arena.
In Sunday’s outing, now held at 4:15 p.m., the Jets outshot the visiting Regals 46-30.
The Jets and Regals found themselves tied 1-1 after the first period, but the Jets added another three in both the second and third, while the Regals pocketed only one in each of the two remaining frames to fall 7-3.
Morinville Jet Ethan Dechamplain took four of the Jets’ seven goals on Sunday, one of those unassisted.
The Jets will play the Regals again on Friday night, this time on the road, then return to the Morinville AAA Arena to play the Wetaskiwin Icemen at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24.
Below are some photos from Sunday’s home-ice opener.
Above: Morinville Jet Gabe Moore and Spruce Grove Regal James Cooper battle for the puck en route to the Regals’ net. – Stephen Dafoe Photo
