By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
The Morinville Jets continued their dominant run Friday night, claiming a 4-2 victory over the Spruce Grove Regals and increasing their season record to 19-4-1. With 39 points, the Jets now sit eight points and four games ahead of the second-place St. Albert Merchants in the CJHL standings.
The game opened with a strong showing by the Jets, who set the tone early. Cody Laliberte put Morinville on the board with a goal at 19:34, assisted by Ethan Dechamplain and Owen Jespersen. Laliberte struck again less than 10 minutes into the first period, netting a power-play goal with help from Jacob Klassen and Graeme Hampton to give the Jets a 2-0 lead.
The second period saw continued success for Morinville as Ashton Funk scored his fourth of the season at 11:08, another power-play tally assisted by Hampton and Dechamplain. The Regals countered with two quick goals, narrowing the Jets’ lead to 3-2. Landon Kupsch and Hayden McClure scored within 17 seconds, briefly shifting momentum toward Spruce Grove.
However, the Jets responded in the third period with Laliberte completing his hat trick at 8:53, assisted by Dechamplain. Laliberte’s efforts cemented the Jets’ victory and solidified his position as one of the team’s top scorers.
The Jets were set to face the St. Albert Merchants on Sunday night, but results were unavailable by press time. Looking ahead, the team will host two home games this week: Friday night at 7:30 p.m. against the North Edmonton Red Wings in Rivière Qui Barre and Sunday night at 6:45 p.m. against the Beverly Warriors at the Morinville AAA Arena.
With consistent performances and a commanding lead in the standings, the Jets are shaping up as strong contenders as the season progresses.
Updated 10 a.m. Monday
The Morinville Jets fell 3-1 to the St. Albert Merchants on Sunday night. Jacob Klassen scored the lone goal for the Jets on a second-period power play, assisted by Ethan Dechamplain and Graeme Hampton. The Merchants solidified their win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds. Despite the loss, the Jets remain eight points ahead of the Merchants in the CJHL standings.
