By Jim den Hollander
Publisher/Editor
Saukhockey.info
Janesville Jets upped its record to 2-0 at the 2021 Chipotle USA Hockey Tier II 18U National Championship tournament in Green Bay with a thrilling 6-5 shootout edge against the Minnesota Moose Friday at Cornerstone Ice Arena in De Pere.
The Jets, with Wisconsin Dells forward Trevor Slaght in the lineup never led in the contest but rallied back from one-goal deficits five times to force the five-minute overtime session which settled nothing, and the five round shootout that saw Mason Manglitz (’02 senior, Onalaska) firing the lone goal while Ian Hedican (’02, Madison West) added five more stops to the 30 he collected during the 56 played in the four earlier periods.
Isaac Frenette (’02 senior Chippewa Falls) enjoyed another big game, scoring twice for a total of five points in the first two games of the tournament. Daniel Amberg (’03 Tomah) scored the goal that tied the game at 5-5 and sent it to overtime with other goals for Boone Mathison (’02 Tomah) and Jordan Degaetano (’03 Onalaska). Defenseman Connor Byrne (’03 Eau Claire Memorial) and forward Alexander Duchemin (’03 Madison West) both picked up two assists.
The Jets showed great resilience and intestinal fortitude, battling back and shrugging off a so-so first period that saw them trailing 2-1 and outshot 16-7. It was the Jets with a 12-6 and 12-8 margin through the final two frames, but the Moose grabbed control with a 5-1 advantage through the five-minute overtime frame.
Both the Moose and Jets were winners in opening day play at the tournament, so the Jets take the overall points margin in the pool with 5 of a possible six so far. But they will face a desperate Igloo Jaguars team that kept its own hopes of a playoff spot alive with a 4-1 win against the Pittsburgh Predators Friday.
Game time for the final round robin contest will once again be 12:15 p.m. Saturday at the Resch Olympic Pavilion once again.
The game will once again be on HockeyTV.