Salute to Service Kicks off Three-Week Homestand in Janesville

Nov 12, 2021

By Calvin Bush (@calvin_bush24) | Nov 12, 2021 | 12:50 pm

JANESVILLE, WI — After spending the last 48 days on the road, the Jets are finally home for the next 14 of 16 games and start the long stay at home with one of the best traditions in Janesville, our Salute to Service weekend.

The Jets (5-11-0-1) wrapped up their Alaska stay against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and did so in winning fashion; against the top team in the Midwest, the Jets won the last two of the three-game series to spoil the weekend for the Ice Dogs. Friday night’s contest started with a bang for the Jets after they scored four straight goals, with three of them occurring in the second period. Forwards Ethan Begg (3), Cy LeClerc (9), and William Gustavsson (7) recorded goals in the middle frame, followed by Army-West Point commit Jack Ford‘s first goal of the season to start the third. Fairbanks scored two goals later on, but Janesville hung on to win 4-2. Owen Millward sent away 25 of the 27 shots he saw to improve to 4-3 on the year.

The Jets notched four goals in the opening period of Saturday’s 5-3 win, courtesy of LeClerc (10), Robby Newton (3), Jonah Aegerter (3), and Gustavsson (8). Fairbanks got themselves back in the mix with three goals in the second, but Newton scored his second of the night in the final frame to stifle the comeback effort and secure the series win. Michael D’Orazio made 25 saves on 28 shots.

The consecutive wins come just after the Jets’ losing streak rose to five games, so for the victories to arrive at the end of a long road trip against a division foe, just before one of the biggest weekends in Janesville, is almost perfect timing. The offensive showing for the Jets provides great reassurance going into this weekend’s series against the Minnesota Wilderness (11-5-1-1), who currently ranks as the highest-scoring team in the league. In the four games they’ve played against the Wilderness, the Jets have yet to win and have been outscored 23-15, though all four games have been in Cloquet, where the MNW have only lost two games this season.

Backed by two goals and four assists in three games, rookie forward Cy LeClerc brought home Midwest Star of the Week honors after his dominant showing against the Ice Dogs. It was the first in-season award earned by a Janesville player, and for the New Hampshire commit, a continuation of his successful 2021 campaign thus far. His 18 points place him at fourth among all rookies in scoring in the NAHL.

LeClerc is not the only rookie that’s found success this season; William Gustavsson (8-9-17) remains in the top ten rankings, and Grayden Daul (5-9-14) ranks as one of the top rookies, as well as the second-best defensemen in the league.

The special teams unit made some great strides in the right direction after successfully killing all four penalties against the potent power play in the Ice Dogs but will continue to be tested against the Wilderness, who have the league’s fifth-best power play unit. MNW forward William Persson is a big reason behind their league-best four goals-per-game average; the age-out from Sweden has nine goals and 11 helpers in 17 games this season. Other offensive leaders for the Wilderness include Matthew McQuade and Ethan Wolthers, who have 19 points each.

If you’re looking to get to either (or both) games, tickets can be purchased at the door upon entry at the arena, on our Facebook page, or at any Lions Quick Mart in Janesville. All veterans and active duty receive free entry this weekend. The Jets will be wearing their specialty jerseys, sponsored by M3 Insurance, and will be auctioned off on the ice during intermission and postgame both nights. You can find a schedule for both night’s auctions here.

The long wait for hockey in Janesville ends tonight, with doors open at 6 pm and puck drop at 7 pm. If you can’t make it to the game, you can still be a part of the special Salute to Service promotion by watching on HockeyTV or following live updates on TwitterFacebook, or Instagram. We look forward to seeing you at the rink this weekend!

#WheelsUp✈️


JANESVILLE JETS

Record: 5-11-0-1 (7th, Midwest)
Home Record: 1-2-0-1
Goals For/Game: 
3.24 (13th)
Goals Against/Game:
4.47 (29th)
Shots For/Game: 28.41 (24th)
Shots Against/Game:
28.41 (10th)
Power Play: 
13% (24th)
Penalty Kill: 
59.6% (29th)
Top Scorers:
F Cy LeClerc (17GP—10G-8A—18PTS); F William Gustavsson (17GP—8G-9A—17PTS); F Jan Lasak (16GP—7G-7A—14PTS);  
Goaltenders: 
Owen Millward (4-3-0-0; 3.96 GAA; .861 SV%); Michael D’Orazio (1-5-0-1; 4.06 GAA; .859 SV%); Ryan Whittaker (0-1-0-0;  6.00 GAA; .778 SV%)
Rostered Commitments: F Keaton Peters (Northern Michigan University); F Robby Newton (University of Wisconsin); F Grayden Daul (University of Wisconsin); F Jonah Aegerter (St. Cloud State); F Cy LeClerc (University of New Hampshire); F Jan Lasak (St. Lawrence University); F Jake Sacratini (American International College); F Ethan Begg (University of Vermont); Jack Ford (Army-West Point)


MINNESOTA WILDERNESS

Record: 11-5-1-1 (3rd, Midwest)
Road Record: 3-3-1-0
Goals For/Game: 4.00 (1st)
Goals Against/Game:
3.76 (24th)
Shots For/Game: 32.06 (10th)
Shots Against/Game:
31.71 (19th)
Power Play: 
25.4% (5th)
Penalty Kill:
73.6% (26th)
Top Scorers: 
F William Persson (17GP—9G-11A—20PTS); F Matthew McQuade (17GP—8G-11A—19PTS); F Ethan Wolthers (17GP—6G-13A—19PTS) 
Goaltenders:
Jacob Zacharewicz (8-3-1-0; 3.69 GAA; .879 SV%); Sam Livecchi (3-2-0-0; 3.55 GAA; .894 SV%)
Rostered Commitments:
D Cole Crusberg-Roseen (University of Massachusetts); F Ethan Wolthers (Western Michigan University); G Jacob Zacharewicz (Brown University); D Bobby Metz (Colgate University)


100+ NCAA commitments since 2009.