After a two-week stint in Alaska, the Janesville Jets have returned to the lower 48 and will pick up action with a three-game road slate in Chippewa this weekend.
The two teams have become very well-acquainted this season and have already met eight times, in which the Jets are 7-1-0-0. Janesville’s last win against Chippewa on April 17 officially won the Jets the season series and brought the Blain’s Farm and Fleet America’s Dairyland Milk Can trophy back to Janesville until next year.
It’s a big comeback for the Jets, who lost out on last season’s trophy with a 1-8-1-0 record against the Steel. Janesville has outscored Chippewa 35-15 in the eight meetings so far, averaging 4.4 about goals per game.
The Steel are also coming off of an Alaskan road trip of their own, in which they played five games at Kenai and Fairbanks. While their trip ended with a win, Chippewa left The Last Frontier with just two of a possible 10 points, and the Steel will be looking for some redemption on home ice against their big rival.
The Jets, on the other hand, were able to grab eight points of 12 with a 3-1-2-0 record against the Ice Dogs and Brown Bears, and also clinched the 2021 Midwest Division regular season title after their first win of the trip. The accomplishment is the third in program history: with former division titles won in 2015 and 2017. In both of those seasons, the Jets made it to the Robertson Cup semifinal.
With only six games remaining, this will be Janesville’s last road trip of the regular season. Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s games are slated for 7:10 p.m. CDT at Chippewa Area Ice Arena. Tickets for each match-up are still available through the Steel website for Jets fans who may venture north, though availability is limited.
Those following at home can catch the games on HockeyTV, through live stats in the NAHL Game Center, or keep up with updates on the Jets Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
Last Time Out
The Jets have just arrived back home after they spent two weeks in the 49th state, Alaska. The road trip began with a three-game series at Fairbanks, where the visitors went 2-0-1-0 against the Ice Dogs. The Fairbanks games were highlighted by Grayden Daul’s first NAHL goal on Friday, six points for Cade Destefani, and the team clinched their Midwest Division title after Thursday’s series opener.
The Jets made their way to Kenai last weekend and got off on the right foot with a 5-2 Thursday win, which featured a hat trick for Charlie Schoen. The Brown Bears evened the series with a 7-4 win on Friday, and while Tommy Middleton scored two goals in the first period for the Jets on Saturday, the home team caught up and eventually took the game to overtime, and won.
Off the ice, the team was able to spend plenty of time enjoying Alaskan scenery and culture. They took a trip to the hot springs, went salmon and halibut fishing in Homer, and bonded by the fire with stellar views in the background.
Flight Schedule
The Jets finally return home for the final three games of the regular season next weekend. They’ll host the Minnesota Magicians, currently in second place in the Midwest Division, on Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 at 7 p.m. Janesville and Chippewa will then meet for one final time for a Sunday matinee on May 16 at 3 p.m.