Weekend Preview: Jets @ Magicians (G34 & G35)

Jan 12, 2019

By Mason Lyttle (@MasonLyttle) | January 12, 2018 | 9:03am

JANESVILLE, WI – When the 2018-19 NAHL regular season schedule was released in early July, Jets fans, staff, and players took particular notice of a nine-game home stand smack dab in the middle of the 60-game slate. It represented an opportunity to make hay while the sun shone at the Janesville Ice Arena, a stretch through the holidays with a chance to earn valuable points in the standings.

The Jets finished their home stand 6-3, splitting with the Minnesota Wilderness, Kenai River Brown Bears, and Fairbanks Ice Dogs. They won a single-game weekend versus Fairbanks on Dec 7, and their only sweep came over the Minnesota Magicians, whose division lead has been cut to two points over Fairbanks as of Saturday morning.

Officially three games in to the second half of the season, head coach Corey Leivermann and his group will face the Magicians eight more times down the stretch. A set of four straight starts tonight in Minnesota and finishes next weekend in Janesville, then in late March the teams will repeat the process.

Fans in July looking for pivotal stretches of the schedule saw the home stand in December/January. Now into the season with a little context, four in a row against the division’s top dogs represents another huge opportunity for the Jets to make statements and make hay.

A Saturday/Sunday series begins tonight in Richfield. The sun is shining.

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JANESVILLE JETS

Record: 19-11-2-1 (3rd, Midwest)
Road Record: 8-4-0-1
Goals For/Game: 
2.58 (18th)
Goals Against/Game:
 2.76 (11th)
Shots For/Game: 27.00 (22nd)
Shots Against/Game:
 31.82 (13th)
Power Play: 
14.3% (23rd)
Penalty Kill: 
81.8% (10th)
Top Scorers: 
F Jack Vincent (32GP—10G-12A—22PTS); F Matt Hanewall (33GP—8G-10A—18PTS); F Brenden MacLaren (33GP—9G-8A—17PTS)
Goaltenders: 
Cole Brady (15-7-1-1; 2.37 GAA; .925 SV%); Sam Metcalf (4-5-0-1; 3.19 GAA; .899 SV%); Garrett Nieto (3-3-0-0; 3.42 GAA; .899 SV%)* 
Rostered Commitments: F Nicholas Nardella (Michigan Tech); F Justin Engelkes (Miami); F Erik Bargholtz (Michigan State); G Cole Brady (Arizona State); F Brenden MacLaren (Ferris State); G Garrett Nieto (Union)

* Injured Reserve


MINNESOTA MAGICIANS

Record: 22-10-1-0 (1st, Midwest)
Home Record: 10-4-0-0
Goals For/Game: 2.85 (13th)
Goals Against/Game:
 2.33 (5th)
Shots For/Game: 30.18 (18th)
Shots Against/Game:
 32.79 (15th)
Power Play: 
17.9% (13th)
Penalty Kill: 
77.4% (17th)
Top Scorers: 
F Cameron Buhl (33GP—11G-23A—34PTS); F Matthew Stanton (32GP—13G-12A—25PTS); F John Keranen (31GP—12G-13A—25PTS) 
Goaltenders: 
Ethan Haider (11-7-1-0; 2.38 GAA; .925 SV%); Jack Robbel (10-2-0-0; 1.74 GAA; .947 SV%); Ethan Lahmon (2-1-0-0; 2.19 GAA; .920 SV%)
Rostered Commitments: 
F Cameron Buhl (Alaska-Anchorage); G Ethan Haider (Clarkson); F Jake Hale (Minnesota-Duluth); F Jackson Jutting (Colorado College); F John Keranen (Army); F Valentino Passarelli (Miami); G Jack Robbel (Lake Superior State)