Jets Outlast Mercyhurst College in Exhibition

(Jamestown, NY )  The Jamestown Jets rebounded nicely from a difficult weekend that seen them drop a pair of league games to the Bruins in Troy, Ohio. David Moore scored twice including the game winner as the Jets beat Mercyhurst College Lakers 6-4 in an exhibition game at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. Ethan Adamczyk stopped all 10 shots he faced in relief to earn the victory in goal for Jamestown.

The Jets were handled by Mercyhurst 6-1 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in early December and they knew it would take a better effort to beat them this time around. They received the spark they needed when defenseman David Moore started the scoring just 47 seconds into the game.

Mercyhurst was taken by surprise by the Jets and quickly responded with pressure in the Jamestown zone. Shane Vorndran tied the score with a breakaway goal through the legs of newly acquired Jets goalie Chad Karns. Mercyhurst continued to apply pressure on the Jets defense and they were finally rewarded with the go ahead goal by Chris Mandia after a faceoff win in the Jets zone.

Mercyhurst controlled play in the first period and outshot the Jets 17-6 including 17-3 over the final 18 minutes of the period. Despite being dominated in the first period the Jets managed to tie the score with 4.3 seconds left in the period. Jets point leader Jon Gratton skated up the wing and with time winding down he let go of a wrist shot that snuck by Lakers goalie Eric Engel.

Jamestown built on their momentum from the first period and retook the lead on a power play goal by Nick Donovan. Donovan crashed the net and picked up a loose puck in the slot to beat Engel with just one second left in the minor to Mercyhurst defenseman Kevin Melnik. Just minutes later the Jets took a 4-2 lead on what appeared was going be a harmless wrist shot by Nate Hughes. The shot deflected off the glove of Engel and forced the Lakers to replace Engel with Sheppard.

Later in the period the Jets found themselves in penalty trouble and allowed the Lakers back in the game. Derek MacNeil was called for hooking in front of the Jamestown goal and with Dan Kuenzi already in the box the Lakers had a 5-on-3 for well over a minute. It was an opportunity the Lakers wouldn’t let pass and Mark Loecher scored two power play goals to once again tie the score.

It was Lakers that found themselves in penalty trouble in the third period and Jamestown took advantage by pressuring the Lakers defense. Jamestown had opportunity after opportunity stopped by Sheppard but with just over six minutes left Moore scored his second of the game on an unbelievable individual effort to put the Jets on top once again.

Jamestown was content to kill off the remaining six plus minutes and come away with a one goal victory but Daniel Denniton padded the lead with just over a minute left. Denniton hustled after a puck in front of the Lakers net and somehow put the puck behind Sheppard who lunged out of his net in attempt to poke the puck away.

Mercyhurst pulled their goalie in a final attempt to pull even but Adamczyk made a couple of nice saves in the final seconds to preserve the victory for Jamestown.

The Jets will be off next weekend and will return home against the Troy Bruins on Saturday February 20. Visit www.jamestownjets.com for more news and notes on the Jamestown Jets.

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