Jet Blast 23-11-08

Our meeting with Newcastle back in September saw us win 6-4.

The game started at a frantic pace with Ben Lowe going close off the opening face off before Newcastle opened the scoring off the counter attack… Callum Davies netting after 32 seconds.
The Jets reply came just two shifts later, when Adam Elliott tied the game up, on the power play after 1.17 on a feed from his brother Craig Elliott after some hard work down low.

Kingston continued to pile pressure on the Vipers net throughout the first period and were duly rewarded on 10.35 when defenseman Jordan Davies fired home a wrist shot, assisted by Dan Sayer and Richard Haggar. Shots in the first period were 17-6 in favour of the Jets.

The second period continued in a similar way to the first, with the Jets dominating for a large proportion of the period. Richard Haggar added Kingston’s third goal after 27 minutes with a wrap around goal assisted by Dan Hackford and Mark Florence.

Ben Milhench extended the Jets lead to three goals, firing past the Vipers netminder with a wrist shot from the hash marks just before the end of the second period (39.18). Just twenty seconds later the Vipers reduced the deficit back to two after a defensive mix-up saw Graeme Robson poke the puck through Jets netminder Tristan Rodgers legs.

Newcastle came out early in the third period looking to catch the Jets on the back foot. However it was the Jets who opened the periods’ scoring with Dan Sayer ripping home a shot, assisted by Richard Haggar and Mark Florence.

The Vipers persistence finally paid off when Matt Hinkley scored two goals (45.26 & 50.30) setting up an interesting final ten minutes. Coach Andy Daintith called a time out to try and settle the team and help them reorganise.

Any potential nerves were settled four minutes later when Matt Jeffcock scored on a Craig Elliott assist from behind the net.

Since then, Jets have remained third from bottom of the league, with Blackburn & Newcastle below us. This season will see the bottom placed club relegated, and the second bottom team will play in a relegation / promotion play-off against the second placed North 2 team.

On Saturday we play in Sheffield, in the first of this weekends’ vital games. We have to make ground on Sheffield, and open up a gap over the bottom two.

Newcastle play at home to Blackburn on Saturday, who they beat in Blackburn for their only win this season.

Last weekend we were away in Flintshire. We took the cup points in some style, with Freeze unable to cope once our passing and movement had improved. Freeze had some penalty trouble and lost a couple of players.

I was amazed that when Craig was jumped by a player from the penalty bench, and a second player sat on him and punched the back of his helmet, then he was hacked in the back by a two handed axe like chop from above an opponents head…the linesmen and referee just stood back. Unbelievably, in the eleven minutes it took to sort out the penalties, the stick wielder escaped punishment.

Of concern was the nasty looking injury to Chris Jones of Freeze, who slid awkwardly into the boards and was stretchered off the ice in agony. We hear that he has ligament damage, and we wish him a full & speedy recovery.

Tristan had a great game for us, and was all smiles afterwards.

The lads have started to click now, and will be up for the points this weekend. Beachy has settled in, and it’s starting to come together now.
We really do not want to be sucked into a relegation battle, and the team know what’s needed.

Please play your part…
The lads have asked that you get out of the bar and into the seats downstairs. Remember last year when you helped push us on against Peterborough? Please come and make some noise down in the seats again…we really can’t hear you in the bar.

See you for a beer afterwards though?

Cheers!
Go Jets!

Clint.