SCUGOG: The Port Perry MoJacks have kept themselves in the race for a playoff spot, heading into the final week of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) 2019/2020 regular season.
The MoJacks were able to pull closer to Uxbridge in the standings by increasing their winning streak to five games, recently beating the Lakefield Chiefs and Little Britain Merchants. Coming off back-to-back wins in the Battle of North Durham against the Bruins, the MoJacks travelled to Lakefield for a matchup with the third place Chiefs on Tuesday, January 28th.
The Chiefs got the first goal of the game 12 and a half minutes in, putting Port Perry behind 1 to 0. But, with less than five minutes remaining in the first frame, Owen Hurtibese scored, pulling the game back even 1 to 1. Kirk Meek added a power play goal late in the period, and Port Perry had a 2 to 1 lead after the first 20 minutes of play.
Early in the second period, Justin Jacobs struck twice in the span of 58 seconds, extending the MoJack lead to 4 to 1. Less than six minutes in, Hurtibese got his second goal of the game on a MoJack power play. Then, almost 11 minutes in, Spencer Robinson got a power play goal, and the MoJacks led 6 to 1. Less than a minute later, Jacobs scored his hat trick goal on a power play, extending the lead to 7 to 1. The Chiefs scored late in the period, and Port Perry had a 7 to 2 lead heading into the second intermission.
The Chiefs scored twice in the third period, but the MoJacks were still able to hang on to get the 7 to 4 win. The MoJacks returned home to Scugog Arena on Sunday, February 2nd, looking to keep the winning streak going against a Little Britain Merchants team that was playing their third game in as many days. Nearly 11 minutes in, Carter Thornton deked the Merchants’ goalie, creating an open portion of the net he scored in, and the MoJacks were on the board first 1 to 0. Less than a minute later, Jacobs found himself on a breakaway and scored, adding to the Port Perry lead. With five minutes remaining on the clock, Nick Chokrev-Cerpnjak put the puck past the Merchants’ goalie, making it a 3 to 0 game. With two minutes left in the period, Noah Bray capitalized on a MoJack power play, and Port Perry headed into the first intermission ahead 4 to 0. The Merchants made a goalie change after the fourth goal.
Around 11 and a half minutes into the second frame, the Merchants scored, cutting the MoJack lead to 4 to 1. But, with only 53.8 seconds left on the clock, Josh Lemmon poked the puck past the Merchants’ goalie, giving the MoJacks their four goal lead back. Hurtibese added a power play goal a little over a minute and a half into the third period, and the MoJacks picked up their fift straight win, to 1.
“The boys have been playing well for a couple weeks. [The Merchants] were playing [three games in three days] so we caught them at a good time, and we were rested, so we played well,” Coach Patrick Jobb explained. MoJacks goalie Corey Kuypers stopped 43 of the 44 shots he faced for the victory “If you don’t have a good goalie, you don’t go very far. He’s played great the last 10 games, and we need him to keep going if we have any chance,” Jobb said.
One Timers:
As of press time, the MoJacks are five points behind the Uxbridge Bruins for the fifth place in the Orr division standings, with a record of 15-23-0-1.
The MoJacks face the Clarington Eagles at the Rickard complex this Thursday, February 6th at 7:20 p.m.
MoJack action continues on Friday, February 7th, with a game in Little Britain against the Merchants at 8:30 p.m.
The MoJacks will finish the regular season schedule on home ice at Scugog Arena on Sunday, February 9th, at 2:20 p.m. against the Georgina Ice.
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