Strong weekend lifts Jets back to first

Published on November 14, 2005 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Fargo-Moorhead Jets News Release


Fargo (ND) The stay in second place in the North American Hockey League's Central Division proved to be short-lived for the Fargo-Moorhead Jets. The FM Jets (14-4-1) scored 5 out of a possible 6 points in a three-game road trip last weekend to recapture first place in the North American Hockey League's Central Division.

After opening the season with a 10-game winning streak, the FM Jets struggled over their next six games, dropping four of them to lose their hold on the division's top spot for the first time all season on Nov. 5. However, by the time midnight arrived on Nov. 12, the FM Jets had taken first place back.

"Its still only November, but you obviously like to be in first place" said head coach Chad Johnson. "This was a big weekend for the team; it showed lots of character playing well on the road."

Fargo-Moorhead opened the weekend with a 5-1 win at North Iowa on Nov. 11. That was followed by a 3-2 shootout win over North Iowa the next night, in a fiercely played game which saw a total of 51 penalty minutes and featured an energized crowd from beginning to end. The game lasted nearly three-full hours, and didn't end until the 12th round of the shootout.

The Jets ended the trip with a 4-3 shootout loss at Southern Minnesota on Nov. 13, earning a point for the extra session defeat.

Phil Fox (Stillwater, MN) scored 3-goals, his first tallies since returning to the FM Jets from the United States Hockey League in late October. Fox finished with 5 points total on the weekend.

Former Fargo Shanley standout Kyle Graalum was the star on Nov. 12, when his goal in the 12th round of the shootout send the Jets home victorious. Graalum also added 2 assists on the weekend.

Kai Kantola (Raleigh, NC) extended his consecutive point scoring streak to 13 games.

The weekend also featured the first three games for rookie Jonathan Meyers (Eden Prairie, MN). Meyers scored his first junior hockey goal in the Jets' win at North Iowa on Nov. 11.

Then there was goaltender B.J. O'Brien (Lakeville, MN) who played all three games and stopped 81 of 86 shots (94%). In addition, he turned aside 13 of 17 shots in the shootouts.

"The veterans came through with the tough trip, and many of the rookies also were up to the challenge. We challenged (the rookies) before the weekend, not many of them have been through a stretch like this before" said Johnson.

With the end of this latest road trip, it concludes a month-long stretch for the FM Jets which saw them play 10 of 11 contests away from the Carlson Coliseum. In retrospect, the FM Jets came out no worse for the wear with a 6-4-1 record during the span. Not great, but with the next month being played mostly at home, the FM Jets have set themselves up to make a run.

The FM Jets play 13 of their 16 games at the Carlson Coliseum.

Last Week (2-0-1)

Fri. Nov. 11 @ North Iowa 5-1 Win

Sat. Nov. 12 @ North Iowa 3-2 SOW

Sun Nov. 13 @ Southern Minnesota 3-4 SOL

This Week

Thurs. Nov. 17 vs. Bismarck 7:05pm (CST)

Fri. Nov. 18 vs. Bozeman 7:05pm (CST)

Sat. Nov. 19 vs. Bozeman 7:05pm (CST)

The FM Jets are the 2005 Borne Cup Champions and are in their third season as members of the North American Hockey League. The NAHL is the nation's largest Junior A hockey league and is now in its 30th year of operation. For more information, visit fmjets.com or call (701) 235-2354.

Jets home games are played at the John E. Carlson Coliseum in Fargo, ND. All games are broadcasted on STAR 103.9 and sportsjuice.com.

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North American Hockey League Stories from November 14, 2005


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