Monday, January 31, 2011

Kilgore uses Jets as springboard to NAHL's Fighting Falcons

WATERFORD, MI – Jason Cirone grabbed his cell phone just minutes after his Metro Jets team wrapped up practice last Wednesday at Lakeland Arena and saw he had a missed call.

Bill Warren called,” said Cirone, noting Warren is the head coach of the Port Huron Fighting Falcons of the North American Hockey League. “I need to call him back. Can you guys keep it down in here for a few minutes?”

A brief phone call and a huge grin later, Cirone looked at the Jets’ staff and beamed, “They’re going to play him both games this weekend.”

The “him” Cirone was referring to was forward Tommy Kilgore, an 18-year-old from Pinckney, Mich., who had been practicing with Port Huron all week and impressed the Fighting Falcons’ staff to where he earned himself a roster spot.

“Jason had called me into his office a few days before that and asked if I’d be interested in playing for an NAHL team this season and I, of course, said I was,” Kilgore said. “He told me Port Huron wanted to give me a shot, so I went up there and skated with them for three days and then they decided to keep me.”

Kilgore played in both games in Traverse City last weekend and even though he was held without a point playing on a line with Ian Miller and Matt Ragains, the experience of playing in the NAHL, bus ride included, was priceless.

“Everyone was very nice on the bus, asking me where I was from, where I played, things like that,” explained Kilgore, who had 12 goals and 25 points in 31 games with the Jets this year. “I already knew Miller from when we played spring hockey for Compuware a few years ago. Matt and I talked a little bit on the bus about some things we wanted to do on the ice, so it was definitely a good time.”

When game time came Friday night, the jitters came to Kilgore quite heavily.

“I was very nervous right before my first shift and I think even more during my first shift because I didn’t want to make a mistake,” Kilgore said. “After that first shift and maybe the second one, I felt very comfortable and it just seemed like another game to me.”

Kilgore joins a long list of Metro skaters who have joined NAHL teams straight from Waterford, including recent players Jacob DeSano, who played for the North Iowa Outlaws in 2008-2009, Sam Bell, who played for the Motor City Metal Jackets in 2009-2010 and Port Huron this year, and Steven Oleksy, who was with the Traverse City North Stars during their inaugural season of 2005-2006.

“It’s just crazy how fast everything has happened,” said Kilgore. “My goal last year playing high school hockey (for Pinckney High School) was to eventually get to the NAHL, but I never expected it would happen so fast.”

Ask Cirone, and he feels it was only a matter of time.

“That’s what we’re here for – to move these kids to the next level,” said Cirone. “Around Christmastime, Tommy really picked up his game and showed that he wanted to be a hockey player. I think I might be happier than Tommy that he’s in the NAHL, but he’s earned everything he has and is being rewarded for his hard work and desire to be a hockey player.”

Kilgore said heeding Cirone’s words all season long with the Jets helped him land his spot in Port Huron.

“One thing Jason has touched on all year is that if you work hard in practice, that will make it easier to work hard in games,” said Kilgore. “Now that I’ve made it to the NAHL, I know that I’ll have to work even harder.”

No word yet on whether the Fighting Falcons are keeping Kilgore for the rest of the season or returning him to the Jets, but even if he’s returned, odds are great that he’ll be in the NAHL next year.

Photo by Andy Grossman/Detailed Images

Jets lose to Toledo, rebound against Battle Creek

WATERFORD, MI – The Metro Jets broke even over the weekend, losing to Toledo at home Saturday night, 7-3, and then rebounding for a 4-0 shutout on the road at Battle Creek Sunday afternoon.

Matt Stirling, Tommy Burns and Matt Stemkoski scored in the Toledo game, while Brett Grech assisted on all three and Eric Trunick made 31 saves in goal.

Toledo captain Chad Tickner had a goal and two assists and Justin Locante two goals to lead the Cherokee attack.

Sunday afternoon, Matt Braun stopped all 33 shots he faced for his first NA3HL shutout and the team’s fourth straight win this season against Battle Creek.

Justin Bennett tallied a goal and two assists and Mike Moroso, Travis Hargett and Stirling added the other goals to go along with two assists from Cameron Bazin.

The Jets (12-20-1-0) play two games in St. Louis this weekend against the defending Tier III Junior A national champion Jr. Blues. Game times (EST) are 3 p.m. Saturday and 1:45 p.m. Sunday. Next weekend, Metro and Flint play a home-and-home series.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Big defenseman Reames itching to get back on the ice

WATERFORD, MI – Jordan Reames doesn’t like being on the sidelines, but with a separated shoulder, the best thing for that condition is rest and rehab.

In other words, Reames has to take it easy and watch his Metro Jets’ teammates from the stands – not something he’s fond about doing.

“It’s very frustrating to watch your team and know you can do nothing to help them,” said Reames.

Injured back in October against Chicago , Reames said the injury happened quite innocently.

“I had made an outlet pass and just took a hit and my shoulder got caught up against the boards,” remembered Reames. “I could feel pain instantly.”

While injuries are a part of the game, Reames had the itch to get back involved in hockey after sitting out last season playing college baseball instead.”Last year, I realized I wanted to play hockey again,” said Reames, a 19-year-old from Essexville , Mich. “I was going to college only about 20 minutes from the Jets’ rink and saw they were close and got in touch with (head scout) Tim Ross. I then came to a skate in the spring and decided to stay with it from there.

“I came into this year not knowing anyone, but with only three returning players, a lot of us were in the same situation, so it made the transition easier and it’s a good bunch of guys, which made it easy to fit in.”

Paired often with Mike Corder on the back end, Reames has used his size (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) to his advantage and also found instant chemistry with Corder.

”I feel my role on the team is a defenseman who can step in if needed and help the team out being a big, more physical defenseman,” explained Reames. “My last year in high school, I played a lot, but coming here at this level, everyone can play, so it's more about adjusting to find my role and do what I can for the team. Things were just clicking with Corder and me. Like if I pinched, I knew he would be there to back me up and vice versa.”

As for the last six weeks of the season and beyond, Reames just wants to keep things in a simple mode.

”My short-term goals are just to help the team this year anyway I can and get to the playoffs,” Reames said. “Long-term goals are just to hopefully play for a few more years and stay involved in hockey.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

After being off last weekend, the Jets get back in action this weekend with a home game Saturday night against Toledo and then a game in Battle Creek Sunday afternoon.

The Jets swept Battle Creek back on Jan. 15-16 at Lakeland Arena and have won all three meetings this year, outscoring the Jr. Revolution by a 15-5 margin.

Three former Jets play for Battle Creek in goalie Allan Dowler and defensemen Blake Blaha and Austin Shipaila.

Toledo sits sixth in the NA3HL standings and has lost four straight. Team captain Chad Tickner has 30 goals on the year, while goaltender Ryan Wysocki has been sparkling in net with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. Forward Cameron Rossman spent some time in the NAHL earlier this season with New Mexico , while defenseman Cory Bastian was returned to the team last week by the NAHL’s Chicago Hitmen.

The Cherokee have won both of their games this season against the Jets.

JET STREAKS

Metro has six skaters with double-digit goals – Matt Stirling (17), Mike Moroso (14), Tommy Burns (13), Brett Grech (13), Tommy Kilgore (12) and Dan Hudson (11) … Goalie Eric Trunick has won three of his last five starts between the pipes … Jets captain Morgan James is second in the NA3HL with 137 penalty minutes.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Chris Werstine, Metro’s head coach in 2000-2001 when the team won the league and playoff titles, is now the director of the Aviator Hockey Club in New York City .

Werstine also serves as the Jets’ eastern U.S. scout and has also coached in Michigan at the AAA level for Honeybaked and in the NAHL for the now-defunct Capital Centre Pride.

Photo by Andy Grossman/Detailed Images

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Shalawylo focusing on improving on a daily basis

WATERFORD, MI - Andrew Shalawylo hasn’t found his name on the scoresheet yet this season for the Metro Jets, but that’s not nearly an indication of what he’s contributed to the team and to his individual development.

A stay-at-home defenseman, Shalawylo made the jump from Midget AA hockey to the Jets this year and, while he faced a major learning curve at the start of the season, he feels now that he’s comfortable playing at the Junior A level.

”I definitely feel like I’ve acclimated to the speed and size of the junior game,” said Shalawylo. “It was a big jump, but I feel like I made the adjustment fairly quickly and was able to focus on trying to solidify my game all around. Those were definitely the two big things that I had to get used to.”

The 18-year-old native of Clinton Township, Mich., started off the season with the Toledo Cherokee, but the situation there was “pretty claustrophobic with a packed roster,” said Shalawylo.

“So when coach (Scott) Syring let me know that the Jets were looking for some defensemen to fill out their roster, I came up to Lakeland and it ended up being a great fit for me.”

And even if he hasn’t dressed for every game, Shalawylo has still seen his share of highlights on the ice this season when he has played.

“Personally, my first two games with the Jets in Cincinnati were highlights,” said Shalawylo. “For some reason, I really felt like things were clicking and I just had an absolute blast all weekend. As a team, sweeping Quad City was great, but I think the highest point was our shootout victory over Chicago. The whole game just had so much energy, and I really think we came together as a team to pull that off. It was a lot of fun.”

Shalawylo, in order to continue having fun playing hockey at higher levels, knows what he needs to do to keep climbing the ladder of development. He also knows it’s one rung at a time.

”I definitely need to work on my hands a lot more,” Shalawylo explained. “There’s been a lot of time spent in the basement lately dealing with that. I know I’m also a bit on the small side for a defenseman (5-foot-8, 170 pounds), so I’ve also been logging a lot of hours in the gym to put some size to me. On the flip side, I feel like my greatest asset is my work ethic.

”If I'm able to use hockey to get myself a college education, I would be ecstatic. In the shorter term, I’d like to be able to move up to the NAHL next season. I believe that would force me to push myself even harder, which would be a good thing for me.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets snapped out of a two-game losing skid by sweeping the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution at Lakeland Arena over the weekend.

Saturday night, Matt Stirling led the way with a hat trick and Brett Grech assisted on all three goals in the 5-2 win. Matt Stemkoski scored the other two goals for the Jets, while Eric Trunick made 27 saves in goal.

For the rematch Sunday afternoon, three different players scored for Metro and Tommy Burns’ power-play goal 21 seconds into the third period stood as the game-winner in a 3-1 victory.

Dan Hudson and Jacob Schlacht, with his first goal of the season, also scored to back another 27-save outing from Trunick.

The Jets are now off this coming weekend before hosting Toledo on Saturday, Jan. 29 at Lakeland and then traveling to Battle Creek the following afternoon.

JET STREAKS

With the two victories last weekend, the Jets are now 11-19-1-0 and have bettered their win total from the past three seasons (nine in ’07-08, seven in ’08-09, 10 in ’09-10). The last time Metro won more than 11 games was during the 2006-2007 season when 13 wins were enough for a playoff berth that year.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Dustin Cloutier, a forward for the Jets during the 2002-2003 season, is now a senior at Division I Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.

The 24-year-old Berkley, Mich., native has five goals and 13 points in 19 games this season for the Falcons and 34 goals and 48 assists over his career with Bentley.

Cloutier also played for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL in 2005-2006 and then for the NAHL’s Mahoning Valley Phantoms the following year, where the Phantoms finished second in the Robertson Cup championship tournament. His 42 goals and 83 points were both tops for the Phantoms that season.

Photo by Andy Grossman/Detailed Images

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Captain's Corner - Sweeping Battle Creek, off weekend, Stirling

Each week, Metro Jets captain Morgan James will chime in on the current situation of the team and discuss what’s on his mind.

-- On the two wins last weekend against Battle Creek and what they mean this time of year.
Wins are wins and we need as many as we can get.

-- On what went went right last weekend.
Matt Stirling played great over the weekend. I think as a team we could have dominated more. Battle Creek really wanted a win and I think they came out pretty hard.

-- On having this weekend off.
Yeah, no one likes sitting out, especially when we are as desperate as we are now.

-- On practice this week and next week.
We will continue to practice hard.

--On staying focused this time of year.
We are focusing on the fact that we need to win to go to playoffs.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Metro back on winning track after Battle Creek sweep

WATERFORD, MI – The Metro Jets snapped out of a two-game losing skid by sweeping the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution at Lakeland Arena over the weekend.

Saturday night, Matt Stirling led the way with a hat trick and Brett Grech assisted on all three goals in the 5-2 win. Matt Stemkoski scored the other two goals for the Jets, while Eric Trunick made 27 saves in goal.

For the rematch Sunday afternoon, three different players scored for Metro and Tommy Burns’ power-play goal 21 seconds into the third period stood as the game-winner in a 3-1 victory.

Dan Hudson and Jacob Schlacht, with his first goal of the season, also scored to back another 27-save outing from Trunick.

With the two victories, the Jets are now 11-19-1-0 and have bettered their win total from the past three seasons (nine in ’07-08, seven in ’08-09, 10 in ’09-10). The last time Metro won more than 11 games was during the 2006-2007 season when 13 wins were enough for a playoff berth that year.

The Jets are now off this coming weekend before hosting Toledo on Saturday, Jan. 29 at Lakeland and then traveling to Battle Creek the following afternoon.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Jets' Bazin has lofty goals for rest of season

WATERFORD, MI – Chad Bazin didn’t play for the Metro Jets when he was drafted by the team back in 2005, but his younger brother, Cameron, is making the most of his opportunity with the Jets this year.

Undrafted, Cameron Bazin played the last two years for Troy Athens High School, winning the Oakland Activities Association White Division both years, and upon graduating last June, figured that was it for his hockey career as he had no plans to play hockey this season

“To start the year, I wasn't playing anywhere, but I quickly realized a year without hockey is something I can not and will not accept,” said the 18-year-old Bazin. “I started making some calls around to find a team and (Metro head) coach (Jason) Cirone said he had an available spot and to come out for a skate to see how I liked it. A couple days later, I was at a practice and it just felt like a good fit, so I signed.”

Fitting in with his new teammates was an adjustment at first, as was what was expected of him on the ice.

“In high school, I was a top player, so I was doing a lot,” said Bazin. “Now in juniors, you have your players each having a role and that was something for me to adjust to. I feel like I can help the team get the momentum back on our side with a big hit or nice play. I also like to get into the other team’s heads. A lot of guys will talk trash to you and I'll listen to them, but not say anything in return – just smile and laugh. As long as I'm doing that, my role would be perfect to me.”

Bazin said that he knew about Metro’s recent history of sub par seasons, but that didn’t deter him from making the commitment to the team.

“I didn't care about past seasons and all that and to me, every year is a fresh start,” explained Bazin. “Any team can come into a season and be the top dog. I thought that we had a shot of being a top team in this league and despite our current record, I feel we will surprise a lot of teams once playoffs start.”

To date, Bazin has three goals (two on the power play) and five points through 20 games and is keeping a positive frame of mind during the Jets’ latest slump.

“I know we are not where we should be in the standings,” Bazin said. “We have had a lot of ups and downs, but that’s hockey. Riding your ups and staying up is what the good teams do and we will be doing that in our last 16 games of the regular season.

“I expect us as a team to all come together and start a streak. I expect us to get into the playoffs. If not, it will be really disappointing. I feel when we play our game we can compete with anyone in the league. Once in the playoffs, I expect us to make a run for the championship.”

Individually, Bazin’s goals are just as lofty.

“Next year, I'd like to be in the NAHL and stay there for a year or two,” said Bazin. “For long-term goals, I would like to play college hockey, preferably Division I, but I would settle for anything as long as I get there.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets hit the road to kick off 2011 and were greeted with two lopsided losses to the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins last weekend.

Pittsburgh topped the Jets on Saturday night, 12-3, and then 13-6 on Sunday afternoon.

In the first game, Tommy Burns (Pinckney, Mich.) scored twice, Brett Grech (Hartland, Mich.) had a goal and an assist and Matt Stirling (Dexter, Mich.) added two assists.

Eric Trunick (Commerce Township, Mich.) and Matt Braun (Ramsey, N.J.) combined for 26 saves in goal.

Sunday afternoon, Grech and Tommy Kilgore (Pinckney, Mich.) each potted two goals, while Mike Moroso (Macomb, Mich.) and Stirling scored the others.

Trunick played the entire game in net and finished with 44 saves.

“The results of the games last weekend are embarrassing and I don’t care to reflect on it,” Jets captain Morgan James said. “Some guys played hard, some guys gave up, but I’m not going to get into names.”

Jayson Angus led the offensive attack for Pittsburgh, scoring 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the two wins to leap atop the NA3HL scoring race with 55 points on the season.

The Jets (9-19-1-0) will now play two games with the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution at Lakeland Arena this weekend. Saturday night’s game will be a “home” game for Battle Creek and will start at 7:40 p.m. Game time Sunday afternoon for the rematch is 1:20 p.m.

JET STREAKS

Stirling has four goals and six points in his last four games … New defenseman Kevin Lander (Brighton, Mich.) made his debut last weekend in Pittsburgh … Moroso is tied for the NA3HL lead with four shorthanded goals (Mason Riley/Peoria, Jayson Angus/Pittsburgh). With 14 goals total, the other 10 have all come at even strength … Trunick is third in the league with 649 saves this season.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Jack McCoy played with the Jets during the team’s early years and has worked his way up to be a linesman at the American Hockey League level.

McCoy, a Livonia, Mich., native who played college hockey at Oswego State in the SUNYAC, has also worked as an on-ice official in the Ontario Hockey League, ECHL, International Hockey League and United Hockey League.

Photo by Andy Grossman/Detailed Images

Captain's Corner - Pittsburgh road trip, Battle Creek this weekend

Each week, Metro Jets captain Morgan James will chime in on the current situation of the team and discuss what’s on his mind.

--On what happened last weekend in Pittsburgh.
The results of the games are embarassing and I don't care to reflect on it.

--On any positives from last weekend.
Some guys played hard, some guys gave up, but I'm not going to get into names.

--On playing Battle Creek this weekend for two games at Lakeland Arena.
Battle Creek hasn't won a game yet and their first sure isn't going to be against us.

--On being team captain for the past month.
I like our team a lot and enjoy being the captain.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Jets open 2011 getting swept in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH – The Metro Jets hit the road to kick off 2011 and were greeted with two lopsided losses to the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins last weekend.

Pittsburgh topped the Jets on Saturday night, 12-3, and then 13-6 on Sunday afternoon.

In the first game, Tommy Burns (Pinckney, Mich.) scored twice, Brett Grech (Hartland, Mich.) had a goal and an assist and Matt Stirling (Dexter, Mich.) added two assists.

Eric Trunick (Commerce Township, Mich.) and Matt Braun (Ramsey, N.J.) combined for 26 saves in goal.

Sunday afternoon, Grech and Tommy Kilgore (Pinckney, Mich.) each potted two goals, while Mike Moroso (Macomb, Mich.) and Stirling scored the others.

Trunick played the entire game in net and finished with 44 saves.

Jayson Angus had a monster weekend for Pittsburgh, scoring 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the two victories to leap atop the NA3HL scoring race with 55 points on the season.

The Jets (9-19-1-0) will now play two games with the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution at Lakeland Arena this weekend. Saturday night’s game will be a “home” game for Battle Creek and will start at 7:40 p.m. Game time Sunday afternoon for the rematch is 1:20 p.m.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Veteran Grech readying for college hockey future

WATERFORD, MI – Brett Grech has had many opportunities to move on to higher levels of hockey, but admittedly, he hasn’t been ready to leave the comfy confines of home or the homey feeling of Lakeland Arena.

That may change next season.

Grech is in his fifth season with the Metro Jets and has matured physically, emotionally and athletically since he entered the North American 3 Hockey League (then Central States Hockey League) as a pudgy 16-year-old back in 2006.

“The years have definitely flown by,” said Grech. “But it’s been a lot of fun. I’m not 100 percent sure where I’m going to school next year, but I will definitely be playing hockey.”

Over the span of his junior career, Grech has seen time at both forward and defense and excelled at both.

“I mean, I just play what position I need to,” said Grech, a 20-year-old from Hartland, Mich. “Hockey is hockey. It’s all fun to me. You just work hard and the rest is the easy part.”

“Grechy has been a very versatile guy for us,” added Metro GM Butch Wolfe. “Anywhere he plays he produces and does it with no complaints whatsoever. He’s been one of our leaders for a number of years now. A few college coaches have called me inquiring about Brett and I have had nothing but rave reviews for them. Wherever he goes next year, that school will be getting a heck of a hockey player and an even better person.”

Grech has seen his share of players come and go through the Lakeland doors in five years and said that fact alone is what he’ll remember most about his time in Waterford.

”The most memorable part of being here to me is being in locker room around all the guys,” Grech said. “My first year we went to the playoffs and it was awesome.”

Metro is still in the hunt for a playoff spot this season, but either way, you can bet Grech will walk out of Lakeland with a smile on his face and a plan for the future.

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

Metro last played on Dec. 21 and earned a 6-4 win on the road against the Flint Jr. Generals.

Tommy Kilgore and Matt Stirling each scored twice, while Grech and Dan Hudson added singles to back Eric Trunick’s 46-save performance in goal.

This weekend, the Jets (9-17-1-0) travel to Pittsburgh to face the Jr. Penguins.

Pittsburgh swept the Jets at Lakeland Arena back on Nov. 20-21, though Metro did earn a point in their 3-2 overtime loss in the first game of that series.

The Jr. Penguins (17-11-0-0) are led offensively by the top line of Jayson Angus (24 goals), Charles Williams (20 goals) and David Dinnison (17 goals). On defense, Mike Kretz has 24 points and three other blueliners have 10 points or more. In goal, Collin LeMay has 10 wins and a shutout and was just returned from the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League.

Pittsburgh is also second in the league with 140 goals scored.

Last year, Pittsburgh’s first in the league, saw the Jr. Penguins win all four meetings against the Jets.

JET STREAKS

The Jets added defenseman Kevin Lander (Brighton, Mich.) this week. Lander, who turns 20 on Jan. 21 and was a 2010 draft pick of the Jets, played 18 games for the Wisconsin Wilderness of the Superior International Junior Hockey League this season without registering a point, but accruing 32 penalty minutes.

Lander is now the sixth member of the 2010 Metro draft class to be on the 2010-2011 roster, joining forwards Josh Beleski (never played a game, later traded), Hudson, Kilgore and Stirling and defenseman Will Shier.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Scott Hughes, a Lathrup Village, Mich., native, was a goaltender for the Jets during their first season of 1989-1990 and is now a goalie equipment representative for Vaughn.

Photo by Walt Dmoch/WCD Photo