Blaine, Minnesota – The Springfield Jr. Blues are coming off a big win over the Jamestown Rebels last night, defeating our East Division foes 7-0! Ethan Roberts picked up his 3rd win of the season along with his first shutout in the NAHL!
The Jr. Blues took the early advantage and never allowed Jamestown back into the contest. Jonathan Panisa picked up a goal and three assists in the contest, while Leo Bacallao added two goals of his own. James Callahan, Tristan Shewchuk and Mac Gadowsky all picked up their first goals wearing the Shield on their jersey. Zach Bade picked up an assist in the game, his first point with the Jr. Blues.
Ethan Roberts continued his strong play by stopping all 14 shots sent his way by the Rebels, improving his already impressive numbers to 3-0-0, 0.67 GAA, and .972 SV%. Liam Svensson, a native of Goteborg, Sweden, made his Jr. Blues debut in last night’s contest.
Odessa got started in the right direction yesterday as well, as they defeated our Midwest Division rival Chippewa Steel 6-3 in a morning contest that saw five goals be scored in the 3rd period alone. Odessa had a difficult go of things during the 2020-21 season, posting a 12-36-4 record and finishing in 6th place in the South Division.
We have played the Jacks twice in our franchise history – once in 2015 and once in 2018, both at the Showcase. In 2015 the Jacks got the best of us winning 5-1 while in 2018 we got revenge with a 3-2 victory.
Behind the Note:
- Goaltender Alex Proctor picked up the win yesterday for the Jackalopes stopping 25 of 28 shots. Proctor is one of 11 former Jr. Blues players currently playing in the NAHL.
- With his four point performance yesterday, Jonathan Panisa now has five points in the first three games of the season. He is tied for 3rd most points in the league.
- Connor Smith added his 2nd goal of the season on the Power Play as the Jr. Blues continue to execute on special teams to begin the season. So far in three games, the Jr. Blues have four goals on the man advantage and two goals shorthanded.
- James Callahan and Mac Gadowsky not only scored their first goals with the Jr. Blues – it was also their first junior hockey goal in their careers!
We will shift our focus onto the Odessa Jackalopes who we play this afternoon at 1:45 pm. You can catch all of the action LIVE on HockeyTV, and we will be the Home Team for this contest so make sure to select the Home Feed to hear the Jr. Blues call!
