Jeffers forward Cameron Anderson controls the puck in traffic during a 50th annual John MacInnes Holiday Hockey Classic game against DePere Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The Jeffers Jets hockey team has not been home for most of their first 14 games this season, but they had a chance this past weekend to play a pair of games at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena Saturday and Sunday, and they feasted on the opportunity as part of the 50th annual John MacInnes Holiday Hockey Classic.

Saturday, the Jets scored the game’s first six goals en route to a 7-3 win over the DePere Voyageurs. Sunday, they fell behind 1-0, but then scored the next eight goals to win, 8-1, over the Eastside Stars.

In all, co-captain Brogan Turner scored seven goals on the weekend to help lead the Jets to improve to 11-3-1 on the season.

Jets 7, Voyageurs 3

The Jets ambushed the Voyageurs to the tune of 5-0 in the first period of their game Saturday.

It all started with junior forward Tage Rajala scoring just 2:44 into the game. He fired a wrist shot from the left circle that found the net. He scored a second goal at 8:38 when he buried a pass from sophomore forward Max Nordstrom.

Turner’s goal at 3:10 was similar as he drove down the left boards, but then he cut across in front and deked to his backhand to score.

Freshman forward Carson L’Esperance then made it 3-0 at 5:29 when he found space in the slot and buried a quick shot off a feed from senior forward Cameron Anderson.

Senior defenseman Griffin Heinonen made it 5-0 on the power play at 11:46, which put the game out of reach.

What coach Aaron Helminen liked in the Jets’ opening period was that they had goals from several different players.

“Everyone wants to contribute on a scoresheet in some manner,” he said. “So, there was some of that … and, coming out of break, we had a little bit of time off around the holidays and stuff. So, (I) was thrilled with our start for sure in the first period.”

The Jets did move ahead 6-0 just 3:24 into the middle frame when senior forward Easton Therrian knocked in a rebound off a shot from Nordstrom, who had four assists in the contest by that point.

“That’s what we need, definitely,” said Aaron Helminen. “If the teams want to focus in on ‘Brogues’ (Brogan) a little bit, or whatever, or if he’s having an off night, we need guys. You need to have more than one guy that can score and contribute. So, that was good to see, because there were a couple of guys that did score tonight (Saturday).”

Aaron Helminen likes what he sees from Nordstrom, who is in his second season with the Jets.

“He put on some good weight and size this summer,” Aaron Helminen said. “He’s always been a little bit bigger kid, had a strong body as a freshman, but really took another step this year, and I just like his power forward (game). Not afraid to handle pucks in traffic, and then slide over to the center role. You have to play a 200-foot game as a center, and help out our ‘D’ (defense) in the ‘D’ (defensive) zone. So, happy for him the way he’s been able to make a step for us this year.”

From there, as good as the start was, Aaron Helminen did not like some of what he saw from his group in other areas of the game.

“(I) didn’t care for our lack of discipline in the fact that we took penalties that we shouldn’t be taking,” he said. “So, that leaves a little bad taste in our mouth. We’re definitely happy for the win, (but there is) a little gloom in the locker room, which is good, because they’re competitors, right. They feel it too. They’re feeling the same way as us.

“You get up on a team, but they’re a good team too. It just took a period to wake them a little bit, and they moved the puck well, too.”

DePere scored three of the game’s last four goals. The first came from Palmer Anderson with 1:06 left in the second period.

Cameron Anderson struck to make it 7-1 about midway through the third period, but Leo Dose scored on the power play with 4:07 left and Landen Smith scored with 1:57 left to close out the scoring.

Co-captain Kasen Helminen made 27 saves to earn the win.

Jets 8, Stars 1

While Turner had just a goal and an assist against DePere, he broke through in a big way Sunday with six goals and an assist in an 8-1 win over the Stars.

The Stars jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 1:22 into the game when Beckett Fast scored his second goal of the weekend on the first shot his team took in the game.

That was the last shot the Stars would get through to Kasen Helminen until late in the period.

The Jets held a 4-1 lead in shots before Turner scored his first goal of the afternoon at 4:26 while Jeffers was shorthanded. He stole the puck at his own blue line and skated it the length of the rink from there to score.

His second goal came at 4:47 when he buried a one-timer off a pass from Anderson. He then capped a natural hat trick at 6:28, with the Jets on the power play. He fired a wrist shot from the right circle that found the net.

“He’s a guy that we want to have the puck on his stick, and (he) usually makes a pretty good decision,” said Aaron Helminen. “I think there’s a couple other times where he wants to set up his teammates, and sometimes he gets in that mode of (where) he takes himself out of, probably, the best look, the best scoring chance on the play, to do that. So, he’s a team guy in that sense, too. But, definitely, he’s a kid that if he picks a corner, he can usually put it there.”

At that point, the Jets led 11-1 in shots, which was the response their coach was looking for after giving up the first shot against of the game.

“I felt like we did, again, a good job on the forecheck,” Aaron Helminen said. “We had possession of the puck. I think we made some bad decisions as far as trying to do too much in traffic, and we could have taken some open ice. Then just even just moving that puck, and short little quick passes just to get the other team to adjust a little bit. It’s a give and go, right? You get the puck right back, you know what I mean?

“Trying to drive that home to the kids, where you can give the puck up, and you know you’re going to get it right back, versus trying to create something out of nothing in a bad situation.”

Turner’s fourth goal came on the power play 2:26 into the second period. He then picked up the primary assist on alternate captain Blake Heltunen’s first goal of the weekend at 13:29 when he set up Heltunen on the back door.

Rajala struck with just one minute left in the period to make it 6-1 at that point.

Then Turner struck twice more in the third, first off a rebound at 6:46, and then at 9:51 when he fired a wrist shot that found the net.

Kasen Helminen made nine saves to earn the win.

Up next

The Jets are back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. when they Hancock at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.