A perfect month of December put the Janesville Jets way out in front in 1st place in the North Division, ending the month with an 8-0 record. Rookie netminder Matt Jurusik, 17, was one of the stars for the Jets during the month, as the native of La Grange, Illinois, won seven of the eight games and finished the month undefeated with a perfect 7-0 record. Jurusik (6’1/195) posted a 1.45 goals against average in December along with a 94.9% save percentage, as he stopped 167 of 176 shots that came his way during the month. He also registered two shutouts. Jurusik’s shutouts came on December 12th in a win over Keystone and December 20th in a win over Michigan. In that 3-0 shutout over Michigan on December 20th, Jurusik made a season-high 36 saves. On December 30th, Jurusik started in a 6-1 win over Michigan, but was injured in the game and hasn’t played since. He is expected to return to the line-up in mid-January. For the season, Jurusik is tied for the NAHL lead in wins with 17 and ranks in the Top 8 in goals against average and save percentage. “It was a great month for our team and Matt was so consistent. He shows up every day with a purpose and a confidence that is nothing but beneficial for our hockey team. Matt was able to keep us in games and give us some momentum,” said Jets head coach Joe Dibble. “The sky is the limit for him and he will be a great goalie at the next level, wherever that may be. He has a lot of NCAA and NHL interest, so there is no doubt in my mind he is driven to succeed to get there.”
“I am trying to just take things one day at a time and work hard. The entire team really played well and clicked throughout the month of December. We have a lot of talented players on this team who are also very driven and motivated, so it makes my job a lot easier when all the guys are buying in. At this point, I am trying to just go game-by-game and not rush things. I think team success will take care of individual success and I hope to be back in the line-up in a week or two,” said Jurusik.
Categories: Alumni in the News, Hockey Headlines