It will go down as one of the biggest upsets in Junior C hockey history.
Almost no one thought the Amherstview Jets could beat the Napanee Raiders in the playoffs, but they did, coming back from the cusp of elimination on Tuesday to take the series, four games to three.
The Napanee Raiders enjoyed a record-breaking regular season. Mike Hartwick’s club easily won the Provincial Junior ‘C’ Tod Division pennant with a record of 37-2-1. They were heavily favored to win their first round playoff series against the 4th place Amherstview Jets, a team they had beaten eight straight times. There was a 38-point difference between the two teams.
But the Jets had a post-season game plan for the Raiders and it worked to perfection.
Tuesday night, in front of 1,200 fans at the Strathcona Paper Centre in Napanee, the Jets held on for a 4-3 victory, winning the series four games to three. Aiden Harris, Blake Hogle, Joey Mayer and Hunter Chapman scored for Amherstview. Tyler Ignazitto, Justynn Steven and Sebastion Kilcommons replied for the Raiders.
“Our team had the fight and determination to pull off the upset,” said Jets captain Adam Alcorn.
“A lot of people had doubts in our team,” the six-year Junior C veteran continued. “They didn’t think that we had much coming in and that we wouldn’t win a single game. But our team had an intangible, and that was our heart, and I think that really showed in the entire series.”
It was a classic playoff series with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Napanee showed its resiliency in coming back from a 3-1 deficit to force a seventh and deciding game.
“We went into the series with nothing to lose,” said Denis Duchesne, the Jets head coach. “We knew that Napanee was the team to beat. Many felt they were the team to go all the way and win a Schmaltz Cup Ontario championship, so really we had no pressure. Everybody expected us to lose. It was a heck of a series and it’s unfortunate that somebody had to lose. We’re just glad that the underdog came out on top in this one.”
The Jets now advance to the Tod Division final against the Port Hope Panthers, who are looking to win their fourth consecutive league title.
The best of seven series will start on Saturday night at the Jack Burger Sports Complex in Port Hope.
Needless to say, the Jets will once again be heavy underdogs.
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