Jeffer’s Brandon LaVigne races infront of Negaunee’s Garrett Mann Tuesday night at the Negaunee Ice Arena. (Journal photo)

NEGAUNEE — The winter sports season for high schools across the Upper Peninsula will soon be nearing its end with several teams hosting their senior nights and preparing for postseason tournaments.

The Negaunee co-op varsity hockey team honored its seven seniors before its game with Jeffers on Tuesday night at the Negaunee Ice Arena. Four of those seniors, Riley Luokkala, Avery Hopper, Tristan Pauna and team manager Abbie Tollefson hail from NHS, while the other three, Hunter Perry, Jack Mattias and Chad Pohlman attend Westwood High School.

The game itself was just as exciting as the senior night festivities, but the Miners ultimately fell to the Jets in a 4-3 heartbreaker, coming up just shy of erasing a three-goal deficit to knot the score up late.

It was Negaunee’s fifth straight loss and the second time falling to Jeffers in three games this season after suffering a 2-0 defeat to the Jets back on Jan. 20.

The Miners fell to 4-18 on the season while the visitors snapped a three-game skid of their own, improving to 8-15.

NHS head coach Dale Hopper respectfully declined to comment after the game.

The Jets wasted no time finding the net with senior Matthew Halonen putting home a rebound past Miners freshman goaltender Ryan Kerkela just 1:44 into the game. The initial shot came from senior Nolan Asalia, a rip from the left point, which came out to a waiting Halonen for the rebound.

Halonen added his second of the game with just 10 seconds remaining in the first period, dancing his way through the Negaunee defense up the left side of the ice and firing by Kerkela for a 2-0 Jets lead. That was an unassisted tally and the Jets took a two-goal lead into the first intermission.

Despite the score favoring the visitors, shots were 10-5 in favor of Negaunee after one period.

Luke Marcotte made the game 3-0 less than three minutes into the second frame after another rebound came out to him. The play transpired as time expired on a Jeffers power play opportunity. That goal was assisted by Caleb Klein and Jackson Rocchi.

With the Jets on the cusp of breaking things open, Negaunee finally hit twine on a power play goal from Mattias to get his team within two at 5:15 of the second period. Pauna assisted on the play which came on a Jeffers roughing penalty.

Just under five minutes later, Marcotte added his second to make it a three-goal lead for the Jets again, assisted this time by Kyler Hillstrom.

The Miners answered that bell with a goal from junior Garrett Mann, setup by a pass from the slot by Mattias. Mann was waiting down low for the feed and put it by Jets goaltender Simon Rajala to cut the deficit to two once again. Perry also assisted on the play.

The 4-2 score held after two periods and shots were 20-19 in favor of Jeffers.

A cross-crease pass from Mattias to Nico Lukkarinen on a 2-on-1 opportunity got by Rajala and pulled Negaunee within one of the Jets just under five minutes into the third period. Luokkala added an assist to that mark.

It was a story of goaltending from that point on. With under five minutes to play in the third, Hillstrom stole a puck in the Miners’ offensive zone and had a clean breakaway chance, which was stuffed by Kerkela to keep Negaunee in the mix.

The Miners called timeout and pulled Kerkela with 2:23 remaining. With the extra attacker on, Negaunee had a potential game-tying goal with 1:42 remaining as Mann appeared to sneak the puck in on the left side of Rajala. The referee immediately waved it off and after a brief discussion, the call of no goal stood.

With five seconds remaining and a faceoff in the Negaunee offensive zone, the Miners won the draw and Perry took one final backhand attempt before the final horn, which was stopped by Rajala.

Negaunee visits Gaylord (12-10) on Friday and Cheboygan (8-14) on Saturday before hosting Escanaba (12-10) in the MHSAA Division 2 regional semifinals on Feb. 27.

Jeffers wraps its regular season visiting the Eskymos on Saturday before facing Calumet (18-5-1) on Feb. 27 in a Division 3 regional semifinal to be held at Michigan Tech’s MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton.

Email Ryan Spitza at sports@miningjournal.net.