Marquette forward Brody LeMire looks for an open teammate up ice during the first period of a high school hockey game played against Jeffers on Tuesday at Michigan Tech’s MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (Daily Mining Gazette photo by Daver Karnonsky)

HOUGHTON — It wasn’t the cleanest win the Jeffers hockey team has had all season, but their 14th might be their most memorable for several reasons as the Jets topped traditional powerhouse Marquette 3-2 in a game played Tuesday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena at Michigan Tech. 

Jets coach Aaron Helminen called the win a “learning experience,” which is interesting for a game where the Jets three times led by a goal, though only the last lead held up.

“Love it, love it, love it, as far as the way that game went,” he said. “(A) tight game just challenges the kids to make strong, hard plays, the right play, be on the right side of the puck. 

“(I am) just extremely proud of the kids, the way they responded, and were able to close out a game. I think that goes towards our schedule early on in the season, playing tough competition. (The) kids are learning and growing from there.”

Co-captain Brogan Turner broke a 2-2 tie in the third period while on an odd-man rush. He attempted to feed the puck to the middle of the slot where senior forward Cameron Anderson was, but a Sentinels defender blocked the pass. Fortunately for the Jets, the puck deflected towards the net and through Marquette goaltender Parker Nevenhoven at 5:52.

The Jets, who improved to 14-3-1, wanted to get off to a good start, but instead they found themselves on their heels more than they are used to. That started to change when Turner carried the puck through the neutral zone and got his team’s first shot on goal. That play, while it did not end up in a goal, helped spark a sequence a few shifts later when the Jets got the game’s first power play.

While on the advantage, Turner got the puck in the right circle and tried to drive the slot to fire a wrist shot. The shot was blocked and he was knocked down. The puck bounced to alternate captain Blake Heltunen, who quickly fired off a shot that was also blocked. This time the puck bounced to sophomore forward Max Nordstrom, who buried a wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season at 7:31.

That lead held for nearly eight minutes, despite strong play from the Sentinels (9-5-1), who remained undeterred by the efforts of Jets co-captain Kasen Helminen in net. When they finally took advantage of a rush, however, Marquette was able to even things when senior forward Brody Sheldon got the puck over junior forward Seth Sandstrom, who got a puck over the Jeffers goalie as he pushed across in an attempt to square to the shooter with just 1:52 remaining in the period.

The Jets needed more of a good effort in the middle frame, and they got it. They outshot the Sentinels 9-4 in the frame, and that hard work led to a goal from senior forward Easton Therrian at 13:47. Senior forward Tage Rajala made the play happen by crashing hard into the offensive zone and causing some chaos on the forecheck, creating a loose puck that Therrian got to. He cut to the middle of the slot and fired back the way he came in to beat Nevenhoven.

By the end of the second period, the Jets had caught up in shots on goal, but that quickly changed early in the third as the Sentinels stormed back again.

They drew a power play of their own 51 seconds into the third period, and then struck when senior forward Jack Pond crashed the net after a shot by Sheldon. Pond knocked the puck past Kasen Helminen in the process for the tally at 2:14.

Kasen Helminen stood his ground after the Jets regained the lead for the third time, stopping 14 of 15 pucks thrown his way after that to earn the win.

“Just solid back there,” said Aaron Helminen of his son’s efforts. “Just battle, compete and battle, and no quit back there. I think he’s gotten better at staying with pucks, because teams have grinded out a little bit on us. Hopefully, this is a big confidence boost for him.”

Marquette has a road trip downstate this weekend to play in the Rick Deneweth Memorial North/South Showcase at Centre Ice in Traverse City.

With Escanaba and Jeffers also attending what looks to be an otherwise all-Lower Peninsula 24-team event at two rinks, a tourney schedule shows Marquette facing Trenton at 4 p.m. today, then Livonia Stevenson at 10 a.m. Saturday.