Kansas City Stars Hockey

The Kansas City Jets Midwest High School Varsity team played in their second straight End of the Year Varsity Championship Game, but unlike last year the result ended in a Championship.  This was the first for organization, who entered into the Midwest High School league just 6 year ago.  Here is how they captured the Championship.

Jets entered the tournament as the 2^nd seed and played their first round game against 7^th seeded Lincoln Stars.  Lincoln played the Jets hard during the season resulting in a split in four games.  After a scoreless 1^st  period and majority of the 2^nd period, the Jets got on the board at the 3:14 mark of the 2^nd period when Yale Van Dyne scored with an assist from the leagues leader in assists, Logan Lopicka.  Lincoln would grab the lead with a quick start in the 3^rd period, by getting 2 quick goals and a 2-1 lead.   The Jets tied the game on a power play goal by Jeffery Anderson with an assist again from Lopicka and would get the game winning goal with less than 6 minutes to go in the game from a back hand rebound shot by Danny Lewis off a shot from Jeffery Anderson.  The Jets were also lead by goal tender Blair Sanders who saved 16 of 18 shots.  

The 3-2 win over Lincoln put the Jets in the Semi-Final game against the #3 seed Waterloo Warriors who defeated the Jets in last years Championship Game.  Even those Jets beat the Warriors twice during the year they knew this would not be an easy game.  After a scoreless 1^st period, the Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the 2^nd period.  Waterloo looked like they were going to take a 3 goal lead in the 2^nd, but the goals was waived off, due to a Warrior player being in the crease. Coach Emmons realizing he had to settle his team down, called a timeout, his only timeout of the game, early in the 2^nd period. Twenty-one seconds later, Logan Lopicka scored on a power play goal from an assisted from Yale Van Dyne.  Coach Emmons said after the game that was the best timeout he has ever called in his coaching career. The goal by Lopicka sparked the Jets who got two more goals in the period; one from Danny Lewis from an assist from Jake Steiner and the second from Freshman Mack Starr, his first in his varsity career, on a nice break away goal with assist from Josh Coleman and Erik Porzelt. With a 3-2 lead entering into the final period, Yale Van Dyne took over the period by scoring a hat trick, the first 5 minutes into the period with an assist from Logan Lopicka and the second 7 minutes later with an assist from Lopicka and Sam Cheesebrough.  Warriors scored a goal late in the period to make it 5-3 however, Yale Van Dyne scored his third goal 20 seconds later from an assist from Sam Cheesebrough to put the game out of reach and a 6-3 win.  Blair Sanders was outstanding in the net stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced including 9 of 10 in the final period.

The Semi-Final win put the Jets into the title game against #1 seed Des Moines Oak Leafs, who they split with during the year.  Jets and Oak Leafs always play competitive and exciting games and this game would not be any different. Yale Van Dyne started where he left off in the semifinal win as he scored on a power play with an assist from Logan Lopicka and with 9:19 left in the 1^st period.  Four minutes later the Jets took a 2-0 lead with a goal from Jeffery Anderson and an assist by Van Dyne. After a hard-hitting defensive 2^nd period and 19 saves, some sensational, by Blair Sanders the score remained 2-0. That would change early in 3^rd period when Oak Leafs scored on a power play to cut the Jets lead to one goal.  However the Jets would answer two minutes later when Logan Adkins put a loose puck into the back of the net for a Jets 3-2 lead and a momentum killer for the Oak Leafs. After the fast start in the period, things went back to a hard-hitting defensive battle.  The Oak Leafs pulled their goalie with less than two minutes to play and scored with 1:10 remaining they cut the deficit to 3-2.  However, the Jets outstanding defense was able to hold the lead and the Celebration began.  Blair Sanders had another exceptional game in the net stopping 32 of the 34 shots he faced.  Yale Van Dyne finished the tournament leading the Jets with 7 points (5 goals - 2 assist) and was named Midwest High School Hockey League Tournament MVP. The Jets were also lead by Logan Lopicka - 6 points (1 goal - 5 assist), Jeffery Anderson – 4 points (2 goals - 2 assist) and Blair Sanders who stopped 83 of 89 shots he faced during the tournament.

Congratulation Boys on winning your first CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

Members of the Kansas City Jets Varsity are: Logan Adkins, Jeffery Anderson, Sam Cheesebrough, Jack Critser, Josh Coleman, Anthony Galliart, Brandon Hawkins, Michael Kuhn, Danny Lewis, Logan Lopicka, Dylan Mackey, Jarrett McDonald, Joey Panella, Erik Porzelt, Garet Ready, Blair Sanders, Mack Starr, Jack Steiner and Yale Van Dyne