LUCAN – The Lucan Ilderton Jets hold a 2-0 advantage in their second-round playoff series against the Tillsonburg Thunder after a pair of weekend wins.
The Jets rode goalie KJ Robinson to a 3-0 win Friday night in Lucan and won 4-3 in overtime Saturday night in Tillsonburg.
Lucan Ilderton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period of Friday's game thanks to goals from Andrew Carey and Kyle Smith.
Neither team scored in the second but Jeff Silver found the net in the third period, ensuring a Jets victory.
Robinson had 39 saves in the game and earned his second consecutive shutout.
The Jets led 1-0 after the first period in Saturday's game thanks to a goal from Joey Pikul but trailed 2-1 after the second period.
Darrin Macdonald tied the game in the third period and Mike Miller put the Jets ahead with his first goal as a member of the franchise.
Tillsonburg pulled even later in the period to send the game to overtime, and Scott Mezenberg scored a shorthanded goal in the extra frame to give Lucan Ilderton the win.
Robinson faced 58 shots in the game and saved 55.
"That's what you need at playoff time –  playoff goaltending, and KJ definitely gave us that both games," said Jets general manager Rob Andrews in an interview. "It would be really nice if he could continue that."
Andrews said the Jets coaching staff knows either of its goaltenders – Robinson or Dave Riddell – is capable of getting on a roll.
"If you've got a guy that's hot, like KJ is now, we're going to stick with him," he said.
Tillsonburg finished the regular season first in the WOAA Senior Men's Hockey League South Division and the Jets are happy to be up 2-0 on them, Andrews said.
"Maybe they underestimated us, I'm not sure," he added. "But we've come out, and we've sort of set the tone. Now it's up to us to continue that."
Saturday's win in Tillsonburg effectively gave the Jets home ice advantage in the series, something Andrews hopes they won't surrender with a home loss when the series resumes Friday in Lucan.
"We can't let them back into it by letting them beat us at home," he said.
Andrews added later the coaching staff is pleased with how the Lucan Ilderton players have come out in the first two games.
"I think the guys are finally coming around now," he said. They're starting to believe in themselves. The work ethic is there, (and it's) playoff hockey ... I just hope our guys can continue at that pace, and catch some breaks and who knows what will happen?"
Andrews expects a long series, and doesn't foresee either team walking away with it.
"We have to be really prepared, and I definitely think this (next) game is the big game to win."
Game 3 is scheduled for this coming Friday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Lucan Community Memorial Centre. Game 4 is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Tillsonburg.