The Esmark Stars U15 and U16 squads traveled across I-70 for a pair of games with the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets in Columbus, OH, this weekend (Sept. 26 & 27). 

The Blue Jackets swept both levels, as they upended the U15 Stars 3-1 and 3-2, and the U16 Stars 6-1 and 2-1.

The games, originally scheduled for Pittsburgh, were shifted to Columbus to comply with the Pennsylvania Governor's original executive order that placed a limitation on amount of people allowed for an indoor activity.

The U16s dropped a one-sided affair on Saturday, 6-1.  Brody Simko scored the lone Stars goal, with assists from Chase Williams and Milan Levcenko.  Blaise Becker suffered the loss in goal.

On Sunday, the Stars dropped a heartbreaker, 2-1, as they fought back from an early 2-0 deficit, putting a pair of goals in the net in the second period ... only to have one of the goals disallowed because the Blue Jacket goalie dislodged the net prior to the puck crossing the goal line.  Chase Williams scored the Stars goal, with assists going to Brody Simko and Rory Shegan Siniawski. Nikita Volski suffered the loss in goal.

The pair of weekend road losses leaves the U16 Stars with an overall record of (4-4-0-0).

Meanwhile, the U15 Stars dropped a 3-1 decision to the Blue Jackets on Saturday evening.  Davis Phanco scored the lone Stars goal with Alexander Thomas collecting the assist. Andrew Krakora suffered the loss in goal, stopping 24 of 27 shots he faced.

On Sunday, the U15 Blue Jackets skated to a 3-2 win in a tight contest, as the Blue Jackets collected the game-winning goal on the backend of a 5-on-3 powerplay late in the third period.  The Jackets had three power play opportunities, including the 5 on 3,  in the third period alone, while the Stars did not receive a man advantage power play in the entire game.

Billy Kiray III led the offense with a goal and an assist. Zachary Wilcox scored the other Stars goal. And Joshua Coffee, Caden Lindo Canfield and Reid West picked up assists. Ian Amaranto suffered the loss in goal, turning aside 25 of the 28 shots he faced.

The pair of weekend road losses leaves the U15 Stars with an overall record of (4-5-0-1).

The U18 Stars, who were scheduled to face the U18 Blue Jackets this past weekend as well but had their games with the Blue Jacket postponed, and the U12 AAA Stars enjoyed an off-weekend.