Playing with an early lead has been like a curse lately for the Albert Lea Thunder and proved so once again Friday against Janesville at City Arena.

The Jets came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Thunder 5-2 after Albert Lea’s quick start faded just as fast in the final two periods.

Thunder head coach Chuck Linkenheld said Janesville outworked his team during the final two periods and that’s something Albert Lea can’t have happen.

“We’re not good enough to not work,” Linkenheld said. “We’re not talented enough, we’re not deep enough to not work. Most of the teams we play are deeper and more talented than we are, so we need to outwork them.”

The Thunder (8-23-5) lost their sixth consecutive game and for the eighth time in the past nine games.

Following the loss Linkenheld questioned whether the team has the character to pull through adverse situations and win as it continues to try to make up ground on North Iowa for fourth place in the Central Divison.

“Do we have the bodies — maybe not,” he said. “Maybe we need to shake things up. Maybe we need to bring players that will work hard instead of pout. I think we got too many guys who put their head down, they don’t work hard and they quit.”

Albert Lea led 2-1 after the first period when Alex Niestrom and Zach May scored, but for the second consecutive game it lost that lead as the Jets roared back in the second period for three goals to take the lead.

“When we were up by two we didn’t keep working hard to stay up by two,” Linkenheld said. “When they were up two they kept working hard to stay up by two and that’s the reason they’re a playoff team and we’re fighting to get to the playoffs.”

The Thunder played poorly in their own zone and left Jets players open for easy goals like Wes Wauters’ first-period goal when he found himself all alone at the back post and when Ross Mauermann skated through the slot for a power-play goal in the second period to tie the game at 2.

Mauermann scored the first of his two goals 3 minutes, 26 seconds into the second period and went on to finish with three points. Harry Quast scored his first goal of the season at 16:10 to give Janesville a 3-2 lead and Mauermann notched his second goal with less than 2 minutes to play in the period.

The Jets (19-13-3) added another goal in the third when Rui Encarnacao scored his 18th goal at the 9:10 mark.

Albert Lea had a chance to get back into the game during the second period with a 5-on-3 power play for 1:06 and the game tied, but failed to generate any goals.

The Thunder set a goal of winning the 50-50 pucks and battles along the boards before the game, something Linkenheld said the team only accomplished in the first period.

“They were beating us to the puck,” he said. “One of our goals is to win 50-50 battles and we did in the first period. In the second and third we did not. If we don’t win those battles on the walls, you’re not getting the puck out, it ends up back in your net.”

The Thunder have failed to score more than three goals in each of the past six games and went 0 for 5 on the power play Friday.

Janesville bombarded Albert Lea goaltender Nikifor Szczerba with 47 shots in what became a one-sided game in the second and third periods.

Fortunately for the Thunder they remained nine points behind North Iowa for fourth place in the Central Division and have a chance to improve on that Sunday when the Outlaws come to City Arena for a game that has been pushed up to a 3:30 p.m. start.

Janesville 5, Albert Lea 2

Janesville 1 3 1 — 5

Albert Lea 2 0 0 — 2

First Period—1, Albert Lea, Alex Niestrom 7 (Zach May), 1:57. 2, Albert Lea, May 4 (unassisted), 7:46. 3, Janesville, Wes Wauters 2 (Zack Smoot, Mike Thompson), 10:20 (pp.). Penalties—Stephen Obarzanek, Alb (holding), 4:12; Wauters, Jan (interference), 5:21; Patrick Kinkopf, Alb (fighting, major), 8:00; Larkin Jacobson, Jan (fighting major), 8:00; Chris Cass, Alb (fighting misconduct), 8:49; Derek Jacobson, Jan (unsportsmanlike conduct bench minor), 8:49; Sheldon Taylor, Alb (interference), 10:42; Jordan Bancroft, Jan (tripping), 13:44; Alex Niestrom, Alb (high sticking), 18:47.

Second Period—4, Janesville, Ross Mauermann 8 (D. Jacobson, Rui Encarnacao), 3:26. 5, Janesville, Harry Quast 1 (unassisted), 16:10 (pp.). 6, Janesville, Mauermann 9 (unassisted), 18:55. Penalties—Chris Volonnino, Jan (hooking), 10:20; Tyler Sorenson, Jan (hooking), 11:14; May, Alb (kneeing), 15:04.

Third Period—7, Janesville, Encarnacao 18 (Beau Burgau, Mauermann), 9:10. Penalties—Niko Kapetanovic, Alb (tripping), 5:13; Taylor, Alb (fighting major), 7:51; Volonnino, Jan (fighting major), 7:51; Cass, Alb (interference), 13:39; Cuaknk, Jan (roughing), 16:13; Anthony Iaquinto, Alb (hooking), 16:13.

Shots on Goal—Janesville 11-18-14—43. Albert Lea 8-11-6—25.

Power-play opportunities—Janesville 2 of 6; Albert Lea 0 of 5.

Goalies—Janesville, Matt Wichorek 11-8-3 (25 shots-23 saves). Albert Lea, Nikifor Szczerba 0-1-3 (43-38).

A—250. T—2:18.

Referee—Ryan Wood. Linesmen—Brett Martin, Neil Missling.