USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Shorthanded Strikes Sink Jacks

Published on February 18, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


BENSENVILLE, Ill. - A pair of shorthanded goals decided the Muskegon Lumberjacks' fate Saturday night, as the Chicago Steel pulled away late in a 5-1 win at the Edge Ice Arena.

Steel blueliner Chris Joyaux scored the game's first goal with the home side shorthanded, and Canon Pieper netted one of his own midway through the third to effectively put the game away. With the win, the Steel jumped ahead of the Jacks by two points for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Lumberjacks defenseman Ryan Bullock scored early in the third to give Muskegon (12-22-5, 29 points) life, but the Steel countered with three in the final frame. Chicago (15-27-1, 31 points) won all four home matchups in the season series, with goalie Mathias Dahlstrom earning the win each time.

Hayden Stewart started for Muskegon against the team he beat for his first USHL victory Feb. 4, but the Steel got the better of him despite a handful of sparkling stops by the rookie. Stewart is now 2-3-0 in five appearances after joining the Jacks from midget major Team Illinois.

Muskegon will get back to game action Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. against the National Under-17 Team. The Jacks trail the NTDP by 11 points for the East's final postseason berth with 21 games to play.

One night after not getting their first power play until the third period, the Lumberjacks had an advantage four minutes into Saturday's game. Near the end of it, Joyaux ripped a long shot that appeared to be deflected on its way into the net, and the Steel had the first goal.

The score was still 1-0 early in the second when Stewart made the save of his young USHL career on Jimmy DeVito, denying the Chicago forward on what looked like a backdoor tap-in at the right post. Stewart stretched across with his left leg to stun the lively crowd in Bensenville.

The Steel would eventually get their two-goal cushion, though, as Michael Fallon finished the setup from Phillip Marinaccio during a power play at 8:55 of the second.

DeVito did find a way to beat Stewart less than a minute into the third, as he snapped a shot from the left dot high into the goal. Michael Vilardo left a drop pass for DeVito after he gained the line with speed. The even-strength goal was the quickest into any period that a Lumberjacks opponent had scored this season.

Bullock had an answer, however, as the rookie Dartmouth recruit gunned a wrist shot over Dahlstrom's arm from 55 feet away. Bullock sat out Friday night's game in Dubuque with an injury but returned to action to score his sixth of the season and third against Chicago. Travis Walsh earned the only assist.

The Bullock goal injected the Jacks with much-needed energy, but while Muskegon began buzzing Dahlstrom's net, they were unable to squeeze another puck past the Swedish-born Northern Michigan recruit.

The Jacks enjoyed extended possession time during their third power play midway through the third, but Charlie O'Connor intercepted a Muskegon clearing pass and sent Canon Pieper in all alone. Pieper stuffed a forehand shot under the crossbar to make it 4-1 Chicago with 9:45 to play.

Canon Pieper assisted on his brother Bo Pieper's 5-on-5 goal with about five minutes left, as Bo stuffed a loose puck under Stewart's pads to complete the scoring.

The Lumberjacks finish a five-game road swing Monday afternoon in Ann Arbor against the NTDP. The Meijer Pregame Show begins at 2:30 on 92.5 The Outlaw with Voice of the Jacks Matt Gajtka on the call.

Check out the Muskegon Lumberjacks Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 18, 2012


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