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Muskegon Lumberjacks

Hutson's Hat Trick Pushes Muskegon Past Dubuque 8-5, Lumberjacks Advance to Eastern Conference Finals

May 2, 2022 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


Quinn Hutson and the Muskegon Lumberjacks huddle after a goal
Quinn Hutson and the Muskegon Lumberjacks huddle after a goal
(Muskegon Lumberjacks)

DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Muskegon Lumberjacks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after forward Quinn Hutson potted a hat trick and Tyler Hotson picked up a pair of goals including the game-winner as Muskegon drowned the Dubuque Fighting Saints by a final score of 8-to-5 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, sweeping the Saints out of the playoffs. Ben Strinden also tallied two goals with Owen Mehlenbacher getting the game started 95 seconds into the first period. With the win, the Lumberjacks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and will await the winner of Madison and Chicago on the other side of the Eastern Conference bracket.

1st Period

Only 95 seconds into the first period, Owen Mehlenbacher put Muskegon ahead 1-to-0 with his third playoff goal. Mehlenbacher's goal at 1:35 went unassisted.

At 7:07 of the period, Quinn Hutson doubled the Lumberjack lead to 2-to-0 with his fourth playoff goal of the postseason. Hutson's goal also went unassisted.

With six seconds left in the first period, Ben Strinden made it a 3-to-0 game while on the power play. Strinden's first playoff goal went unassisted to put Muskegon up by a trio at 19:54 of the period.

After 20 minutes in Dubuque, Muskegon controlled a 3-to-0 lead in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

2nd Period

While on the power play, Dubuque scored their first goal of the contest 54 seconds into the second period with a goal from Nikita Borodayenko to make it a 3-to-1 game. Borodayenko's first playoff goal was assisted by Davis Burnside and Ryan Beck.

However, the Lumberjacks would restore the three-goal lead at 11:02 with Quinn Hutson's second goal of the game to make it 4-to-1. Hutson's fifth playoff goal went unassisted.

Tyler Hotson extended the Muskegon lead to 5-to-1 with his first career playoff goal at 14:01 of the second period. Hotson's goal also went unassisted.

About 105 seconds later, the Saints would put home their second lamplighter of the game at 15:46 from Ryan Beck to make it a 5-to-2 score, still in favor of Muskegon. Beck's first playoff goal was assisted by Stephen Halliday.

At the end of two periods in Game 2, the Lumberjacks remained in front by three with a 5-to-2 lead heading into the final period of regulation.

3rd Period

The Fighting Saints tried to stay true to their name, climbing from three goals down to tie the game in the opening 10 minutes of the third period.

Kenny Connors struck at 4:41 to originally make it a two-goal contest at 5-to-3 on the power play, with the assist coming from Jackson Hallum. Exactly 10 seconds later, Ryan Beck picked up his second goal of the game to put Dubuque within one at 5-to-4.

At 10:52, the Saints completed the comeback with Connor Kurth's second playoff goal to tie the game 5-to-5. Stephen Halliday scored the lone assist.

However, the Lumberjacks re-found their footing with rookie Tyler Hotson's eventual game-winning goal to put the Lumberjacks back in the driver's seat with the 6-to-5 goal.

With the Dubuque net empty and their season on the line, the Lumberjacks fired a pair of pucks into the empty net. Quinn Hutson capped off the hat trick at 18:01 and Ben Strinden scooped up his second playoff goal at 18:22.

In the end, the Lumberjacks took out the brooms for the second consecutive series, sweeping the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the playoffs after downing them by a final score of 8-to-5. With the series sweep, the Lumberjacks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Images from this story

Quinn Hutson and the Muskegon Lumberjacks huddle after a goal
Quinn Hutson and the Muskegon Lumberjacks huddle after a goal
   

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 2, 2022


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