Ice Have Enough Lumber to Defeat Jacks, 3-1
December 13, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Indiana Ice News Release
The Indiana Ice, 8-1-1 over their prior 10 games before they squared off with the Muskegon Lumberjacks Friday evening, have been making winning look easy. Despite skating off with a 3-1 victory over the Lumberjacks at Pan Am Pavillion, this victory was hard earned.
Muskegon (11-12-4) played with a sense of urgency as they have dropped to 6th place in the Eastern Conference of the USHL while watching the Ice climb into 3rd improving their season slate to 13-5-4.
Indy scored all they would need in the first period on tallies by Joseph Sullivan and Denis Smirnov. It took a 29-save effort by goaltender Jason Pawloski to keep the Lumberjacks off the scoreboard for the first 55 minutes of the contest.
Some nights, netminders have an easy go of it while the shots come primarily from the side, but tonight the visitors camped around his crease and made it challenging.
"I thought our defense did a great job of cleaning up the rebounds when I left a few in the crease," commented the Indiana goalie who improved his record to 11-3-3.
Sullivan opened the scoring at 5:27 of the first period with assists from Tyler Andrew and Austin Kosack. The second score of the period came off a face off win by Scott Conway and finished by the Russian forward at 14:29 of the stanza.
The Ice got a solid contribution from defenseman Bradley Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with Sioux City last week. Called up for the weekend from affiliate St. Louis Blues U-18, Johnson launched a slap shot from the blue line which went off the shoulder of Andrew while Indy was skating on the power play.
The redirect found net and gave the hosts a 3-0 lead heading to the third period. Jason Salvaggio fed Johnson at 8:59 to earn the second assist.
"We played really well offensively. We bent a little but did not break on defense," Andrew stated after scoring his 6th goal of the season.
Pawloski lost his shutout bid on a fluke goal 4:52 before the final horn off the tape of former Indiana Jr. Ice forward Mason Jobst.
United States Hockey League Stories from December 13, 2013
- L'Esperance's Hat Trick Wins Game in Overtime - Tri-City Storm
- Quick Start Foils Lancers - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Molino Guides Stampede Plast Lincoln, 7-2 - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Team USA Hands Dubuque First Home Loss, Beat Saints 5-4 Friday - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Indiana Muscles Past Muskegon with Early Offensive Charge - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- OMAHA COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN 5-3 LOSS TO HAWKS - Omaha Lancers
- Ice Have Enough Lumber to Defeat Jacks, 3-1 - Indiana Ice
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