Jacks Fall at Home, 5-2, to Fighting Saints
USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Jacks Fall at Home, 5-2, to Fighting Saints

Published on October 17, 2025 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI - Friday night didn't end the way the Muskegon Lumberjacks (7-2-0-0, 14 pts.) envisioned it would, but the 5-2 loss against the Dubuque Fighting (8-0-0-0, 16 pts.) provided an opportunity to bounce back for the series finale on Saturday night.

The Jacks opened the scoring in the second period to take a 1-0 lead just 1:35 into the frame. Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) held the puck on the far side half wall and carried it towards the middle of the blue line. Novotny fired a seeing-eye shot and followed the puck towards the net. A rebound popped to the near side of the crease, where he met it at the top of the crease and tucked it home for his fifth goal of the season.

Dubuque responded with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead back into the locker room for the second intermission. First, Dante Josefsson-Westling took the puck away from a Lumberjacks defenseman in the neutral zone and worked his way into the offensive end on a breakaway before cashing in for his fourth goal of the season. Later in the period at the 11:32 mark, Hayden Russell finished off a pretty passing play at the top of the crease thanks to a pass from Xavier Lieb from below the goal line.

Another two goals came for the Saints at the start of the third period to extend their lead to 4-1. Gavin Lock scored first on a controversial play in the Lumberjacks' crease. The call on the ice of "no goal" was overturned following a video review by the Saints bench 3:51 into the period. At the 7:40 mark, Cooper Conway scored another goal with a pass originating from behind the net.

Novotny scored his second goal of the game to start the Lumberjacks' comeback effort with less than ten minutes to play in regulation. Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) fired a pass to Novotny on the far side of the neutral zone. Using his body, Novotny protected the puck and cut towards the net on his way down the far side of the offensive zone. He muscled a shot to the back of the net, but that was the start and end of the comeback for the Jacks.

An empty net goal late in regulation for Brandt Dubey put the icing on the cake for the Saints, bringing the score to 5-2.

Will Keane (West Bloomfield, MI) (3-1-0-0) kept the game as close as possible for the Jacks with 29 saves on 33 shots against. Vojtech Hambalek (5-0-0-0) earned the win with 27 saves on 29 shots against.

The teams close the weekend series tomorrow night at 6 p.m. It's Wizard night at Trinity Health Arena, so say a spell and get your tickets at muskegonlumberjacks.com. Not in Muskegon? Catch the action on the official live stream partner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, FloHockey.

Check out the Muskegon Lumberjacks Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2025


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