USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Jacks Sweep Riders Out Of Muskegon With 4-2 Win

Published on March 25, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON - A season that has seen a coaching change, change in ownership, multiple big name trades, and a new team identity might have one more plot twist coming. A late season playoff push. With a 4-2 win on Saturday night the Lumberjacks not just k]eep their postseason hopes alive, but close the deficit to a tighter margin.

With the win Muskegon improves to 24-25-3-0 and cross the 50 point mark with 51 on the year.The RoughRiders meanwhile fall to 25-18-4-4 and see their lead on the Lumberjacks fall to 7 points.

While on the power play the Lumberjacks took a 1-0 lead 4:41 into the first period. Raythan Robbins gave the puck to Easton Young back in the Muskegon end of the ice. Using a stretch pass through the neutral zone Young found Justin Solovey who had the Cedar Rapids defense beat into the offensive zone. On the near side of the slot Solovey fired a shot in stride towards the low far portion of the net for his 6th goal of the season, second of the weekend.

The second period brought another power play goal for the Lumberjacks this time on a 5-on-3 advantage 6:15 into the frame. Ty Henricks slid the puck to the near side of the offensive zone for Nathan McBrayer. The defenseman sent it below the goal line for Nicholas Rexine and dropped down to the inside of the face off circle. Rexine recognized the open space and gave it back to McBrayer who one-timed the shot off the far post and to the back of the net.

Cedar Rapids got one back with a power play goal of their own at the 11 minute mark. Brendan Fitzgerald held the puck at the top of the blue line and passed it to the top of the far side circle for Ryan Walsh. Moving slowly towards the slot Walsh held the puck for a moment and shot towards the top far corner to bring the game back to within one.

Just 14 seconds later the Lumberjacks answered with a delayed penalty against Cedar Rapids. Ethan Whitcomb won the ensuing face off back to George Fegaris who took a moment and sent the puck up the far side wall to Henricks. Crisscrossing with Whitcomb Henricks dropped the puck for the future Omaha Maverick. Whitcomb walked down the circle and fired a shot to the back of the net to regain the Lumberjacks two goal lead 3-1.

Luke Buss added another goal four minutes later at the 15:01 mark to mark the second straight 4 goal game for the Lumberjacks. Sacha Boisvert won a puck battle in his own zone and worked together with Whitcomb to find Buss on the far side of the neutral zone. Buss fired a shot on net that Bruno Bruveris turned aside, but in an attempt to clear the puck to the corner Bruveris knocked it into his own net.

One more goal from Cedar Rapids came a minute later to bring the game back to a 2 goal deficit, but it wasn't enough as a scoreless third period clinched the 4-2 win for the Lumberjacks earning them the weekend sweep.

Robbins (8-13-1) played all 60 minutes making 39 saves on 41 shots fired by the RoughRiders. Bruveris(20-12-3-2) lasted just over half the game surrendering 4 goals on 18 shots. Sam Scopa stopped all 7 shots faced in relief.

Next up for the Lumberjacks is a trip to Plymouth on Tuesday for the final matchup against the USNTDP U18 team kicking off a 3 week, 6 game road trip.

You can catch the action all season long with FloHockey the official video streaming partner of the USHL and on the free radio stream on Mixlr.

Check out the Muskegon Lumberjacks Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2023


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