USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Lumberjacks Log: Challenging Closing Stretch Starts Friday

Published on March 27, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, Mich. (March 27, 2012) - The Muskegon Lumberjacks finish their second United States Hockey League season with six of their last seven games on the road, making the final three weeks a true challenge.

Moreover, the four teams Muskegon will take face the rest of the way - Dubuque, Green Bay, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo - have an 11-1-1 record against the Lumberjacks this season. Combine the road factor with the strength of the Jacks' opponents, and the next seven games look like a true test of how far this team has progressed under Head Coach Jim McKenzie.

The Jacks just completed a three-game homestand with a 2-1-0 record, with wins coming against the talented U.S. National Under-17 Team and the league-leading Green Bay Gamblers. While the 6-1 wipeout of the NTDP March 17 cleared the air after a four-game losing streak, Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory over Green Bay could go down as the highlight of the season.

Not only did the Lumberjacks (17-29-7, 41 points) knock off the winners of the Anderson Cup (given to the USHL's best regular season team) and the league's postseason favorites, they beat Green Bay with Ryan McKay in net. The Miami recruit and third-year Gambler leads the circuit in save percentage (.920) and goals-against average (2.17), but had played just 40 minutes against Muskegon this season prior to Saturday night.

Rasmus Bengtsson's wrist shot sailed past McKay's right arm to clinch Muskegon's victory in the fourth round of the shootout, but Jacks goalie John Keeney, also in his third USHL season, was the No. 1 star in winning the netminding battle. The Californian rebounded from a hectic first period to stop 36 shots and all four Green Bay shootout attempts.

With that triumph firmly in mind Muskegon hits the highway for three games this weekend, starting at 8:05 Friday against the defending Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. The Jacks will seek to avenge three earlier losses to the Saints (31-19-4, 66 points), including a 4-1 setback Feb. 17 in their only previous trip to the Mystique Ice Center.

A 90-mile jump west to Waterloo follows on Saturday night, as the Lumberjacks try to sweep the two-game season series with the Black Hawks (29-18-6, 64 points), who they beat 4-2 Oct. 30 at L.C. Walker Arena.

Muskegon's trio of tilts with playoff teams concludes with their seventh matchup of the season against Green Bay (42-8-3, 87 points) Sunday afternoon. In their last trip to the Resch Center, the Jacks came back from two goals down in a 3-2 shootout loss Feb. 26.

The Meijer Pregame Show begins 30 minutes prior to every opening faceoff on the radio home of your Lumberjacks, 92.5 The Outlaw (925fmtheoutlaw.com). Voice of the Jacks Matt Gajtka has the play-by-play.

The Lumberjacks have reduced the price of season ticket plans for the 2012-13 campaign to just $200! That's an average of only $6.25 for each of next season's 32 home contests, but the offer only lasts until June 16. Contact the Jacks ticket office at (231) 724-JACK for more information.

UPCOMING GAMES (all times Eastern)

* Friday @ DUBUQUE at 8:05 p.m.

* Saturday @ WATERLOO at 8:05 p.m.

* Sunday @ GREEN BAY at 4:05 p.m.

* Friday, April 6 @ GREEN BAY at 8:05 p.m.

* Saturday, April 7 vs. DUBUQUE at 7:15 p.m. - Fan Appreciation Night / The Lumberjacks thank you for your support this season! Enjoy $10 tickets and giveaways all night long.

JACKS FACTS

* Ryan Lomberg (Maine) has scored a goal in three straight games, the second time he's accomplished that feat in his first USHL season. Muskegon's leading point-getter with 35, Lomberg also lit the lamp in three straight Feb. 10-12, helping him win the CCM Offensive Player of the Week. He is the only Lumberjack this season to pick up a weekly honor from the league. Dakota Klecha (Ferris State) also strung together a three-game goal streak Oct. 23-30. * The Jacks snapped a string of 16 straight power plays without a conversion when Mike McNicholas (New Hampshire) redirected the puck past Green Bay's McKay in Saturday's first period. However, the penalty killing unit truly excelled against the Gamblers, keeping the league's third-best power play off the board in six attempts. Muskegon's PK has negated 13 of 14 opportunities against it in the last three games, improving to seventh in the USHL at 83.1 percent. * Muskegon's last seven games are all against teams who have clinched spots in the 2012 Clark Cup Playoffs. Green Bay, whom the Jacks will face twice more, locked up home-ice advantage throughout the postseason last weekend. Dubuque, on the schedule three more times, is one point behind Youngstown for third in the Eastern Conference, while Waterloo holds third in the West by one point over Fargo. Cedar Rapids (fifth in the East) recently earned its 12th consecutive playoff berth.

ALUMNI ON THE ATTACK

* Matt Berry, last year's top Muskegon sniper with 25 goals, completed his freshman year at Michigan State with 11, as the Michigan-born winger scored the Spartans' only goal in a 3-1 loss to No. 3 Union last Friday in the East Region semifinal. The native of Canton ranked fifth on MSU (19-16-4, 14-11-3 CCHA) with 19 points and was just one goal off the team-leading pace set by Hobey Baker finalist Torey Krug.

* Also at the East Regional, ninth-ranked UMass Lowell (24-13-1, 17-9-1 HEA) took out Miami 4-3 in overtime before Union ended the River Hawks' first trip to the NCAA tournament in 16 years. Jacks alumni Mike Conderman and Micki Mihailovich played a combined seven games for the team in its resurgent season.

* No. 12 Maine saw its postseason run finish in the Northeast Regional semifinal when defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth scored the final five goals in a 5-2 decision Saturday night in Worcester, Mass. The Black Bears (23-14-3, 17-10-2 Hockey East) were boosted by the contributions of last season's Lumberjacks captain John Parker, who played in 33 of 40 games and chipped in seven points (3g, 4a).

* Boston University fell victim to home-state Minnesota as the No. 2 Golden Gophers downed the 12th-ranked Terriers (23-15-1, 17-9-1 HEA) 7-3 in the West Regional semi Saturday afternoon. Freshman BU defenseman Alexx Privitera finished his first college season with 14 points (4g, 10a) in 25 games; he battled through a broken wrist midseason to get back in coach Jack Parker's lineup.

BEST HOCKEY TALK ON THE LAKESHORE

JackSixty presented by Cinema Carousel is a weekly hour-long talk show devoted to your Muskegon Lumberjacks Tuesday nights from 6-7 p.m. at Hennessy's Irish Pub & Restaurant. Located at the corner of Jefferson and Clay Streets in the heart of Muskegon, Hennessy's plays host as Gajtka and co-host Antonio Bartoli talk hockey with Lumberjacks coaches, players and other featured guests on 98.3 FM WLCS!

THE SOCIAL NETWORKS

Never go hungry for Jacks news: "Like" the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Facebook and follow "@MuskegonJacks" on Twitter to stay plugged into the Jacks 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, find the Jacks' exclusive YouTube channel at youtube.com/MuskegonJacks!

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 27, 2012


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