Norringer's 4 Point Night Helps Jacks to 5-3 Win in Omaha
USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Norringer's 4 Point Night Helps Jacks to 5-3 Win in Omaha

Published on February 28, 2026 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


RALSTON, NE - An authoritative performance from Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) saw the Nashville Predators draft pick earn a point on nearly every goal for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (31-18-0-1, 63 pts.) in a commanding 5-3 win over the Omaha Lancers (11-34-2-2, 26 pts.)

The game told two different stories. One story was the scoresheet: the teams went goal-for-goal through the first 50 minutes of the contest in a tight game, until a late goal and an empty-netter created separation. The other story was the shot chart, which showed the Lumberjacks dominated 53-23.

A goal came on each end of the ice in the first period, starting with one for the Lumberjacks and Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI). Norringer started the play by giving the puck to Lars Hutson (North Barrington, IL) on the far side of the neutral zone. Hutson carried the puck towards the middle of the ice and into the offensive zone as he worked towards the near side wall. Hutson then curled up towards the blue line and slid a pass to Bergeron in the middle. Bergeron fired a shot that snuck through some bodies in the low slot for his 4th goal of the season.

Six minutes later, the Lancers tied the game back up off a broken play at the top of the crease in the Lumberjacks zone. An odd-man rush into the offensive zone for the Lancers saw a couple of shots make their way onto Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz (Montreal, QC, CAN). Both shots were saved, but a loose puck to the far side post bounced straight to the stick of Tanner Morgan with an empty net to shoot at. Morgan actually missed the net, but the puck bounced off Doyon-Cataquiz and across the goal line.

In the second period, Omaha scored first to take their only lead of the game. Former Lumberjack Cam Caron made a beeline to the back post while on a 3-on-1 rush into the Muskegon zone. Morgan picked up his second point of the game by sliding a pass back door to Caron for an easy tap-in, making the score 2-1 just 5:49 into the middle period.

Each of the next two goals belonged to the Lumberjacks. The first goal came at the 8:16 mark while on an Auto Owners Insurance Power Play. Norringer slid a pass to Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) on the near side of the ice. Stewart sent a pass across the slot for Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE), whose initial shot was stopped. In the spring training spirit, Novotny took a baseball swing at the puck and knocked it into the top corner of the net after the rebound popped into the air. The call on the ice was a high stick, but following a video review, the call was reversed, and the game was tied 2-2.

The next shift produced another goal from the trio. Novotny and Stewart worked together to get the puck to Norringer on his way towards the offensive zone. Working into the offensive zone by himself and surrounded by three different Lancers, Norringer ripped a shot over the blocker of the goalie for his third point of the night.

A power play opportunity for Omaha late in the second period gave the Lancers a chance to tie the game back up before the second intermission. Lefty Markonidis held the puck in the far side circle of the Jacks zone and used a screen at the top of the crease to open a shooting lane to the top corner of the net for his 9th goal of the season.

It took all the way until the 17-minute mark of the third period for the Lumberjacks to break the tie and find the back of the net for the game-winning goal. Of course, Norringer was the one to do so, capping off an impressive night for the Nashville Predators draft pick. Danny Klaers (Wayzata, MN) gave the puck to Norringer on the near side wall of the Omaha zone. Norringer moved up towards the blue line, then cut down the middle of the slot before wiring a shot to the back of the net.

The goal gave Norringer 4 points (2g, 2a) in the game and 39 in 40 games this season. Stewart's 2 points (2a) put him at the 50 point mark this season and extends his point streak to 5 games (3-7-10). Novotny also had a big night with 3 points (1g, 2a), kicking off a chance for another streak after snapping a 10-game point streak on Wednesday.

Novotny's second assist of the game came on the empty-netter in the final minute of regulation. Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) put the icing on the cake with his 17th goal of the season, which was also an Auto Owners Insurance Power Play goal.

Doyon-Cataquiz (2-1-0-0) played well with 20 saves on 23 shots against in the winning effort. Devin Shakar (7-18-1-0) did everything he could to earn his team the win with 48 shots on 52 shots against, but didn't get enough help in front of him.

Sunday evening, the teams close out the weekend series and the quick two-game season series. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:05 pm EST (5:05 CST) at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena. Catch the action on FloHockey, the Official Live Stream Partner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, and the Lumberjacks Hockey Network on Mixlr.

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2026


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