MUSKEGON, MI – This Friday and Saturday the Muskegon Lumberjacks will take on the Chicago Steel for a two game weekend series at Trinity Health Arena. Friday night is Timber Saves Christmas while Saturday is the annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. on both nights.
The Matchup
The Lumberjacks and Steel have met two times so far this season with five more games against each other on the schedule. On September 30th the Lumberjacks travelled to Geneva, IL for the Steel home opener and picked up a 7-4 win thanks to multi-goal performances from both
Sacha Boisvert (Trois-Rivieres, QC, CAN) and
Jack Galanek (Hopkinton, MA).
A week later at Trinity Health Arena the Jacks picked up another commanding win 8-3 on Flaunt Your Flannel Fest. This time with three-point performances from both
Ethan Whitcomb (St. Catherines, ON, CAN) and
Justin Solovey (Holmdel, NJ). The two wins matches the Jacks total from last year in an 8 game season series against the Steel who finished in first place of the Eastern Conference.
This season the Steel are currently sitting in last place of the Eastern Conference with 18 points in the standings. The Jacks find themselves in the middle of a tight battle towards the top of the standings with 28 points. Currently in fifth place in the East a possible outcome of the weekend could have the Jacks sitting in third heading into the mid-season break.
About Last Weekend
Ending a lengthy four-week span that consisted of 4,364 miles of travel the Lumberjacks paid a visit to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, SD for a matchup against the Stampede. Friday night the Stampede opened the scoring in what was a back-and-forth matchup until the end. Trying to tie the game in the late stages, the Jacks pulled the goalie but allowed an ice length empty net goal to fall by the eventual final score of 5-3.
Saturday night brought another close game for only two of the three periods. The Jacks were leading 2-1 heading into the third period and turned on the afterburners to pick up a 6-2 win.
Ty Henricks (Mission Viejo, CA) found the back of the net three times for his first career hattrick while
Beau Lane (Pembroke, MA) turned aside 32 of the 34 shots sent his way for his first career USHL win in his first career USHL game. The win earned Lane the USHL Goalie of the Week award for week 12.
Chicago took part in a home-and-home series against the Green Bay Gamblers. Friday night at the Resch Center the Steel picked up a 6-5 overtime win in which five different players scored in regulation and Charlie Major ended the game with the shootout winner. Saturday night was a different story for the Steel back home at the Fox Valley Ice Arena. This time around the Gamblers shut the door on Chicago for a big 6-2 win despite the Steel firing off 38 shots.
Player of the Week Awards
Back in week 2 of the USHL regular season Boisvert was the first Lumberjack of the season to be awarded one of the Player of the Week awards as the USHL's top forward for that week. With his first career USHL win in his USHL debut
Beau Lane (Pembroke, MA) joined Boisvert as the USHL Goaltender of the Week for week 12. Lane made 32 saves on 34 shots against in the 6-2 win over Sioux Falls.
International Hockey Season
Throughout the year players from around the world get the opportunity to represent their country in international competitions. In the offseason there is the Five Nations Tournament, Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the World Junior Summer Showcase, and more. During the winter and the USHL season there are two more tournaments that take place. The well-known World Junior Championship where the best junior eligible players take center stage in the hockey world and compete for gold. There is also the World Junior A Challenge where a pair of Lumberjacks will compete from December 11-17.
Current Lumberjack
Joe Connor (Amherst, NH) will represent the United States and the USHL as part of the Team USA Select team while Jack's affiliate player
Matthew Van Blaricom (Southey, SK, CAN) will represent the SJHL and Humboldt Broncos as part of the Hockey Canada West team.
This weekend from December 15-17 USA Hockey will hold camp at USA Hockey Arena to decide the roster for the 2024 World Junior Championship. This year the tournament will take place from December 26th through January 5th in Gothenburg, SWE.
In the last 8 WJC tournaments the United States has earned 6 medals including a pair of gold medals in 2017/2021. In 2019 the United States earned silver.
Growing up a hockey player in Minnesota there is one tournament that stands out over the rest. The Minnesota State High School Hockey Championship. For Lumberjacks defenseman
Ryan Koering (Eden Prairie, MN) the opportunity to win the championship came when he and the Eden Prairie Eagles were the top of the "AA" Class his sophomore year. "It's a great place to grow up with a lot of great role models to look up to," said Koering. He added "Winning that championship is something that every kid growing up in Minnesota dreams about, and I was fortunate enough to do it."
While Ryan has made the jump to the USHL his younger brother Nick, a 2023 draft pick of the Jacks is still at Eden Prairie playing high school hockey where the two had played together last season. "We grew up playing outside on the rink, and playing downstairs in the basement, so being able to be on a team was really fun." Ryan was the team captain his senior year while his brother joined the team which provided the interesting task of juggling being a teammate, captain, and brother for Ryan.
Now in the USHL Ryan leads the Lumberjacks with a +16 rating which ranks 5th among all USHL players. "Whatever coach wants me to do is what I do," said Koering. "I like to be on the ice when we score, and I don't like it when they score so I make that a big priority."
Over the Airwaves
Catch the action all season long with the USHL's official video streaming partner FloHockey, and with the free radio stream on the Lumberjacks Hockey Network on Mixlr.
Upcoming Games
Fri. December 15 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Chicago Steel
Sat. December 16 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Chicago Steel
Thu. December 28 | 7:00 pm EST | at USNTDP Under-18
Fri. December 29 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Youngstown Phantoms
Sat. December 30 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Youngstown Phantoms
Follow the Jacks
Be sure to follow the Muskegon Lumberjacks on social media!
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About the Muskegon Lumberjacks
The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The club's goal is to create an environment where student-athletes develop into successful young men both on and off the ice, which includes playing the game the right way while keeping up with their studies in the classroom and staying actively involved in the West Michigan community. The organization is committed to providing quality, affordable, and top-notch family entertainment while providing positive role models for the youth and the local community.
