MUSKEGON – Just 24 hours after falling 4-3 in overtime to the Dubuque Fighting Saints, the Muskegon Lumberjacks took to the ice at Trinity Health Arena with hopes of ending their 4 game skid. Again, needing overtime in a 3-3 game the Jacks switched the script and scored the game winner 29 seconds into the extra period for their own 4-3 overtime victory.
 
With the win Muskegon improves to 21-24-3 this season and take 3 out of a possible 4 points this weekend. Dubuque meanwhile falls to 25-17-5-1 with the overtime loss, and match the point total of the Jacks in the weekend series.
 
For the second straight night Muskegon took a 1-0 lead to open the scoring 7:41 into the game. Teddy Spitznagel played the puck into the neutral zone for Nicholas Rexine who carried it into the far side of the offensive end. Rexine gave a pass across the slot to Jacob Terpstra who in one motion received it and pulled a toe drag around the defenseman. Working his way on goal Terpstra placed a shot past Marcus Brännman for his second goal of the year. For Spitznagel it is his first career point with an assist on the play.
 
The Lumberjacks doubled the lead less than a minute later at the 8:14 mark. Joe Connor got a pass at the offensive blue line from Cody Croal who caused a turnover just inside the Muskegon zone. Connor protected the puck on his back hand while drawing the lone Dubuque defenseman below the circle. Connor then dropped the puck back for Michael Callow to step into a shot above the glove of Brännman for his 14^th goal this season and a 2-0 lead for Muskegon.
 
After scoring with just three seconds left in the first period in last night's game Dubuque followed suite again tonight scoring with just 33 seconds to play in the first frame. Noah Powell sent a shot off the pad of Raythan Robbins, but a rebound saw the puck bounce straight to Gavin Cornforth at the side of the net. Cornforth lifted the puck into the top corner of the net and Dubuque brought the score to 2-1 ahead of the first intermission.
 
Muskegon regained their two goal lead in the second period at the 8:48 mark. Nathan McBrayer picked up the puck at his own blue line and sent it ahead to Croal at the other end of the neutral zone. Croal walked in behind the defense and slid the puck between Brännman's legs for his 13^th goal of the year.
 
Three minutes later at the 11:23 mark Dubuque shortened the lead back to a one goal deficit while on the penalty kill. Jake Sondreal won a race for possession on the far side of the Muskegon zone and used a spinning backhand pass to find James Reeder in the slot. Reeder fired a shot past Robbins to bring the score to 3-2.
 
Dubuque tied the game back up in the third period after Ryan St. Louis caused a turnover just in front of the Jacks net. Sondreal found possession at the side of the net after Robbins made a pad save. Sondreal grabbed the rebound and pushed it into the back of the net with just 2:43 left in regulation.
 
It took just 29 seconds for the Lumberjacks to score the game winning goal in overtime. After making a great play on the back check Sacha Boisvert joined the rush into the offensive zone. Nicholas Rexine carried the puck up the far side and dropped it back for Easton Young the defenseman's shot missed the cage, but Rexine found the puck below the goal line and popped it out front for Boisvert who chipped it into the top corner of the net for the 4-3 Muskegon win.
 
Robbins (5-12-1) stopped 38 of 41 shots fired by the Fighting Saints in the winning effort. Brännman (19-8-3-1) made 21 saves facing 25 total shots with the overtime loss credited to his record.
 
Next up for Muskegon is a home and home series with the USA NTDP U18 team. Friday March 17^th The teams take to green ice at Trinity Health Arena for a St. Paddy's Party themed game. The jacks will wear special St. Patrick's Day jerseys that will be auctioned off post game. Saturday the 18^th the teams travel east to Plymouth for the back half of the series. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. both night and can be caught on Flo Sports, and the Mixlr app.