MUSKEGON, MI - Everyone wants to end their season with a win, and Muskegon did just that by picking up an 8-5 win over the visiting Chicago Steel. Thomas Kiesewetter played phenomenal on one end while the offense provided goal support on the other for the winning effort.
With the win Muskegon ends the season with a final record of 27-31-3 while the Steel head to the postseason in 1st place of the Eastern Conference with a 39-18-4-1 record.
Similar to last night the Steel took a 2–0 lead into the first intermission. Thomas Kiesewetter made a save on a Chicago opportunity, but the rebound trickled through the Jacks defense and to the stick of Brady Arneson who deposited it to the back of the net for the lead at the 9:28 mark.
Later in the period while killing a penalty the Steel scored again to make it a 2-0 game 7 minutes until the intermission. Quinn Finley found the puck at the near side of his own blue line and turned on the jets to beat the lone Muskegon defenseman and earn a breakaway. Working left to right across the crease, Finley out waited Kiesewetter and backhanded the puck to the top of the net.
Trailing by a pair of goals at the start of the period the Lumberjacks struck twice to tie the game. Easton Young scored 2:46 into the frame after receiving a pass from Cody Croal on the near side wall of the Chicago zone. Young caught the pass and fired a shot past Jack Stark for his second goal of the weekend.
Just 20 seconds later at the 3:25 mark Muskegon added another goal. Jack Galanek centered the puck from the far side corner for Justin Solovey to redirect on net. Stark made a save, but Michael Callow followed up from behind to force the puck into the back of the net for his 20th goal of the season.
Finley scored his second goal of the game to regain the Chicago lead, but the Jacks responded with a pair of goals to re-tie then give the Jacks their first lead of the game. Croal carried the puck up the near side and cut down below the circle in the Chicago zone before firing a pass backdoor for Matvei Gridin to tap home.
Nicholas Rexine scored by leading the rush into the offensive zone and shooting through a screen to beat Stark at the 13:15 mark of the second period giving Muskegon a 4-3 lead. Tying the game back up Finley scored his third of the contest with another backhand to beat Kiesewetter bringing the score back to even ahead of the third and final period of regulation.
Looking to end the season off on a good note the Lumberjacks came out on fire to start the third period with three straight goals. Just 24 seconds into the frame while on the Powerplay George Fegaris carried the puck down the near side wall of the Chicago zone and fired a shot past Stark for his 4th goal of the season.
At the 5:39 mark Ethan Whitcomb gave the puck to Ethan Fredericks behind the net. The future Northeastern Husky walked outfront and slid a shot onto Stark that was stopped, but he found his own rebound under the net minder and forced it into the back of the net.
Then, at the 10:07 point of the period Callow added his second goal of the game, 21st of the season by carrying the puck down the slot and sending a shot under the far side arm of Stark.
Chicago got one back while on the power play, but putting the icing on the cake Fredericks found the back of an empty net to make it 8-5, the eventual final score.
Kiesewetter (1-0-0) earned his first career USHL win by stopping 35 of the 40 shots fired his way by Chicago including a handful of breakaway opportunities for the Steel. Stark (17-6-2) earned the loss making 22 saves on 29 shots sent his way by Muskegon.
