MUSKEGON, Mich. — As the calendar moves towards the final days of the regular season the Muskegon Lumberjacks gear up for the final road trip of the regular season. First with a single game in Dubuque on Thursday night the Jacks close out the road schedule with a weekend series in Green Bay.
About Last Weekend
Looking to keep playoff hopes alive The Lumberjacks traveled to Youngstown for a pair of games against the Phantoms. Friday night saw a close matchup through 40 minutes before the Lumberjacks took control both physically and on the score sheet. Gavin McCarthy and Cody Croal both scored in the second period to carry a 2-2 tie into the third period. From there Jack Sparks and Justin Solovey chucked knucks with their counterparts to build momentum for the Jacks allowing Michael Callow and Cody Croal to find the back of the net to clinch the 4-2 win.
Saturday night started out hot for Muskegon jumping out to an early 2-0 lead. Ethan Whitcomb scored to extend his point streak to 5 games while Teddy Spitznagel found the back of the net for the first time in his USHL career. Youngstown scored 5 straight to close the first period and added two more through the following two periods for a 7 goal performance. Gavin McCarthy added a goal in the third period for his second of the weekend.
Ryathan Robbins played well through both games for the Lumberjacks making 73 saves on 81 shots fired by the Phantoms during the weekend.
The Matchups
The first matchup of the road trip is between the Lumberjacks and Fighting Saints. The last time the teams met was early March when the teams split a weekend series at Trinity Health Arena. The first matchup was won by the fighting saints with an overtime winning goal while on the powerplay. Saturday's matchup was another overtime win this time by Muskegon thanks to a goal from Sacha Boisvert. Over the season series The Lumberjacks hold the lead with 4 wins and a record of 4-1-1, and will win the season matchup no matter the outcome on Thursday night.
Against Green Bay the Jacks are 2-4-0 this season. The teams last met in Mid February for a two game weekend series. Another split for the Lumberjacks the Gamblers won the first game on Friday night 3-2, but a Lumberjacks win came on Saturday night by a score of 4-2. Michael Callow scored twice in the win. Should the Lumberjacks sweep the weekend they will tie the season series at 4 wins a piece. Any other result would give the Gamblers the series win.
Players to Watch
Ethan Whitcomb:
Currently riding a 5 game point streak the St. Catherines Ontario native has 39 points through 46 games played this season. As of late Whitcomb has been playing on a line with Sacha Boisvert and Luke Buss listed as the second unit on the line chart for head coach Parker Burgess. Whitcomb is a 2004 birth year with two more years of Junior Hockey eligibility before attending the University of Nebraska Omaha where he will play NCAA Division I hockey.
George Fegaras:
Drafted in the third round of this past offseason's NHL draft by the Dallas Stars, Fegaras has been a steady force on the back end for Muskegon this season. Another Canadian born player for the Lumberjacks, Fegaras hails from Richmond Hill, Ontario. Before coming to Western Michigan Fegaras played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the North York Rangers. This season the defenseman has 3 goals and 21 assists for 24 total points, and will report to Ivy League School Cornell University for college hockey at the end of his Junior Hockey career.
Over the Airwaves
For live video streams, all Muskegon Lumberjacks games will be broadcast on HockeyTV (Video). Additionally, all home games and select away games will be streamed on Mixlr (Audio) for free.
Upcoming Games
Thur. April 6 | 8:00 pm EDT | at Dubuque Fighting Saints
Fri. April 7 | 8:00 pm EDT | at Green Bay Gamblers
Sat. April 8 | 8:00 pm EDT | at Green Bay Gamblers
Fri. April 14 | 7:00 pm EDT | vs Madison Capitols
Sat. April 15 | 7:00 pm EDT | vs Madison Capitols
Follow the Jacks
Be sure to follow the Muskegon Lumberjacks on social media!
Facebook - Muskegon Lumberjacks
Twitter - @MuskegonJacks
Instagram - @muskegonjacks
Tik Tok - muskegonlumberjacks
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.
