MUSKEGON, MI – It's a jam-packed weekend ahead at Trinity Health Arena as the Muskegon Lumberjacks welcome the Des Moines Buccaneers and Lincoln Stars for games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
 
On Friday the Lumberjacks celebrate Healthcare Heroes Night against Des Moines at 7 p.m. Then, on Saturday at 7 we take a trip back to the Mohawks days with Throwback Night featuring the second specialty jersey of the season against Lincoln. Finally, Sunday afternoon the weekend comes to a close with Sensory Friendly Day which will adjust the game day atmosphere to be more inclusive for everyone.
 

THE MATCHUP

The first game either team played this season was against each other at the 2023 Dick's Sporting Goods Fall Classic. For the Muskegon Lumberjacks (19-12-1-1, 40 pts.) the time since then has had both positive and negative moments, but overall, the Jacks have enjoyed quality hockey through the first half. The Omaha Lancers (7-21-3-0, 17 pts.) on the other hand find themselves at the bottom of the USHL which is where they found themselves at the end of last season. Not all is lost for the Lancer's season though. Despite falling in their last game, they picked up 3 straight wins against Sioux City and Youngstown as the calendar turned over. At the end of the day 6 out of the 8 teams in each conference make the playoffs, and Friday marks the official start to the second half for the Lancers.
 

ABOUT LAST WEEKEND

The Lumberjacks hit the road and headed to the western conference for the final time this season for a weekend series at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ralston, NE for a series against the Omaha Lancers. Saturday night saw another two-goal performance from Matvei Gridin (Kurgan, RUS) paired with a two-assist game from Joe Connor (Amherst, NH) for 3-0 goals for the Jacks. Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS.) stopped all 25 shots he faced for his first career shutout in the USHL, and a 3-0 Lumberjacks win.
 
Saturday night was going the Lumberjacks way until the final 6 minutes of regulation. With a 5-1 lead in the late stages of the game a Lumberjack's player jumped at the side of the Omaha net, but somehow the Jacks ended up shorthanded. Omaha took advantage of the opportunity but were unable to complete the comeback, falling 5-4.
 
Des Moines took on the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday night at Buccaneer Arena. The tightly contested game saw the Bucs open the scoring in the first period, but three unanswered goals from the Hawks handed Des Moines their second straight loss. The following night on the road in Dubuque the Bucs took on the top team from the Eastern Conference, the Fighting Saints. A much less even game saw a similar score line with Des Moines on the losing end 4-2.
 
Lincoln had a bit of a better weekend than Des Moines with a weekend series split against the visiting Sioux Falls Stampede. Friday night the offense was buzzing for the Stars. Opening the scoring 14 seconds into the second period to take a lead the Stars remained in control the remainder of the game for a 5-2 win. The following night Sioux Falls picked up a 5-2 win of their own to earn the split.

 

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. January 26 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Des Moines Buccaneers
Sat. January 27 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Lincoln Stars
Sun. January 28 | 3:00 pm EST | vs Lincoln Stars
Sat. February 3 | 7:05 pm CST | at Chicago Steel
Sun. February 4 | 3:05 pm CST | at 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.