CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT) recorded his first career multi goal game in the USHL on Friday night helping the Muskegon Lumberjacks (6-3-2-1, 15 pts.) to a 2-1 win over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (4-7-0-1, 9 pts.) at the ImOn Ice Arena.
 
Scoring was opened when the Jacks capitalized on a 3-on-1 rush down the ice after killing off a penalty just three and a half minutes into the contest. Berzkalns served the two-minute portion of a two and ten misconduct against the Jacks. As he left the box Davis Borozinskis (Liepaja, LAT) carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the near side of the offensive end. Berzkalns joined the rush and cut towards the far post in time for Borozinskis to slide him a backdoor pass for the easy tap in.
 
Late in the second period, Cedar Rapids evened the score thanks to a goal from another 2008 birth year, Thomas Vandenberg. After giving a pass to the blue line for Dylan Hunt, Vandenberg got the puck back and ripped a one timer over the shoulder of the Jacks netminder for his second goal of the season.
 
Berzkalns' second of the night came in the late stages of the third period finishing a 2-on-1 rush with David Klee (Castle Rock, CO). Carrying the puck up the near side of the ice, Klee fired a pass across the ice to Berzkalns. Moving towards the net Berzkalns lowered his shoulder and pushed the puck through the crease, and thanks to a bounce off a RoughRider defenseman the puck trickled to the back of the net.
 
Stephen Peck (New York, NY) (2-1-1-1) earned the win and played phenomenal for the Jacks with 23 saves on 24 shots sent his way. On the other end of the ice, Rudy Guimond (1-5-0-0) faced 19 shots and allowed 2 goals in the losing effort.
 
Tomorrow night the Jacks and Riders close the weekend series with the second game of the weekend. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:05 pm ET. Broadcast options can be found at muskegonlumberjacks.com.

?