MUSKEGON, MI – Fans at Trinity Health Arena were treated to a good ole fashioned goaltending duel between the Muskegon Lumberjacks (12-5-2-1, 27 pts.) and the Dubuque Fighting Saints (15-6-0-0, 30 pts.) on Friday night. A scoreless game through 40 minutes saw the Saints strike twice to pick up a 3-1 win over the Jacks.
 
Everyone expected the tight contest between the Jacks and Saints based on the starting goalies. Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) ranks second in the USHL in goals against average (2.15), and third in save percentage (.922) while Jan Spunar for Dubuque is sixth in GAA (2.26) and first in SV% (.927). The expectations became reality when Gadzhiev (7-3-1-0) made 29 saves on 31 shots sent his way and Spunar (9-4-0-0) earned the win with 29 saves on 30 shots fired by the Jacks.
 
The first goal of the game didn't come until the 48^th minute of the game. Cooper Dennis sent the puck to the top of the zone for Matthew Desiderio on the near side of the blue line. Desiderio, a North Caldwell, NJ native ripped a shot through a screen in front of Gadzhiev and to the back of the net for his 6^th goal of the season.
 
The gap between goals was much closer as the Jacks tied the game with a power play goal just four minutes later. Jack Galanek (Hopkinton, MA) held the puck on the near side wall of the Dubuque zone and fired it towards the top of the crease. Teddy Spitznagel (Bloomfield Hills, MI) was stationed at the top of the crease and gave the puck a whack sending it off the foot of a defenseman and to the back door post. That's where Vaclav Nestrasil (Praha, CZE) found himself standing. Nestrasil tapped the puck across the goal line for his 5^th goal of the season and to even the score 1-1.
 
In the final two minutes of the game the Saints struck again. This time, it was Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Heikki Ruohonen who got the puck on the near side of the slot in the Jacks' defensive zone. Ruohonen ripped a shot off the far side post and to the back of the net to regain the 2-1 lead for the Fighting Saints.
 
The comeback effort for the Jacks was strong with extended zone time and even a couple of shots off the post, but an empty netter from Charlie Arend in the final moments of the game put the icing on the cake and gave Dubuque the 3-1 win.
 
Tomorrow, Saturday the 30^th the Jacks and Saints close the weekend series at Trinity Health Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET for Country Night. Tickets and broadcast information can be found by visiting muskegonlumberjacks.com.