MUSKEGON, MI – Only one point separated the Muskegon Lumberjacks (25-14-1-1, 52 pts.) and the Youngstown Phantoms (22-11-4-2, 50 pts.) at the start of the night, but by the end of it a 4-3 shootout win for the Lumberjacks extended the lead in the standings.
 
Muskegon opened the scoring in the first period at the 11:39 mark when Cody Croal (North Branch, MN) grabbed the puck in the nearside circle of the offensive zone. Croal tapped the puck to the middle of the face-off circle where Cooper Pierson (Zionsville, IN) was stationed. Pierson took the pass and lifted the puck over the shoulder of Colin Winn to give the Jacks a 1-0 lead.
 
Croal then found the back of the net himself with a breakaway goal later in the first period. Just 4 minutes later Bauer Berry (Grand Forks, ND) sent a stretch pass up the far side boards through the neutral zone. Croal was able to corral the puck and slid it between the legs of Winn for his second point of the night, 16^th goal of the season. The 2-0 Jacks lead survived the rest of the opening frame and into the first intermission.
 
Youngstown possessed most of the momentum in the second period and used it to score two straight goals to tie the game. First, just 1:35 into the period Ryan Botterill was able to beat the Jacks netminder for his 15^th goal of the season while a power play goal from Grant Young with just 1:10 to go in the frame tied the game.
 
The third period was by far the most exciting of the three in regulation starting with a Youngstown goal at the 3:09 mark from Ryan Rucinski. Botterill picked up the secondary assist on the goal for his second point of the night.
 
Muskegon used a power play opportunity to respond, but only needed 4 seconds to do so. At the 12 minute mark of the period Sacha Boisvert (Trois-Rivieres, QC, CAN)  won a faceoff on the far side of the Youngstown Zone. After a battle for possession from the two squads the puck popped out to Matvei Gridin (Kurgan, RUS) at the top of the circle. Gridin sent a puck across the zone to Ethan Whitcomb (St. Catherines, ON, CAN) who one-timed a shot to the back of the net to tie the game. For Gridin the assist helps him to his team leading 39^th point of the season.
 
No one was able to score in overtime, but three goals in the shootout from Ty Henricks (Mission Viejo, CA), Boisvert, and Gridin over matched the Phantoms and earned the Jacks the 5-4 victory.
 
Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) (6-4-0-0) earned the win by making 32 saves on 35 shots sent his way. Winn (7-5-1-2) turned aside 43 of 46 in the losing effort.
 
The teams close the weekend series tomorrow night at 7 p.m. For schedules, scores, updates, and more visit muskegonlumberjacks.com. Check out the Jacks on social media @muskegonjacks on Instagram and X, @muskegonlumberjacks on tik tok for special content!