MUSKEGON, MI – Win and you're in. That was the message for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (33-20-1-1, 68 pts.) heading into the two game series against the Sioux City Musketeers (31-20-6-0, 68 pts.). With a 3-2 win on Friday night already in the bag the Jacks left zero doubt with a 6-3 win on Saturday to punch their ticket to the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs.
 
In a rare down season, the Jacks missed the post season for the first time since the 2015-16 season last year. Still with 7 games left in this season the Jacks became just the second team in the Eastern Conference to clinch their spot thanks to the two-game weekend sweep over the Musketeers.
 
Saturday nights contest started in quick fashion for the Jacks who jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a pair of goals just26 seconds apart. The first came off the stick of Sacha Boisvert (Trois-Rivieres, QC, CAN) finishing off a 2-on-1 rush with Joe Connor (Amherst, NH). Boisvert sent a pass across the slot to the far side for Connor to receive. While moving towards the net Connor outwaited the netminder allowing for an empty net when he slid a pass back to Boisvert across the crease. For Boisvert and Connor it was the start of a productive night on the scoresheet just 5:48 into the game.
 
Connor then scored a goal of his own just 26 seconds later when his line mates Matvei Gridin (Kurgan, RUS) and Cody Croal (North Branch, MN) joined him for their shift. A pretty passing play started by Croal sent the puck to Gridin on the far side, and back to Connor on the nearside with an empty net to shoot at.
 
Gridin opened the scoring in the second period with a goal at the 2:01 mark assisted by Croal and Connor. Another pretty passing play saw Croal give the puck to Connor on the nearside who then slid it to Gridin on the far side. Gridin sent a shot back to where it came from and rang the puck off the post and in for his second point of the night.
 
Riley Brueck found the back of the net at the 15:50 mark to get Sioux City on the board. For Brueck it was his first career USHL goal.
 
It didn't take long for the Jacks to respond and score another goal to take a 4-1 lead into the second intermission. Again, Gridin was the scorer, but this time the highlight reel play belonged to Cooper Pierson (Zionsville, IN) who shook off physical contact as he entered the offensive zone. Pierson turned a generic play into a 2-on1 rush with Gridin. Pierson chose to shoot and found his own rebound. Rather than taking another shot Pierson sent a backdoor pass to Gridin for the easy goal. For Gridin his 3-point performance extends his USHL league leading total to 73.
 
The third period started well for the Musketeers with a pair of goals to cut their deficit to just one.  Brueck scored his second goal of the game at the 6:24 mark. Giacomo Martino found the back of the net after winning a race to the puck in the Jacks zone and tucking it just inside the post with a quick shot at the 9:31 mark.
 
Power plays had struggled for the majority of the weekend, but the Jacks regained their two goal lead at the 11:42 mark with a power play tally from Justin Solovey (Holmdel, NJ). Boisvert gave the puck to Ty Henricks (Mission Viejo, CA) at the top of the far side circle as the power play units began to change. Fresh on the ice Solovey made his way across the ice to the nearside where he received a pass from Henricks in the circle. Solovey corralled the pass and banked a shot off the pad of the netminder and into the net.
 
Boisvert became the third Jacks to record three points in the win with an empty netter with 1:24 left to play. The goal is his team leading 33^rd of the season.
 
Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) (12-8-1-1) earned his second win in as many nights with 30 saves on 33 shots against. Over the weekend Gadzhiev was 51 for 56 for a combined save percentage of .910. Samuel Urban (13-14-2-0) earned the loss on his record with 24 saves on 29 shots against.
 
The Jacks finish the third period from February 17^th's postponed game against the USA Hockey NTDP Under-17 Team tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Trinity Health Arena. The period can be found on the official live stream partner of the USHL, FloHockey, and for free on the Lumberjacks Hockey Network on Mixlr.
 
Fans with tickets to the original game can use the same tickets for admission to the period. The Muskegon Lumberjacks Charitable Foundation is also accepting donations from those who did not attend the original game for admission.
 
For schedules, scores, updates, and more visit muskegonlumberjacks.com. Check out the Jacks on social media @muskegonjacks on Instagram and X, @muskegonlumberjacks on TikTok for special content!