MUSKEGON, MI – This weekend is a big one for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (29-17-1-1, 60 pts.) and the Youngstown Phantoms (26-15-4-3, 59 pts.) who are separated by just one point in the standings. The winner of the three game weekend series at the Covelli Centre will take control over the other team as the season winds down.
 

ABOUT LAST WEEKEND

The Lumberjacks returned to home last weekend for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday night. First, it was the sixth and final matchup of the season against the Madison Capitols. A quick 2-0 lead for the Caps within the first three minutes of the game sent the Jacks to an early comeback effort. The offense was able to generate plenty of offense, but a hot goalie in Carsen Musser in between the pipes shut the door in a 5-4 Madison win. Matvei Gridin scored twice including a goal in the final minute of regulation with an empty net and extra attacker on his side. Despite the strong effort at the end, it wasn't enough to tie the game and force overtime.
 
Saturday was very different against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Back on November 4th the Black Hawks routed the Lumberjacks 8-2 at Young Arena. This time around the Jacks opened the scoring and ran with the success. Joe Connor scored three times for his second hat trick this season while Gridin mixed in a goal of his own and two assists in the 5-2 win. Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev stopped 33 of the 35 shots sent his way enroute to his 10th USHL win this season.
 
Youngstown had a busy week at home last time out. Thursday morning the Phantoms welcomed Waterloo to the Covelli Centre where they decimated the Black Hawks with a 10-4 win. Ryan Botterill found the back of the net three times in the win.
 
Friday wasn't as successful for the Phantoms as they welcomed the Dubuque Fighting Saints to Eastern Ohio. The game was tied heading into the third period, but a trio of goals from the Saints Put Youngstown back in the loss column.
 
Saturday was another loss for the Phantoms at the hands of the Fighting Saints, though this time a 1-0 lead just :34 seconds into the game was enough as the Youngstown Offense just couldn't get anything going in the 3-0 loss. Youngstown was 0/7 on the power play Saturday night.
 

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: JAKE TOLL

All season long the Lumberjacks have had a dominating offense producing many high scoring affairs on Friday and Saturday nights. While scoring more goals than your opponent is the ultimate goal you can't forget about the defensive side of the game and preventing the goals for your opponent. The Lumberjacks addressed that need with a mid-season trade bringing Jake Toll, a 6'3, 170-pound defenseman to Muskegon.
 
Coming to Muskegon from Sioux Falls Toll is in the middle of his first year as a skater in the USHL. "It's never really easy leaving home and playing at a high level," said Toll. A native of Rosemount, Minnesota Toll grew up just south of the Twin Cities and a short four hours away from Sioux Falls.
 
Through the first 39 games this season with the Stampede Toll scored 4 goals and added 6 assists for 10 total points. Since coming to Muskegon Toll has mixed in a trio of assists in his 9 games with the Jacks. The move was a welcomed one for Toll. " I didn't play as much as I would have liked" he said.
 
While the numbers he has in the offensive zone are respectable for a first-year defenseman in the USHL it's the other side of the puck that Toll excels at when on the ice. With a +8 rating this season Toll has shown his ability to create positive outcomes from opposing teams' opportunities in the Jacks zone. Toll has also adopted more of a physical style of play since joining the Jacks. "I like to rush up when needed, but not all the time. I feel that I've added a sense of physicality since I've been here."
 
With the addition of Toll the Lumberjacks have solidified a roster capable of competing for a Clark Cup Championship. Players like Boisvert, Gridin, and Croal are always going to produce offense, but adding names like Toll, Nordberg, and Gadzhiev gives the lumberjacks a strong squad over all 200 feet of the ice.
 

ATOP THE TABLES: JACKS AS LEAGUE LEADERS

There is no doubt that the Lumberjacks have some serious fire power on the offensive side of the puck. With not one, but two projected first round draft picks in the forwards group for Muskegon production comes every night for the Jacks. Thanks to their prowess there are a couple of players that wear the Black and Gold and represent it at the top of the USHL.
 
Matvei Gridin leads not just the Lumberjacks, but the entire league with 64 points in 48 games played. The Russian born forward also ranks in the top five for goals (28, 4th) and assists (36, 4th). Gridin is also 2nd in the USHL with 1.33 points per game (minimum 40 games played)
 
 Ethan Whitcomb shares a tie for first in the USHL with 37 assists along with Jake Sondreal of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, and Gavyn Thoreson of the Waterloo Black Hawks. Whitcomb announced earlier this season that he will be attending the University of Connecticut where he will play for the Huskies Men's Hockey Team.
 
Sacha Boisvert currently sits in 3rd in the USHL in goals with 29. The #17th ranked skater in the NHL Central Scouting NA Skaters category also sneaks in to the top 10 in total points with 52 (9th). The conversation surrounding Boisvert and the 2024 NHL Draft is one that has been around a while, but Boisvert continues to show why his name belongs among the first to be called.
 
Despite being out of the lineup as of late with an injury Ryan Koering remains in 2nd of the USHL with a +32 rating. The first year USHL defenseman has been amazing for Muskegon both in the defensive and offensive zones.
 
OVER THE AIRWAVES
Join Voice of the Lumberjacks Ezra Gennello and 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. March 8 | 7:05 pm EST | at Youngstown Phantoms
Sat. March 9 | 7:05 pm EST | at Youngstown Phantoms
Fri. March 10 | 4:05 pm EST | at Youngstown Phantoms
Fri. March 15 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Dubuque Fighting Saints
Sat. March 16 | 7:00 pm EST | vs Dubuque Fighting Saints
 
FOLLOW THE JACKS
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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.