MUSKEGON, MI – Rest or rust? That was the question around the facility this week as the second seeded Muskegon Lumberjacks enjoyed their first-round bye and prepared for the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The third seeded Green Bay Gamblers made their way to Muskegon to start the second round on Saturday night, and picked up the first win of the season 4-3.
 
With the win the Gamblers take a 1-0 lead in the best of 5 Eastern Conference Semifinal.
 
Green Bay opened the scoring 7:08 into the contest on a give and go play finished by Blake Bechen. After taking the puck on the near side of the blue line Bechen sent a pass down the wall to Russell in the corner. As Russell moved towards the net he sent a pass to the top of the crease for Bechen who met it there and tapped it to the back of the net.
 
Just about a minute and a half later the Gamblers made it 2-0 with the same duo combining. This time it was Bechen who slid a puck in front to Russell for the easy tap in goal.
 
Before the end of the period the Jacks struck to cut the deficit in half heading into the first intermission. At the 15:37 mark of the frame Sacha Boisvert (Trois-Rivieres, QC, CAN) created a turnover at center ice and carried the puck into the offensive zone. From the far side Boisvert sent a pass across the slot to Justin Solovey (Holmdel, NJ) at the top of the near side circle. Solovey ripped a laser beam of a shot into the top corner of the net for his first career Clark Cup Playoffs goal.
 
Following suit of the Gamblers the same line for the Jacks struck in the beginning of the second period to tie the game 2-2. Solovey dropped the puck off to Boisvert on the far side of the offensive zone while Cooper Pierson (Zionsville, IN) worked towards the middle of the slot. Boisvert slid the puck to Pierson and in one motion Pierson one-timed it to the back of the net.
 
Jayson Shaugabay provided the rest of the offense for the Gamblers starting with a goal at the 7:53 mark of the middle stanza. Both times on assists from Libor Nemec. The first came at the 7:53 mark of the second period to regain the Green Bay lead 3-2. His second goal came just over :90 seconds into the third period to extend the lead to 4-2.
 
The Jacks mounted a comeback effort starting with a shorthanded goal at the 6:38 mark of the third. Matvei Gridin (Kurgan, RUS) made his way on goal on a break away and fired a shot that was turned aside but found his rebound on the far side wall. Gridin turned and fired a pass to David Klee (Castle Rock, CO). From the middle of the ice Klee ripped a shot to the back of the net to bring the score to within one. A late push followed for the Jacks, but in the end it wasn't enough as they fell 4-3 in regulation.
 
Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) (0-1) earned the loss with 14 saves on 18 shots against. Gavin Moffatt (2-0) earned the win for the Gamblers with 26 saves on 29 shots against.
 
In the other Eastern Conference Semifinal #4 Youngstown picked up a 2-0 win over the #1 seed Dubuque.
 
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Jacks and Gamblers takes place tomorrow, Sunday, April 21^st at 3:10 pm. For tickets and more information on the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs visit muskegonlumberjacks.com. Catch the action on the official live stream partner of the USHL, FloHockey, and for free on the Lumberjacks Hockey Network on Mixlr.