Muskegon, MI - Of the four Conference Semifinal matchups the Muskegon/Green Bay series is the only one that needs all five games to determine a winner. Both the Jacks and Gamblers finished the season with 78 points, but the ROW tie breaker gave the Jacks the first-round bye. After a thrilling 2-1 overtime win in game three of the first round the Gamblers gave everyone the matchup, they were looking for in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Tomorrow night the series is forced to come to an end with either Muskegon or Green Bay moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
 
Tickets for the game are only $10 and can be purchased by visiting muskegonlumberjacks.com. Below are recaps of the first four games of the series.
 
GAME 1
The series opened with game one last Saturday at Trinity Health Arena. Fresh off their first-round bye the Jacks were looking for a quick start but were instead met by buzzing Green Bay attack. Blake Bechen gave the Gamblers a 1-0 lead 7:08 into the game with assists from his linemates Charlie Russell and Ryan Humphrey. The trio combined for another goal under 90 seconds later. This time it was Russell who found the back of the net to make it 2-0 in favor of Green Bay.
 
Before the end of the frame the Jacks were able to get on the board with a goal from Justin Solovey (Holmdel, NJ) with 4:23 to go until the first break. Cooper Pierson (Zionsville, IN) brought the score back to even with a goal in the second period, but Jayson Shaugabay scored a pair of goals to regain and extend the Gamblers' lead. Matvei Gridin (Kurgan, RUS) found David Klee (Castle Rock, CO) in the offensive zone on the penalty kill to bring the game even, but the comeback effort ended there, and Green Bay took a 1-0 lead in the series.
 
GAME 2
Looking to avoid dropping both home games to start the series, the Jacks came out in game 2 red hot. Gridin had opened the scoring in the first period, but a penalty called against the Jacks called the goal back and the score remained 0-0 heading into the first intermission.
 
In the second period the Jacks exploded for three straight goals within a six-minute span. First, at the 7:28 mark Cody Croal (North Branch, MN) scored a goal by winning a race to the puck after Xavier Veilleux (L'Ancienne-Lorrette, QC, CAN) had sent it the length of the ice. Teddy Spitznagel (New York, NY) doubled the Muskegon lead at the 10:48 mark finishing off a pretty passing play including Klee and Solovey. Five minutes later Solovey scored his second goal of the post season to put the Jacks ahead 3-0.
 
Lev Katzin got the Gamblers on the board with a few minutes left in the middle frame, but a blast from Joe Connor (Amherst, NH) in the third put the icing on the cake and gave the Jacks a 4-1 win tying the series 1-1.
 
 GAME 3
As the series moved to Green Bay the attention turned towards the netminders. Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) got the nod for the Jacks while Adam Gajan was across the ice for the Gamblers. Solovey opened the scoring in the first period while Gridin made it 2-0 in the final stages of the game with an empty net goal. In between the two Jacks goals Gadzhiev made 28 saves in the shutout win. Gajan earned the loss, but made 28 saves on 29 shots to keep the Gamblers in it until the end.
 
GAME 4
With a chance to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals the Jaks took to the ice in game four looking to take care of business. Unfortunately, the Gamblers were just as pumped heading into the game looking to avoid elimination.
 
Ben Poitras opened the scoring just 2:38 into the contest to make it 1-0 Green Bay, but Connor responded for the Jacks with a breakaway goal at the 11:11 mark.
 
Just like the night before, the goaltending stole the show as the teams were scoreless until the final minute of regulation. While on the power play Bechen sent a pass to the bottom of the slot and a sea of bodies. Shaugabay found the puck in the pile and tapped it to the back of the net to force game 5 in Muskegon.

 
IF THE JACKS WIN - EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS SCHEDULE vs. DUBUQUE
Game 1 | Sun. April 28 | 5:05 pm CST | Imon Arena
Game 2 | Mon. April 29 | 7:05 pm CST | Imon Arena
Game 3 | Thurs. May 2 | 7:00 pm EST | Trinity Health Arena
Game 4 | Fri. May 3 | 7:00 pm EST | Trinity Health Arena*
Game 5 | Sun. May 5 | 5:05 pm CST | Imon Arena*
*If Necessary