PLYMOUTH, MI – There is a lot of hype surrounding this year's USA Hockey NTDP Under-17 Team (2-4-2-0, 6 pts.), so if there was a team to hand the Muskegon Lumberjacks (6-1-0-0, 12 pts.) their first loss of the season, the 17s thought "why not us". Brayden Willis led the way with a hat trick to lift his team to the 4-3 win.
A power play goal helped the NTDP open the scoring in the first period. Carson Scott sent the puck to the far side corner for Alexander Milojevic, who assessed his options before firing a pass to the low slot. Hudson Salvador was ready and waiting at the top of the crease to redirect the shot to the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
Despite a strong effort from the Jacks in the offensive zone, they were only able to strike once to tie the game before the first intermission.
Gustas Zemaitis (Barrington, IL) fired a shot off the far pad of Nate Chizik, producing a rebound on the far side of the slot.
Ethan Drabicki (Livonia, MI) had just jumped on the ice and found himself in the right position to hammer the rebound back towards the net and past Chizik for his first goal of the season.
Barrett Dexheimer (Edina, MN) picked up the secondary assist on the goal.
Jack Christ (Chaska, MN) gave the Jacks their first lead of the game with a goal 4:21 into the second period. A strong cycle by the Jacks saw
Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) and
Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) keep the puck below the goal line. Stewart slid a pass to the top of the crease for Christ, who sent it to the back of the net for his team leading 5
th goal of the season.
Willis scored his first goal of the game while shorthanded halfway through the frame. A turnover caused at the blue line by Carter Meyer sent Willis into the Jacks' zone on a breakaway, where he buried the shot for his first career USHL goal.
Before the end of the period, the Jacks regained their lead with a power play goal. At the 14:17 mark, Christ got the puck to
Danny Klaers (Minnetrista, MN) at the top of the blue line. Klaers fired a pass down to Stewart, who tucked the puck across the goal line for his second power-play goal in the past two games.
Willis scored both goals in the third period to help the NTDP tie the game and take the eventual winning lead 4-3. First, at the 7:10 mark, he capitalized on an opportunity set up by Nolan Fitzhenry and Hudson Salvador. Then, at the 15:18 mark, he completed the hat trick, finishing a pretty passing play with Fitzhenry and Rocco Pelosi.
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) (4-1-0-0) did his best to keep the Jacks in the game with 23 saves on 27 shots, but he earned the loss on his record. Nate Chizik (1-0-1-0) earned the win on his record with 23 saves on 26 shots against.
Tomorrow night, the teams close out the weekend home-and-home series with a 6 p.m. puck drop at Trinity Health Arena. Tickets start at just $15 at muskegonlumberjacks.com. Can't catch the game, catch it online on the official live stream partner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, FloHockey.
