PLYMOUTH, MI – A single-game week brought the Muskegon Lumberjacks (11-2-0-0, 22 pts.) head to the east side of Michigan for a date with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program's Under-18 Team (2-9-3-0, 7 pts.). Will Keane (West Bloomfield, MI) powered the Jacks to the 5-3 win.
 
It didn't take long for the Lumberjacks to open the scoring. Just 1:06 into the game, Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) scored his 7^th goal of the season to make it 1-0. Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) won possession of the puck in the near side corner of the offensive zone after taking it away from the NTDP netminder. On his way up the near side boards, Novotny fired a pass across the zone to Stewart for a one-timer. The puck beat the goalie to the far side of the net and across the goal line.
 
Starting the second period with another goal, the Lumberjacks took a 2-0 lead just 28 seconds into the frame. Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) intercepted a pass in the middle of the slot in the Jacks' zone and sent a pass ahead to Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) while on a breakaway down the ice. Sanderson was slashed, leading to a penalty shot for the Penguins' draft pick. Sanderson used his backhand to beat the goalie for his 5^th goal of the season.
 
Half a minute later, the NTDP responded. Wyatt Cullen held the puck on the nearside wall of the Jacks' zone and sent a puck towards the crease. Crashing the net, Mikey Berchild met the puck at the top of the blue paint and redirected it to the back of the net for his first goal in the USHL this season.
 
The power play was lights out for the Lumberjacks in the second period with a pair of goals, starting with Novotny's 7^th of the season at the 3:13 mark. Niles Benson (Tampa, FL) carried the puck down the far side of the slot and sent a pass to Norringer below the near side circle. Rather than shooting the puck himself, Norringer waited for the goalie to slide across the crease before sending a back-door pass to Novotny on the far side. The easy tap-in gave the Jacks a 3-1 lead.
 
A handful of minutes later, Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT) scored the Jacks' second power play goal of the period at the 12:22 mark. Jack Christ (Chaska, MN) fought off a body check on the near side wall and carried the puck across the goal line before sliding a perfect pass across the zone to Berzkalns for a heavy one-timer to the back of the net.
 
Casey Mutryn started the comeback effort for the NTDP with a power play goal to close the second period. Mutryn redirected a shot from Luke Schairer to the back of the net to bring the score to 4-2. Halfway through the third period, Victor Plante ripped a shot to the back of the net to bring the program within a single goal with 8:26 to play.
 
Christ buried an empty net goal in the final three minutes to regain the two-goal lead and send the Jacks on their way to the 11^th win of the season, and another multi-point performance.
 
Keane (5-1-0-0) earned the win on his record with 23 saves on 26 shots. Brady Knowling (1-2-0-0) earned the loss on his record with 4 goals against on just 17 shots fired by the Lumberjacks.
 
After a longer-than-normal break, the Jacks return to action on home ice for a three-game weekend starting on November 7^th against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Trinity Health Arena for Dia de los Muertos, when the Jacks will take the ice in the first specialty jersey of the season.