CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Despite leading the game after the first period, and sitting tied after the second, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (15-4-0-0, 30 pts.) found themselves on the wrong side of the lopsided score. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (11-5-0-2, 24 pts.) turned up the pressure in the third period to the tune of 4 goals and a 6-2 win.
 
The Riders found the back of the net first, thanks to a backdoor tap-in from Henry Lechner as the puck moved across the front of the goal frame. Unfortunately for Cedar Rapids, there was a case for Goalie Interference, so when the Jacks coaching staff challenged the play, the call was overturned and the score stayed 0-0.
 
Just 8 seconds later, the Jacks scored a goal of their own. Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) found the back of the net for his team leading 13^th goal of the season. While on a rush to the offensive zone, Stewart received a pass from Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) on the far side of the ice and beat the Cedar Rapids goalie under the blocker just 4:33 into the game.
 
Both teams found the back of the net in the second period, including a pair of goals for Cedar Rapids, to carry a tied game back into the locker room for the second intermission. The first RoughRider goal came 1:49 into the frame when Sullivan Miller tapped a perfect pass from Hawke Huff behind the net across the goal line. The second was just four minutes later from Cooper Simon, who received another perfect pass at the top of the crease. This one came from the far side wall and Braiden Scuderi, who led a 2-on-1 rush into the Muskegon zone.
 
At the 7:08 mark of the period, the Jacks responded to even the score at 2-2. Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) laid a check onto a RoughRider skater in front of the Muskegon bench. Blanchard won possession of the puck and tapped it ahead for Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) on his way to the offensive zone. Novotny muscled a shot across the goal line for his 11^th goal of the season, and team leading 23^rd point.
 
Four goals came in the third period. All for the RoughRiders. Justin Graf found the back of the net for his 9^th goal of the season by tapping the puck under the pad of the goalie and across the goal line. Another lengthy video review was needed, but this time the goal was confirmed on the ice. Less than a minute later, Connor Davis scored his first of two straight goals. The first came at the 10:59 mark on assists from Grant Young and Jason Musa. The second at the 14:05 mark with assists from the same duo.
 
Hawke Huff scored an empty net goal from the red line in the final minute of regulation to give the Riders a 6-2 lead and their 11^th win of the season.
 
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) (10-2-0-0) stopped 32 of the 37 shots sent his way in the game. Ryan Cameron (8-4-0-1) earned the win in the crease for the Riders with 23 saves on 25 shots against.
 
Tomorrow night, the teams close out the two-game weekend series at ImOn Arena in Cedar Rapids, IA. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:05 pm EST, and can be found on FloHockey, the official live stream partner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, and for free on the Lumberjacks Hockey Network on Mixlr.