CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Four straight goals gave the Muskegon Lumberjacks (15-5-0-0, 30 pts.) a big lead, but a strong comeback effort from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (12-5-0-2, 26 pts.) was capped off with a 5-4 final score in favor of the home team.
 
In the blink of an eye, the Lumberjacks took a 2-0 lead just 96 seconds into the game. The first goal came from Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE). Branko Vukas (Dyer, IN), in his first shift as a Lumberjack, sent the puck up the near side of the ice to Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT). A pretty move helped Berzkalns make his way past the Cedar Rapids defense before sliding a pass to Novotny on the far side of the slot. Novotny beat the goalie for his 12^th goal of the season.
 
30 seconds later, the Jacks struck again. This time, Adam Belusko (Kosice, SVK) fired a shot from the blue line that was caught up in traffic in the low slot. Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI) took a whack at it, sending it to Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD), who directed it across the goal line.
 
Vukas added a second assist later in the frame at the 13:24 mark. A stretch pass down the ice landed on the stick of Jack Christ (Chaska, MN) in the offensive zone. Christ moved towards the middle of the slot and lifted the puck over the goalie's blocker for his 8^th goal of the year.
 
Starting the second period on the power play, the Lumberjacks capitalized on the opportunity to take a 4-0 lead just 26 seconds into the frame. Christ fired a shot from the far side that was turned aside, but Sanderson was parked at the top of the blue paint to tap the rebound to the near side for Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT). The former Rider had an open net to shoot at for his 6^th goal of the season.
 
The Riders scored a power play goal of their own to start a 3-goal stretch, bringing the game to a one-goal difference before the third period. Henry Lechner scored the power play goal at the 4:08 mark with a shot from the middle of the slot. Nick Romeo finished off a solo effort with a pretty rush into the offensive zone at the 8:42 mark. Grant Young then brought the score to 4-3 with a redirection at the top of the crease, sending the puck through the 5-hole and across the goal line.
 
2:15 into the third period, the RoughRiders took another step in their comeback effort by tying the game 4-4. Lechner carried the puck down the far side of the Lumberjacks' zone and around the back of the net. A pass to Justin Graf in the low slot allowed for an easy opportunity for his 10^th goal of the season.
 
In the latter half of the third period, the Riders found themselves on a 5-minute power play and momentum in their favor. Graf held the puck on the far side of the Jacks' zone and fired a back-door pass to Grant Young on the near side of the crease. Young fought off the contact and tapped the puck to the back of the net for his second goal of the game.
 
A late comeback effort of their own saw the Lumberjacks put together a flurry of opportunities deep in the Cedar Rapids zone, but nothing came to fruition for the Jacks, ending in the 5-4 loss.
 
Will Keane (West Bloomfield, MI) (5-3-0-0) earned the loss on his record with 28 saves on 33 shots against. Ryan Cameron (9-4-0-1) earned his second win of the weekend with 19 saves on 23 shots against.
 
Next up for the Lumberjacks is a three-game week starting on the road on Wednesday night against the USNTDP Under-17 Team. Following Thanksgiving, the Jacks return home to Trinity Health Arena for a pair of games against the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Friday and Saturday night.
 
Tickets are available at muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling 231-799-7000. Fans can visit the box office located inside the VanDyke Mortgage Convention Center on gameday for tickets as well.