MUSKEGON, MI – Just like October 17^th, the Friday night matchup between the Muskegon Lumberjacks (17-5-0-0, 34 pts.) and Dubuque Fighting Saints (15-6-1-0, 31 pts.) featured the top two teams in the USHL. This time around, though, it was the Lumberjacks who skated away with a 4-1 win, thanks in part to a pair of goals from Jack Christ (Chaska, MN) and 23 saves from Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE).
 
Christ opened the scoring in the first period, 5:47 into the action. Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT) started the play by rushing the puck up the ice from the Lumberjacks' zone. A headman pass to Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) helped the Jacks gain entry into the Fighting Saints' defensive zone. Blanchard slid a pass across the slot to Christ, who wired a wicked wrist shot into the top corner for his 9^th goal of the season.
 
A few moments later, Blanchard scored a goal of his own to extend the Lumberjacks' lead to 2-0. Again, Christ fired a shot towards the net, but this time it was deflected on its way and bounced up into the air. Blanchard was right at the top of the crease to bat the puck out of the air and past the goalie for his 7^th goal of the season.
 
Coming out of the first intermission, both teams found themselves with a player in the penalty box, leading to a two-minute span of 4-on-4 hockey. Dubuque took advantage of the open ice and scored a goal to bring their deficit back down to only one goal. Teddy Merrill made his way into the offensive zone and cut across the slot before firing a shot off the back bar of the Lumberjacks' net for his 11^th goal of the season.
 
With one captain finding the back of the net, it only seemed fair if the other captain responded. Skating in his first home game of the season due to an injury, Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN) scored his third goal in 4 games by picking up the puck on the near side wall of the offensive zone and moving across the top of the crease to the far side. Lawrence outwaited the Dubuque goalie before lifting the puck over him to give the Jacks a 3-1 lead just two and a half minutes later.
 
Before the end of the second period, Christ scored his second goal of the game, 10th of the season, to give the Jacks the eventual final score of 4-1. Again, Blanchard assisted on the goal by giving the puck to Christ on the far side of the slot. Christ moved towards the near side and threw the puck towards the net. Catching the goalie off guard, the puck snuck inside the near post and across the goal line.
 
Axelsson (11-2-0-0) earned the win on his record with 23 saves on 24 shots and regains a tie at the top of the USHL in wins. Owen Crudale (5-3-1-0) earned the loss on his record, stopping 28 of 32 shots fired by the Lumberjacks.
 
Tomorrow night the Jacks and Saints take to the ice at Trinity Health Arena for the final time in the 2025-26 regular season. It's Glow Night inside the Arena. The first 1,000 fans through the doors get special glow bracelets to be a part of the show all night long. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Get tickets at muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling 231-799-7000.