MUSKEGON, MI – There is nothing that compares to playing on home ice, and for Muskegon Lumberjacks (18-5-0-0, 36 pts.) captain Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN), that rang true with 3 goals and an assist to help his team to a 5-2 win, closing a two-game weekend sweep over the Dubuque Fighting Saints (15-7-1-0, 31 pts.).
 
An offensive zone face off for the Lumberjacks helped them open the scoring 8:03 into the first period. Lawrence leaned in for the draw in the far side circle and won it to his linemate Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE). As Norringer took the puck and sent it on goal, Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) made his way towards the back door, where he met the puck and tapped it across the goal line for his team leading 14^th goal of the season and 29^th point.
 
Dubuque responded at the 17:15 mark to tie the game 1-1 before the first intermission. The USHL's leader in assists, Ludvig Lafton, scored his first career USHL goal with a shot from the middle of the blue line. Charlie Arend picked up the lone assist on the goal.
 
Coming out of the break, the Jacks found the back of the net twice to regain their lead and extend it to 3-1. First, Lawrence scored his first of the game by cleaning up a rebound at the top of the crease after Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) carried the puck down the far side of the zone and got a shot on net.
 
The second goal for the Jacks in the middle period came off the stick of Niles Benson (Tampa, FL) at the 11:11 mark. Anthony Thomas-Maroon (St. Louis, MO) carried the puck to the near side of the slot and slid it to Benson on the far side for a pretty goal.
 
Again, the Saints responded with a goal before the end of the frame. This time on a power play, Teddy Merrill sent a rebound to the back of the net after Arend fed a pass to Colin Frank at the top of the crease. Frank's shot was stopped, but it gave Merrill a chance to finish the play.
 
Lawrence added a pair of goals in the third period for his first career hat trick in the USHL. His first came with 54 seconds left to make it 4-2 on another assist from Sanderson. The second came with just 1 second left in the game with an assist from fellow NHL Draft top prospect Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT).
 
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) (12-2-0-0) earned another win on his impressive record with 29 saves on 31 shots against. More than half of the shots he faced came in the first period, where he kept the Jacks in the game and with an opportunity to win. Vojtech Hambalek (10-4-0-0) earned the loss on his record with 3 goals allowed on 24 shots against.
 
Next week, the Jacks welcome the Western Conference's Fargo Force to Trinity Health Arena. Friday night at 7 p.m. is the annual Teddy Bear Toss game, followed by Holiday Palooza on Saturday at 6 p.m., with a specialty jersey auction following the final buzzer.