FARGO, ND – The final road trip of the 2024-25 season is also the longest in terms of mileage for the Muskegon Lumberjacks who head to Scheels Arena in Fargo, ND for a two-game set against the Fargo Force. A whopping 829 miles separate the two teams looking to kick off the final stretch of the regular season.
 

The Match up

Both teams enter the two-game weekend series as the fourth-place team in their respective conferences. For the Lumberjacks in the East, it's the same story every year. The top teams at the conference are in a tight race. Every team at the top can say they are the best and would all have a strong case. Dubuque leads the East with 73 points in 52 games while Youngstown sits in second with 67 points in 51 games. The Jacks are tied for third with Madison with 66 points each, though the Jacks have played 50 games compared to Madison's 49.
 
 
On the other side of the standings, things are a little more separated. Lincoln and Sioux Falls have moved away from the pack. Both teams have clinched a playoff spot, while Waterloo sits 10 points back in third. Fargo is four points behind them with 56 points, but two more games played.
 

 
Against each other this weekend brings the second and third games of the season between the Jacks and Force. Meeting back in September at the 2024 Dick's Sporting Goods Fall Classic the Force picked up a 4-2 win. Then Lumberjacks forward Davis Borozinskis scored the first goal of the Jacks season before Jack Galanek (Hopkinton, MA) added his own goal.
 
Reid Daavettila recorded a hat trick with a goal added from Jordan Ronn to help the Force to their first win of the season. Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) stopped 25 of 28 shots for Muskegon while Alan Lendak made 24 saves on 26 shots for Fargo.

About Last Week

ImOn Arena in Dubuque brings terrible memories of a sweep in last season's Eastern Conference Finals against the Fighting Saints, but a week 24 trip to their rivals saw the Jacks head home with 3 out of a possible 4 points in the standings.
 
Both games started similarly, with the Saints opening the scoring early in the first period. Friday night, Kristian Kostadinski found the back of the net on the first shot of the game 1:10 into the contest, while Heikki Ruohonen opened the scoring on Saturday just 16 seconds in.
 
Despite trailing both games at the halfway point, the Jacks were able to send both to overtime. On Friday, a strong second half built momentum for the Jacks heading into the sudden-death period, but a tough turnover in the Dubuque zone sent the Saints down the ice on a 2-on-0 rush. Gavin Cornforth received a pass on the far side of the slot and ended the game with his 21^st goal of the season.
 
Saturday night the Saints didn't even touch the puck in overtime. After David Klee (Castle Rock, CO) won the opening draw of the frame Finn McLaughlin (Canmore, AB, CAN) carried the puck up the ice and gave it to Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN) in the offensive zone. Lawrence's 21^st goal of the season sent the Jacks back to Muskegon with another game in the win column.
 

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vaslav Nestrasil

No one has risen more in the 2025 NHL Draft rankings than Vaslav Nestrasil (Praha, CZE). By no means was Nestrasil an unknown to NHL scouts and prospect experts around hockey, but his ability to combine his size and physicality with a high level of skill and a goal scoring touch has turned him into one of the highest rated players in the USHL.
 
Originally from Czechia, Nestrasil joined the Lumberjacks halfway through the 2023-24 season and saw his role grow into a top-6 winger this season. "I would say all of my game has improved this season" said Nestrasil. "Through the season it all just grows, but probably physicality is what I would say has grown the most" he continued.
 
At 6'5", Nestrasil is the tallest player in the Lumberjacks' lineup. He uses his size to dominate all areas of the ice. While he has always been on the bigger size, it's the addition of his goal scoring that caused his rise in the rankings. With 31 points (13g, 18a) this season, Nestrasil leads all first-year draft eligible Lumberjacks in scoring. "I'm trying to focus more on my full game. I'm not trying to think about points too much. They're important, but winning games is more." He said.
 
Vaslav's older brother Andrej went through the draft process in 2009 when he was selected in the 3^rd round by the Detroit Red Wings. Having his brother as a resource throughout the draft process has been a big advantage for Nestrasil. "He definitely helps me a lot. Especially in the last two months, he has helped me and been a great support."
 
Before hearing his name called at the 2025 NHL Draft later this year, a Clark Cup Championship dominates Nestrasil's focus. With 12 games remaining on the schedule, he is looking to help the Jacks finish the year off right and enter the playoffs ready for a long run to the finals.

Over the Airwaves

FloHockey is the official live stream partner of the USHL. Follow along all season long on FloHockey or with a free internet radio feed is also available on Mixlr and the Lumberjacks Hockey Network Presented by Lakeside Surfaces with Voice of the Jacks, Ezra Gennello.
 
Thirty minutes to puck drop every game day, the Lumberjacks Hockey Network Pregame Show takes place on Facebook Live.
 

Upcoming Games

Fri. March 14 | 8:05 pm ET | at Fargo
Sat. March 15 | 7:05 pm ET | at Fargo
Fri. March21 | 7:00 pm ET | vs Green Bay
Sat. March 22 | 6:00 pm ET | vs Green Bay
Sun. March 23 | 3:00 pm ET | vs Green Bay
 

Follow the Jacks

Be sure to follow the Muskegon Lumberjacks on social media!
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About the Muskegon Lumberjacks

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The club's goal is to create an environment where student-athletes develop into successful young men on and off the ice, including playing the game the right way while keeping up with their studies in the classroom and staying actively involved in the West Michigan community. The organization is committed to providing quality, affordable, and top-notch family entertainment while providing positive role models for the youth and the local community.