MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon Lumberjacks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth time in the past six Clark Cup Playoffs thanks to a Conference Semifinal sweep over the Youngstown Phantoms. A game three 5-3 win on Tuesday Night capped off the dominant performance.
 
It took just one shot on goal for the Jacks to open the scoring. On the first rush up the ice 23 seconds in, David Deputy (Gurnee, IL) found himself working one-on-one against a Youngstown defenseman. Using the defenseman as a screen, Deputy ripped a shot over the glove of the goalie for his 5th goal of the postseason.
 
Later in the first period, Deputy found his name on the scoresheet again, though with an assist this time. Leading a 2-on-1 rush into the offensive zone, Deputy attracted the attention of the goalie before sliding a pass to Chase Stefanek (Yorba Linda, CA) for an easy back-door tap-in on the far side of the crease at the 7:38 mark.
 
Before the end of the period, the Phantoms found the back of the net with a power-play goal at the 14:16 mark. Adam Benak fired a shot pass from the top of the far side circle to the near side post where Ryan Rucinski was posted up. Using his stick blade to redirect the pass to the back of the net Rucinski brought the deficit to a single goal heading into the first intermission.
 
A power-play goal for the Lumberjacks opened the scoring in the second period. Late in the frame, with just under seven minutes to play before the break, Deputy scored his second goal of the night with assists from Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN) and Ivan Ryabkin (Balakovo, RUS). Deputy got the puck at the bottom of the near side circle and lifted a shot past the ear of the goalie into the high corner of the net to give the Jacks a 3-1 lead.
 
Ryabkin added a goal of his own at the 18:16 mark to extend the Jacks' lead before the third period. Stefanek carried the puck below the goal line on the far side of the ice and popped towards the front of the net on the near side. As he moved away from the crease towards the wall, Stefanek sent a backhand pass to Ryabkin on the far side for another easy back-door tap-in. The goal was Ryabkin's 3^rd of the playoffs.
 
Youngstown scored a pair of goals late in regulation with an extra attacker on the ice to try and mount a comeback. The first goal came with 3:24 to play when a shot from Kazimier Sobieski found its way through a sea of bodies in front of the net.
 
At the 18:17 mark, Michael Mesic brought the game to within a single goal with a shot from inside the far side circle. The one-goal deficit was the closest the Phantoms came to tying the score.
 
Lawrence found the back of the empty net for his 5th goal of the playoffs after causing a turnover at the Jacks' blue line and carrying the puck down the ice to the Phantom's zone.
 
Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) (3-0-0) earned the win for the Jacks while stopping 30 of the 32 shots he faced. Owen Lepack (0-1-0) dropped his first start of the post season with 4 goals allowed on 16 shots against.
 
With the win the Jacks advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the Dubuque Fighting Saints. The rematch of last season's conference final starts on Friday night in Dubuque.
 
The full schedule is as follows:
 
Game 1 | Fri. 4/25 | 8:05 pm EST | at Dubuque
Game 2 | Sat. 4/26 | 8:05 pm EST | at Dubuque
Game 3 | Tue. 4/29 | 7 pm EST | in Muskegon
Game 4 | Wed. 4/30 | 7 pm EST | in Muskegon*
Game 5 | Sat. 5/3 | 8:05 pm EST | at Dubuque*
*If Necessary