MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon Lumberjacks are headed to the Clark Cup Final for the first time in ten years. After picking up wins in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Jacks returned home and clinched the series sweep with a 3-1 victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
 
Scoring in game three started 8:06 into the first period with a goal from Vaclav Nestrasil (Praha, CZE). On the near side of the blue line, David Klee (Castle Rock, CO) kept the puck in the offensive zone and left it for Jack Galanek (Hopkinton, MA) at the top of the circle. Galanek saw Nestrasil alone on the far side of the ice and sent the puck his way with plenty of time and space. Nestrasil fired a shot off the crossbar to the back of the net for his third goal of the playoffs.
 
Starting the second period with a power play, the Saints struck to tie the game 1-1 just 1:11 into the middle frame. Lucas Van Vliet received the puck on the near side of the Jacks' zone after the Dubuque power play worked it outside the zone. With just a sliver of space under the glove, Van Vliet ripped a shot to the back of the net to tie the game.
 
The game-winning goal came in the later stages of the second period. Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) carried the puck into the offensive zone across the middle of the blue line. A drop pass to Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) was followed by a pass to Matthew Van Blaricom (Southey, SK, CAN) on the far side of the slot. Van Blaricom used a wicked wrister to beat the goalie for his first goal of the playoffs 13:57 into the second period.
 
Just one goal came in the third period. It was an empty-netter for Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB) with 8 seconds left in regulation. Nestrasil forced the puck out of the Jacks' zone, sending Lawrence on a breakaway with no goalie in the net. Lawrence's goal gave the Jacks some insurance and sent them back to the Clark Cup Finals.
 
Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) (5-0-0) stopped 30 of 31 shots fired by the Saints in the win. Liam Beerman (3-4-0) earned the loss on his playoff record despite making 29 saves on 31 shots against.
 
The Jacks await the winner of the Western Conference Final between Lincoln and Waterloo. Game One of the Clark Cup Final will come on Friday, May 9^th, at the Western Conference Champion. The full schedule for the Clark Cup Final is as follows.
 
Game 1 | at LIN/WAT | Fri. May 9^th | Time TBD
Game 2 | at LIN/WAT | Sat. May 10^th | Time TBD
Game 3 | in Muskegon | Fri. May 16^th | 7 p.m. EST
Game 4 | in Muskegon | Sat. May 17^th | 6 p.m. EST*
Game 5 | at LIN/WAT | Tue. May 20^th | Time TBD*
*if necessary