MUSKEGON, MI – The battle at the top of the Eastern Conference is TIGHT, and the Muskegon Lumberjacks (36-1-5-4-4, 80 pts.) made their way to the top of the race with a 3-2 overtime win on Friday night over the USNTDP Under-18 Team (22-33-2-2, 48 pts.).
 
A little puck luck gave the Jacks a 1-0 lead in the first period, and Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN) 50 points in his under-age season in the USHL. Matthew Van Blaricom (Southey, SK, CAN) curled around the top of the far side circle and ripped a shot on the net, producing a rebound. Lawrence corralled the rebound and sent it towards the front of the net from the near side post. The puck bounced off the goalie's pad and slid into the back of the net to make it 1-0 Muskegon with just over 14 minutes to play in the frame.
 
Xavier Veilleux (L'Ancienne-Lorrette, QC, CAN) picked up the secondary assist on the first-period goal and added his second point of the game with a goal of his own 6:17 into the second period. Jack Galanek (Hopkinton, MA) slid a pass to the near side of the blue line for Finn McLaughlin (Canmore, AB, CAN). As he took a step towards the middle of the ice, McLaughlin sent a pass across the way for Veilleux to blast into the top corner of the net.
 
A pair of goals in the third period helped the Under-18 Team force overtime for the second time between these two teams. The first goal came just 1:01 into the frame when Jacob Kvasnicka found the back of the net. Mikey Berchild added a goal of his own at the 14:29 mark to tie the game 2-2. LJ Mooney had assists on both goals for a 2-point performance.
 
It took almost the entirety of the overtime period for a goal to be scored. Despite killing off a penalty, the NTDP found themselves in need of a faceoff win in their own zone. Instead, Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) snapped the faceoff back to Galanek on the far side of the ice, who slid it across the slot to Luka Radivojevic (Trencin, SVK). It's fitting that on the same night Alex Ovechkin tied the NHL's most goals record, Radivojevic fired a one-timer from Ovechkin's office in the nearside circle to send the Jacks into an off day with a win.
 
Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (Makhachkala, RUS) (18-9-2-1) picked up his 18^th win of the season with 25 saves on 27 shots against. Harrison Boettiger (8-4-1-0) earned the loss on his record despite stopping 29 of 32 shots.
 
Following an off day on Saturday, the Jacks return to the ice at Trinity Health Arena on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. for a date with the Western Conference's Waterloo Black Hawks. Get tickets and more information at muskegonlumberjacks.com.