SIOUX FALLS, SD – Saturday night, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (23-10-0-0, 46 pts.) put together a complete 60-minute performance to drop the Sioux Falls Stampede (21-11-2-0, 44 pts.) 5-3. Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) scored the game-winning goal in the final moments of regulation to help the Jacks win.
 
Scoring opened early in the game with a goal from Logan Renkowski. A shot from the blue line was blocked near the top of the crease but sent the puck across the slot to Renkowski with a nearly empty net to shoot at. The second leading scorer in the USHL buried his 23^rd goal of the season to give the Stampede a 1-0 lead just 1:16 into regulation.
 
Later in the frame, Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) scored his first of two goals in the game to tie the score 1-1. A shot from Jean-Samuel Daigneault (Saint Michel, QC, CAN) along the ice was redirected by Stewart to the back of the net with 4:28 to play in the period.
 
Before the intermission could come, the Stampede were on a power play and cashed in on the advantage with a goal from Brock Schultz. All three goals from Schultz on the weekend came on the power play for the Herd. This one regained their lead 2-1 at the end of the first period.
 
Stewart scored the only goal of the second period at the 16:48 mark of the frame. Niles Benson (Tampa, FL) held the puck on the far side wall and slid a pass to the top of the circle to Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE). Without missing a beat, Norringer spun a backhand pass across the slot to Stewart for a one-time blast to the back of the net and a tie 2-2 game.
 
Sioux Falls broke the tie just over halfway through the third period on a goal from JJ Monteiro. Another goal from in tight to the crease, Montiero's shot was stopped, but rolled across the goal line just far enough to give the Stampede a 3-2 lead with 6:28 left to play.
 
From there, the Lumberjacks scored three goals in three minutes to pick up the 5-3 win. First, with just 3:28 left in the game, Adam Belusko (Kosice, SVK) scored the first to tie the game 3-3. A shot from Danny Klaers (Wayzata, MN) was stopped and sent the puck below the goal line. Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI) found the puck and slid it back to the net front area for Belusko to fire past the goalie.
 
With just under two minutes left, Blanchard won a faceoff in the offensive zone by pushing the puck forward. Bergeron skated into possession and worked across the goal line before returning the puck to Blanchard on the far side of the crease. Blanchard, who also scored the empty net goal, now has 12 goals on the season.
 
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) (17-5-0-0) earned the win with 41 saves on 44 shots against and regains the top spot in the league in both wins and save percentage (.926). Linards Feldbergs (17-5-2-0) earned the loss on his record with 4 goals allowed on 27 shots against.
 
Next week is a busy one for the Lumberjacks. On Wednesday and Thursday, 10 people from the organization will be in Plymouth, MI, for the 2026 Chipotle All-American Game at USA Hockey Arena. Then, on Friday night, the Jacks take on the Youngstown Phantoms at the Covelli Centre before the series shifts back to Muskegon on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. For the full schedule, tickets, and more information, visit muskegonlumberjacks.com.