MUSKEGON, MI – After neither the Muskegon Lumberjacks (24-10-0-1, 49 pts.) nor the Youngstown Phantoms (26-8-2-1, 55 pts.) capitalized on power play opportunities in the series opening game on Friday, both teams did so on Saturday in a heavily penalized game where special teams helped the Phantoms to a 5-4 shootout win.
 
A power play in the final 5 minutes of the first period helped the Lumberjacks take a 1-0 lead into the locker room. Danny Klaers (Wayzata, MN) slid the puck to the far side of the Youngstown zone to Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN), standing inside the faceoff circle. Stewart sent a pass to Niles Benson (Tampa, FL) at the side of the net. After returning the puck to Stewart, Benson got it back and popped towards the front of the net and lifted a shot towards the top corner. Tobias Trejbal made the save, but a defenseman knocked the puck into the back of the net.
 
The second period is where the majority of offense happened. First, Youngstown tied the game with a power play goal just 3:20 into the frame when Evan Jardine redirected a shot to the back of the net.
 
Muskegon responded minutes later to regain the lead 2-1. Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) held the puck on the far side of the Jacks' blue line and took a few steps towards the middle of the ice before sending the puck back to the outside wall for Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI). On his way into the offensive zone, Bergeron lowered his shoulder and forced his way to the net, where Trejbal turned him aside. Jake Stuart (Manhattan Beach, CA) followed up on the rebound and lifted it into the net for his second goal of the weekend.
 
Back on the power play, the Phantoms used a pretty passing play to tie the game 2-2 with 11:29 to go in the period. Jack Hextall sent the puck to the near side of the net for Jardine, who immediately sent it to the low slot for Ryan Rucinski. Before anyone in a Jacks jersey could react, Rucinski sent the puck into the net, evening the score.
 
Following a media timeout, Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) showed off his multidimensional skills to make the score 3-2. After a face off just outside of the Muskegon zone sent the puck to the wall, Sanderson won a battle for possession and made his way to the offensive zone, pushing away a Youngstown defender in the process. Sanderson ripped a shot over Trejbal's pad for his 10^th goal of the season.
 
With 5 minutes to play in the period, the Jacks added another goal to take a 2-goal, 4-2 lead. Stuart carried the puck over the line and into the Youngstown zone while on the far side of the ice before flipping it to Bergeron on the near side. As he skated towards the goal, Bergeron pulled a toe drag around a defender and fired a shot. Trejbal made the first and second saves on Bergeron, but the Jacks forward didn't miss on the third attempt, lifting the puck to the back of the net for his second point of the game.
 
Not one, but two goals followed for the Phantoms to re-tie the game before the second intermission. The first one was a power play goal at the 17:35 mark off the stick of Cooper Simpson on a wicked wrist shot across the goal line. Richard Zemlicka followed up with a goal off the rush just 20 seconds later after his team won the ensuing face off at center ice.
 
No one scored in the third period, and the teams combined for a single shot on goal in the sudden-death overtime, sending the game to a shootout. Benson, who has a shootout-winning goal this season, was able to find the back of the net in the shootout for the Lumberjacks, but a pair of goals from Rucinski and Hextall helped the Phantoms to the win.
 
Will Keane (West Bloomfield, MI) (6-5-0-1) earned the shootout loss on his record. Stopped 19 of the 23 shots he faced. Tobias Trejbal (18-5-2-0) keeps pace at the top of the USHL in wins thanks to 33 saves on 37 shots against.
 
Sunday afternoon, the teams head back to the ice at Trinity Health Arena for the third and final game of the weekend. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. as part of 13 Loves Pets Day and the annual Corgi races. Get your tickets at muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling 231-799-7000.