MUSKEGON – The Muskegon Lumberjacks (22-8-0-0, 44 pts.) opened 2026 in fashion with a big win in front of a big crowd on Friday Night over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (16-9-1-3, 36 pts.). Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) stopped 27 shots and was perfect in the shootout, helping the Jacks to the 3-2 (SO) win.
 
An action-filled first period saw the Jacks outshoot the Riders 17-9 in the frame, but both teams found the back of the net. Cedar Rapids scored first at the 11:04 mark when Justin Graf finished off a back-door pass from Henry Lechner on a 2-on-1 rush.
 
Just 20 seconds later, the Jacks responded to re-tie the game 1-1. Branko Vukas (Dyer, IN) moved the puck up the ice to Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) on the far side of the neutral zone. Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN) swooped in and picked up possession on his way to the offensive zone and ripped a shot under the blocker of the goalie for his 10^th goal in just 12 games this season.
 
On the very next shift, the Jacks struck again to take a 2-1 lead with under eight minutes to play in the period. Will Schlechtweg (Goshen, NY) sent the puck to Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT), who forced his way towards the net despite a Cedar Rapids defender draped all over him. Blanchard got the puck to the crease, where a scrum of bodies all worked to get a stick on it. Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI) was the one to find the puck and tapped it across the goal line for his first goal in the USHL. Schlechtweg picked up an assist on the play for his first USHL point.
 
In the second period, Cedar Rapids scored the only goal of the frame to re-tie the score 2-2. Just 4:08 into the period, Nick Romeo caused a turnover in the Muskegon zone and carried it towards the goal on a mini breakaway. Romeo outwaited Axelsson and tucked the puck in the far side of the net for his 13^th goal of the season.
 
No one scored in the third period or during the 5-minute sudden-death overtime. Both goalies made big saves, including a pair of poke check stops from Axelsson, to give his team a chance to win the game. Niles Benson (Tampa, FL) got a chance to shoot as the 4^th Lumberjack in the shootout and made the most of the opportunity by sending a shot to the back of the net and the Jacks back to the win column.
 
With the win, Axelsson (16-3-0-0) continues to lead the USHL in wins, and helps the Jacks to a 16-1 record on home ice this season. Ryan Cameron (12-5-0-2) played phenomenally for the Riders with 40 saves on 42 shots against but earned the shootout loss on his record.
 
Saturday night brings the Lumberjacks' annual Throwback Night. The team will rebrand as the Muskegon Fury, the identity of the UHL team that called Muskegon home from the 1990's through the early 2000's. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Trinity Health Arena. Tickets are available at muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling 231-799-7000. The Box office located inside the VanDyke Mortgage Convention Center opens at 12 noon on gameday.