MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon Lumberjacks (3-2-0-0, 6 pts) have scored six goals in each of their last two games. This time, the Madison Capitols (0-3-0-0, 0 pts.) were on the receiving end of a 6-3 final score.
Madison took the game's first lead thanks to Landon MacSwain's first career USHL goal. A turnover at the Lumberjacks' blue line led to a 3-on-1 rush. Cooper Snee caused the turnover and slid the puck to Michal Jakubec at the top of the slot. Rather than shooting, Jakubec made the extra pass to MacSwain on the far side for an easy goal.
Just over five minutes later, at 14:55, the Jacks tied the game when
Drew Fox (Hickory Creek, TX) scored his first career USHL goal.
Gustas Zemaitis (Barrington, IL) carried the puck into the offensive zone on the far side of the ice. At the same time,
Alex Smyth (Denver, CO) drove into the offensive zone up the middle, forcing the defensemen to back up toward the goal. Smyth's push up the middle opened a passing lane for Zemaitis to find Fox on the near side, where he ripped a shot to the back of the net.
Coming out of the break, the Jacks held the momentum, scoring just 68 seconds into the period.
Cole Anderson (Maple Grove, MN) stepped out from behind his own net and fired a pass up the ice to the near side of the neutral zone to
Nick Kosiba (New Boston, MI). Kosiba quickly tapped the puck toward
Billy MacAusland (Westwood, MA) as he entered the offensive zone. MacAusland slipped a pass across the slot to
Maxim Šimko (Poprad, SVK) on the far side of the slot. Šimko caught the pass on his backhand, then pulled it to his forehand for a quick release to beat the goalie.
Two goals in quick succession helped the Capitols tie the game back up, then take a 3-2 lead. The first goal came just 25 seconds after the Jacks' goal. Bode McConnell was left alone in front of the Lumberjacks net where he tapped a loose puck across the goal line. Then, at the 4:04 mark of the frame, Logan Lutner did the same thing after a puck found itself alone in the crease.
From there, it was all Lumberjacks, with 4 straight goals in the second period. Fox scored his second goal of the game at the 5:39 mark. Picking up possession on the near side of the Madison zone, Fox snuck the puck into a tight gap between the goalie and the post to tie it 3-3 with 13:21 to play.
The next three goals came 58 seconds apart. The first came at 14:32 when
Zaac Charbonneau (Gatineau, QC, CAN) tapped a puck into the back of the net thanks to a perfect pass from
Louis Jonerheim (Lund, SWE) behind the net. A pretty play to enter the offensive zone just 43 seconds later saw MacAusland slide a cross-slot pass to Felix Färhammar (Stockholm, SWE), leading to a one-time blast from the defenseman for his second goal of the season.
The final goal came 15 seconds after the previous one.
Anthony Thomas-Maroon (St. Louis, MO) carried the puck into the offensive zone and took about 8 whacks to the hands before roofing a shot over the goalie's shoulder for his first goal of the season.
Oscar Westman (Stockholm, SWE) faced more shots than goalies typically do when their team scores 6 goals. Westman stopped 45 of 48 shots sent his way in the winning effort. Cash Cruitt (0-2-0-0) earned the loss on his record with 6 goals against on 24 shots faced. Cruitt played the first 35:30 of the game before Elliot Lennon finished the contest, stopping all 8 shots he faced.
Saturday night, the Jacks and Capitols close out the two-game weekend at Trinity Health Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 pm as part of First Responders Appreciation Night. Tickets and more information are available at muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling 231-799-7000.
