MUSKEGON, MI – There's nothing quite like home ice, and for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, it could be a key advantage as they push to lock in a top seed for the 2026 Clark Cup Playoffs. This week, the USNTDP Under-18 Team visits Muskegon as both teams prepare for postseason play.
The Jacks are gearing up to defend their 2025 Clark Cup Championship, while the Under-18 Team enters its final week of USHL competition before heading to Slovakia for the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championships.
Week 27 Preview: Control What You Can Control
As the regular season winds down and the playoffs approach, teams are looking to build momentum and position themselves for a run at the Clark Cup in early May. For the Muskegon Lumberjacks, that task is anything but easy, with their final four games coming against the USNTDP Under-18 Team and the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
The week began on Monday at USA Hockey Arena, where the Jacks set the tone early. A dominant first period featured two goals from
Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) and another from
Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD). Early in the second,
Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT) extended the lead to 4-0.
The Under-18 Team pushed back midway through the period, getting goals from Wyatt Cullen and Lukas Zajic just 57 seconds apart to make things interesting. Muskegon responded, however, and closed out a 5-3 victory. Stewart added a third-period goal to complete his third USHL hat trick and give the Jacks some breathing room.
The series now shifts to Trinity Health Arena this Friday and Saturday, marking the Under-18 Team's only trip to West Michigan this season. For the Lumberjacks, the weekend presents a key opportunity to maintain or improve their position in a tightly contested standings race.
Muskegon has controlled the season series so far, going 3-0 against the Under-18 Team with a 15-7 scoring advantage. More broadly, the Jacks are finding their stride after a midseason lull, posting a 6-4-0-0 record over their last 10 games and winning four of their last five.
That success has been fueled by strong performances from their top scorers. Stewart's hat trick brings him to 60 points (30g, 30a), ranking seventh in the USHL.
Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) has been red-hot since returning from a month-long stint on injured reserve, tallying 56 points in 45 games, a 1.24 points-per-game rate that ranks second in the league among players with at least 30 games played
. Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) is another key contributor, recently returning from injury and recording three assists Monday night.
In the end, though, goaltending could be the deciding factor over the final two weeks.
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) has been the primary option for head coach
Colten St. Clair, earning his 28th win Monday after a 3-0 shutout of Madison on Saturday
. Will Keane (West Bloomfield, MI) and Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz (Montreal, QC, CAN) have also provided steady play in net, giving the Jacks confidence between the pipes down the stretch.
A native of Moorhead, MN,
Max Cullen joined the Lumberjacks in Week 25 after capturing his second consecutive Minnesota State High School Hockey Class AA Championship with Moorhead.
Cullen has lived up to his scouting report as a highly creative forward, consistently generating offensive opportunities for both himself and his teammates. That playmaking ability runs in the family. Now in the USHL, Max is competing against his cousins—Brooks (Fargo) and Wyatt (USNTDP Under-18 Team).
Monday marked the first meaningful matchup against a family member in his junior career, and he'll get another opportunity this weekend when Wyatt and the Under-18 Team visit Muskegon for games on Friday and Saturday.
While his cousins are committed to the University of Minnesota in the Big Ten, Max is headed to Minnesota Duluth of the NCHC, where he will start his college career with the Bulldogs.
Over the Airwaves
FloHockey is the official live stream partner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Follow along all season long on FloHockey, or with a free internet radio feed available on Mixlr and the Lumberjacks Hockey Network, with Voice of the Jacks,
Ezra Gennello.
Thirty minutes to puck drop every game day, tune into the Pregame Show on Facebook Live. New for this season, the whole pregame show will be available on FloHockey before all Lumberjacks home games.
Upcoming Games
Fri. March 27 | 7:00 pm EDT | vs Under-18 Team
Sat. March 28 | 6:00 pm EDT | vs Under-18 Team
Fri. April 3 | 8:05 am EDT | at Dubuque
Sat. April 4 | 7:05 pm EDT | at Dubuque
Follow the Jacks
Be sure to follow the Muskegon Lumberjacks on social media!
Facebook - Muskegon Lumberjacks
Twitter - @MuskegonJacks
Instagram - @muskegonjacks
TikTok – @muskegonlumberjacks
About the Muskegon Lumberjacks
The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The club's goal is to create an environment where student-athletes develop into successful young men, both on and off the ice, including playing the game the right way, maintaining their academic focus in the classroom, and staying actively involved in the West Michigan community. The organization is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and top-notch family entertainment while serving as positive role models for the youth and local community.
