CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – With an opportunity to move on to the second round of the Clark Cup Playoffs, the Muskegon Lumberjacks took to the ice on Saturday night and used another full team effort to defeat the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 5-3 and sweep the opening round series 2-0.
Just like game one, the RoughRiders took a 1-0 lead into the locker room for the first intermission, and just like game one, it was Nick Romeo who opened the scoring. A miscommunication by Lumberjacks defenseman saw the puck sit at the side of the Lumberjacks' net, allowing Romeo an opportunity to tuck it inside the post for his second goal of the postseason.
The second period was a quirky one. Despite taking four penalties in the period, the Lumberjacks scored a trio of goals to take a 3-1 lead back into the locker room for the second intermission. The first goal was scored while shorthanded at the 9:35 mark by
Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN), though
Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) made the highlight reel play to set it up. Norringer caused a turnover in the near corner of the Cedar Rapids zone and carried the puck towards the front of the net. Other than the goalie, Stewart was the only other person around Norringer, so a drop pass back to the near side set Stewart up to bang the puck to the back of the net.
Just two minutes later, the teams skated 4-on-4 leading to a goal off the rush for the Lumberjacks.
Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) carried the puck up the far side of the ice leading a 3-on-1 rush into the Cedar Rapids end.
Nathan Larioza (Los Gatos, CA) jumped up in the rush and tapped a cross-slot pass from Novotny between the goalie's legs for his first goal of the playoffs.
Before the end of the frame, the Jacks added another one. This one at 5-on-5.
Max Cullen (Moorhead, MN) picked up possession on the near side of the neutral zone and carried the puck down the wall towards the net. Gaining a step on the defender, Cullen protected the puck on his forehand before sliding to his backhand and roofing the shot over the glove of the goalie.
Cedar Rapids opened the scoring in the third period, thanks to a physical effort from Connor Davis, who tapped the puck across the goal line on a rush up the ice, but a pair of empty net goals from
Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) and
Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) put the icing on the cake for the game and the series.
Carl Axlesson (Danderyd, SWE) (2-0) earned the win with 20 saves on 22 shots against for his second win of the postseason. Ryan Cameron (0-2) made 21 saves on 24 shots, marking the end of his playoff run.
With the win, the Lumberjacks advance to the second round of the Clark Cup Playoffs and will face the 2nd seed Dubuque Fighting Saints in a best-of-five series starting next week. Ticket and broadcast information can be found under the "Playoff Central" tab on muskegonlumberjacks.com
