MUSKEGON, MI – Friday morning, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (1-2-0-0) took to the ice against the USA Hockey NTDP Under-18 Team (0-1-0-0) as part of the annual Kids Day Game. With 3000 young Jacks fans in attendance, the Jacks picked up their first win of the preseason, 4-3, in the opener of a two-game, home-and-home series.
It wasn't the goal scoring that set the tone for the Kids Day Game. It was a fight between
Strider Carhart (Sea Girt, NJ) and Carson Scott. The pair dropped the gloves just 2:55 into the contest, and with one punch, Carhart got the kids out of their seats and the momentum in favor of the Lumberjacks.
The momentum paid off just three minutes later with a McKenzie Price power-play goal.
Gustas Zemaitis (Barrington, IL) won an offensive zone faceoff on the far side of the ice, allowing
Lars Hutson (North Barrington, IL) and
Drew Fox (Hickory Creek, TX) to set up the power play zone structure. Fox got the puck to Hutson in the middle of the blue line, where there was just enough time and space to rip a shot past a sea of bodies and into the back of the net.
Overall, the Lumberjacks dominated the first period, taking a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard and a 17-8 lead in shots on goal. The second period was a different story, with a pair of goals for the NTDP to tie the game and take a 2-1 lead. Sam Pandolfo scored the first goal 5:29 into the frame with a wrist shot while leading a rush into the offensive zone. Christian Semetsis scored the second after cleaning up a rebound that bounced off the back glass and back towards the net front area with 9:30 to go in the period.
Another power-play goal came for the Jacks to tie the game 2-2 before the end of the second period.
Will Distad (White Bear Lake, MN) slid the puck to
Zaac Charbonneau (Gatineau, QC, CAN) on the far side of the NTDP zone. Charbonneau sent a pass across the slot to
Maxim Simko (Poprad, SVK), where Simko one-timed a shot to the back of the net.
Early in the third period, Rocco Pelosi added a power-play goal of his own to give the NTDP their second lead of the game, but it wouldn't last long before the Jacks re-tied the score.
Charbonneau added his second assist of the game with a nice play carrying the puck around the outside of the zone. Charbonneau brought the puck into the NTDP end on the far side and skated behind the net to the near corner where he tapped it out front to
Aiden Janz (Northville, MI) for an easy shot to tie the game.
Then, with just over eight minutes to play, Fox scored a highlight-reel goal for his second point of the game. Fox's initial shot was turned aside, but the rebound bounced off the back glass towards the net front area. At the side of the net, Fox batted the puck out of the air and into the top corner to give the Jacks a 4-3 lead.
Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz (Montreal, QC, CAN) (1-1-0-0) earned the win with 33 saves on 36 shots against. Muskegon native Eli Winters stopped 30 of 34 shots in the crease for the NTDP.
The teams travel to USA Hockey Arena on Saturday for the Annual Mitchel Keifer Memorial Game at 6 pm. The contest closes the preseason before the Fall Classic. The Regular season kickoff event on Wednesday
