PLYMOUTH, MI – Closing out a two-game series and the 2026 Preseason, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (1-3-0-0) took to the ice on the Mitchel Kiefer Memorial Rink at USA Hockey Arena against the USNTDP Under-18 Team (1-1-0-0) in the annual Play with Purpose Charity Game.
Just as the Lumberjacks had done Friday, the NTDP started the game with a delay-of-game penalty after taking too long to leave the ice after warmups. Taking advantage of the power play to start the game, the Jacks opened the scoring just 50 seconds in. A pretty passing play started at the top of the zone with
Will Distad (White Bear Lake, MN) before moving to the top of the near circle to
Drew Fox (Hickory Creek, TX). A quick pass across the slot found
Maxim Simko (Poprad, SVK) on the far side with a clean shooting lane. Simko ripped a shot to the back of the net for his second goal of the preseason.
A pair of goals followed for the NTDP to tie the game and take a 2-1 lead late in the first period. Christian Semetsis scored the first goal by dancing up the middle of the ice and slicing a shot just over the pad of the Lumberjacks' goalie, then Gerry DiCunzolo finished off a backdoor pass from Rocco Pelosi while on a 2-on-1 rush with just under three minutes to play in the period.
Just before the first intermission, the Jacks scored to tie the score 2-2.
Gustas Zemaitis (Barrington, IL) received a pass at the edge of the NTDP zone and carried the puck across the near side of the blue line. Meanwhile, Distad entered the zone on the far side, and
Cash McElmurry (Royal Oak, MI) cut down the middle of the slot towards the net. Zemaitis fed a pass across the ice to Distad, who quickly fired a shot. McElmurry, in the right place, redirected the shot to the back of the net for his first preseason goal.
Coming out of the break, the NTDP scored a trio of goals starting just 1:45 into the frame with a power-play tally. Finn Sears capped off a 2-on-0 rush with a backdoor tap-in thanks to a pass from Nolan Fitzhenry.
The second goal was also scored on the power play. Sam Pandolfo wound up and ripped a shot from the top of the far circle at 8:28 into the frame. Less than two minutes later, they added a shorthanded goal. Brayden Willis caused a turnover in the neutral zone, springing Pelosi onto a breakaway. Pelosi snuck the puck through the five-hole for his second point of the night.
The Jacks got one back to start the third period. Zemaitis' second assist of the game came when he carried the puck behind the net and popped a pass to the low slot for
Alex Smyth (Denver, CO) to one-time home. Smyth finishes the preseason tied with three other players in the team lead with 4 points.
One more power-play goal came for the NTDP and Willis at the 7:46 mark before DiCunzolo put the icing on the cake and made the score 7-3 with an empty-net goal in the final two and a half minutes.
The Jacks open the preseason on Wednesday afternoon at the Fall Classic. Puck drop against the Des Moines Buccaneers is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and can be found on FloHockey and the Lumberjacks Hockey Network Presented by Gray Supply Corp.
