MUSKEGON, MI – The Preseason continued for the Lumberjacks on Sunday afternoon, with the Muskegon Lumberjacks (0-2-0-0) and the Youngstown Phantoms (2-0-0-0), who continue to build toward the USHL Fall Classic. The Phantoms picked up the Sunday win, 4-3, and the preseason series win.
Just 2:19 into regulation, Brady Guolla gave the Phantoms a 1-0 lead, but the Lumberjacks responded a mere 20 seconds later to tie the game 1-1.
Billy MacAusland (Westwood, MA) picked up his second assist of the preseason when he led a rush into the offensive zone. MacAusland carried the puck across the blue line and into the far side of the Youngstown zone before centering a pass for
Strider Carhart (Sea Girt, NJ), who redirected the pass off the goalie's shoulder and into the back of the net.
Five minutes later at the 7:14 mark of the opening period,
Alex Smyth (Denver, CO) added his third point of the preseason with a goal to give the Jacks a 2-1 lead to carry into the intermission.
Zaac Charbonneau (Gatineau, QC, CAN) carried the puck into the Youngstown end of the ice and slid a pass to the far side of the slot for Smyth, who beat the Youngstown goalie with a wicked wrister to the top corner of the net.
A pair of goals in the second period helped the Phantoms tie the game and take a 3-2 lead. Austin Hall scored his first of a two-goal performance to tie the game. Guolla added his second goal to give Youngstown their first lead since the early stages of the first period.
Looking to mount a comeback, the Lumberjacks found the back of the net halfway through the third period.
Louis Jonerheim (Lund, SWE) brought the puck into the offensive zone and cut towards the middle of the slot. Jonerheim left possession for Charbonneau on the near side, where the young Lumberjack picked up the puck and ripped a shot to the back of the net to tie the game with his first goal of the preseason.
Hall scored his season goal of the game with 9 minutes to play in regulation. The eventual game-winner came on the power play with assists from Logan Anderson and Oliver Raimovaara.
Next week, the Jacks take on the USNTDP Under-18 Team in a meaningful weekend of Hockey. Friday brings the annual Muskegon Lumberjacks Charitable Foundation Kids Day Game before the teams move to the East Side of Michigan for the Mitchell Kiefer Memorial Game on Saturday.
