Local Sports Journal
The Muskegon Lumberjacks have played well on the road this season, winning four of their first six games away from home.
They started off strong Friday in Kearney, Nebraska against the Tri City Storm, gaining a pair of two-goal leads. But the Storm rallied to tie the score, then stole a 5-4 victory in an overtime shootout.
The Lumberjacks dropped to 8-4-1 on the season, good for second place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference. They are in second place with 17 points, three points behind first place Cedar Rapids.
The Jacks started the scoring early on a Griffen Molino goal at the 1:57 mark of the first period. Tom Marchin picked up the lone assist on the goal.
Matheson Iacopelli gave the Jacks a 2-0 lead on a power play goal at the 16:37 mark of the first. The goal was assisted by David Keefer and Robbie DeMontis.
The Storm evened the game up with two power play goals 38 seconds apart in the second period. Mattias Goransson scored at the 4:53 mark and Chris Wilkie at the 5:31 mark to knot the game at 2-2.
Matej Paulovic gave the Jacks a 3-2 lead with a power play goal at the 10:35 mark of the second. Marchin picked up his second assist of the night on the goal.
Iacopelli scored his second goal of the contest at the 12:56 mark of the second to give the Jacks another two goal lead at 4-2. Christian Wolanin and Paulovic assisted on the goal.
The Storm’s Conner Valesano cut the Jacks lead in half with an unassisted goal at the 16:00 mark of the second.
Tri-City tied the game at 4-4 on a goal from Bobby Nardella at the 8:14 mark of the third.
After a scoreless overtime, the Storm beat the Jacks 4-3 in a nine-round shootout. Jake Wahlin scored the winning shootout goal for the Storm.
