Local Sports Journal

Winning back-to-back games against the same opponent is no easy task, especially on the road.

The Lumberjacks got off to a good start Friday, defeating the Omaha Lancers 4-3 to gain their first road victory since late November.

But the results were different Saturday as the Jacks fell to the Lancers 5-2, due to five unanswered goals by Omaha during the first and second period.

The Jacks fell to 20-11-3 on the season, good for 43 points and second place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference.

Muskegon’s Griffen Molino quickly gave Muskegon a 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the game. Matej Paulovic and Trevor Hamilton assisted on the goal.

The Lancer’s Niklas Folin tied the game at 1-1 at the 13:39 mark of the first period.

Omaha’s Anthony Angello and Josh French scored early second period goals, at the 45 second and 3:05 mark, respectively, to give the Lancers a 3-1 lead.

Folin scored his second goal of the night for the Lancers at the 11:43 mark of the second period to put Omaha up 4-1.

The Lancer’s Stephen Spinner gave Omaha a 5-1 lead with a power play goal at the 17:22 of the second period.

Molino notched his second goal of the night to cut the Jacks’ deficit to 5-2 at 18:46 of the second.

The third period was scoreless.

Omaha outshot the Jacks 35-16.

The Lumberjacks will return home on Monday to play the Bloomington Thunder in a special Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day game. Faceoff is slated for 12:15 p.m.