LocalSportsJournal.com
The Muskegon Lumberjacks got back on the winning track in an exciting way on Thursday.
The Jacks, playing a special morning road game, pulled out a 4-3 overtime victory over the Youngstown Phantoms at
the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio.
The victory almost got away from the Lumberjacks, who had a late lead until Youngstown scored and tied the game with only one second left in regulation.
But Garrett Van Wyhe scored 5:06 into the overtime period to give the Jacks the victory.
The Lumberjacks came into the contest having lost two in a row and three of their last four games. They are now 14-10 on the season, and will continued their current road trip with a game against Team USA Friday night in Plymouth, Michigan.
The two teams exchanged single goals in the first period.
Newcomer Mikael Hakkarainen scored his first goal as a Lumberjack at 7:28 to give Muskegon a 1-0 lead. Youngstown’s Dalton Hunter tied the game about two minutes later.
Muskegon took a 2-1 lead at the 17:47 mark of the second period on Koby Bender’s fifth goal of the season.
Youngstown’s Brett Murray scored early in the third period to tie the game again, before Muskegon’s Will Smith gave his team a 3-2 lead at the 16:57 mark with his fourth goal of the season.
Y9ungstown’s Alec Mahalak forced the overtime period by scoring with a second left in regulation.
Van Wyhe’s game-winning OT goal was assisted by Zach Berzolla and goalie Keith Petruzzelli. Berzolla and Bender each had two assists for Muskegon.
Petruzzelli made 28 saves on 31 shots to collect the victory for the Lumberjacks. Youngstown goalie Ivan Kulbakov had 23 saves on 27 shots.
