LocalSportsJournal.com

On Friday night, the Muskegon Lumberjacks picked up right where they left off last weekend: With another win.
 
This time, the Jacks cruised past Team USA with a 4-1 victory to start their split weekend which continues Saturday on the road in Chicago. 
 
Muskegon wasted no time to show Team USA it had not lost any steam after last weekend’s gritty three-game sweep of Cedar Rapids. 
 
Jacob Guevin gave the Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead just 49 seconds into the contest off assists from Jack Williams and Phillip Tresca. 
 
Four minutes later, Ben Strinden scored his tenth goal of the season. Jacob Braccini put the Jacks up 3-0 and not even seven minutes had run off the clock in the first period. 
 
Quite the early run fans were anticipating after watching the Jacks steam roll the Rough Riders last weekend.
 
Team USA did find the net midway through the first period but Muskegon defense stepped up and shut them down the rest of the way. 
 
Braccini scored the final goal of the game in the third period. His second of the night. 
Fans are now getting used to seeing multi-goal performances from the Jacks this season. Muskegon has had multi-goal games from players in six of its last seven games.
 
Goalie Platon Zadorozhnyy continued his solid play, stopping 20 of 21 shots on goal for Muskegon. The Lumberjacks outshot Team USA 44-21. 
 
Keeping up with his steady point production was Guevin who tallied a goal and assisted on Braccini’s first goal. No. 10 sits currently tied in second overall for the most assists in the USHL with 21. The Drummondville, Quebec native has put up a point in all but five games this season. 
 
The Lumberjacks are now 11-8-1-2 overall and are currently in fourth place with 25 points, three points shy of third-place Madison. 
 
Muskegon now will have a good test on Saturday since transforming its season over the past month. The Jacks will face off against first-place Chicago. 
 
The Steel have been playing nearly as hot as Muskegon, winning seven of their last 10 games. So there is no doubt this Lumberjacks team will have its hands full. 
 
This weekend, the Jacks are playing without top point getter, Quinn Hutson. 
 
The Lumberjacks said in a press release on Friday that Hutson is being loaned to Team USA’s 18 squad so he can play alongside his brother Lane Hutson. 
 
This Lumberjacks team is showing the links are strong in the chain after what it has done over the past month. This Saturday’s test against Chicago will be fun to watch on FastHockey.com. 
 
Saturday’s puck drop is set for 8:05 p.m.  

Check out photos from Friday’s win shot by Sondra Workman.Â