LocalSportsJournal.com
CHICAGO – The Muskegon Lumberjacks played their only road contest of the preseason on Friday night, and it didn’t go well from them.
The Lumberjacks gave up five first-period goals and never recovered as they fell to the Chicago Steel, 7-4, at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Illinois.
Muskegon, which closes out the preseason on Saturday at Trinity Health Arena against the Steel, now has a 2-1 record.
The Lumberjacks will open the regular season next weekend with a pair of games in Pittsburgh against Omaha and Dubuque, respectively, before playing their first home game the following Friday against Team USA.
Muskegon trailed 5-3 at the first intermission as Matvei Gridin (2:44), Jacob Terpstra (7:01) and Jack Galanek (11:16) each found the back of the net for the Lumberjacks.
Jordan Brisson (4:13), Anthony Cardelli (8:10), Hunter Hardy (9:56) Brisson (17:50) and Mick Thompson (19:54) each scored for the Steel during the opening period.
Michael Hage increased Chicago’s lead with a goal 58 seconds into the second period to give the Steel a 6-3 advantage.
The Lumberjacks responded with a Cody Croal goal at the 16:15 mark of the middle stanza.
Lukas Sawchyn closed out the game scoring for the Steel with the lone tally of the third period at the 16:48 mark.
The Lumberjacks managed to outshoot their opponent for the first time this preseason, outshooting Chicago by a 37-23 margin.
Muskegon failed to score on its lone power play of the contest, but managed to kill two of the Steel’s three man advantages.
Paxton Geisel stopped 10-of-16 shots in net for the Lumberjacks, while Lucas Szyszka made all six saves in relief for Muskegon.
