By Dave Hart
LocalSportsJournal.com

MUSKEGON – The last two nights the Lumberjacks have been able to overcome third period deficits to force overtime before eventually falling short to Green Bay.

The Gamblers made sure that Muskegon was not going to get back into the contest for a third straight time.

Sacha Boisvert (9) goes for the puck against Green Bay. Photo/Sondra Workman

Green Bay scored four unanswered goals to break a tie and defeat the Lumberjacks on Sunday 5-1 at Trinity Health Arena.

The Lumberjacks have suddenly gone winless in their last three games and are now 7-3-2 on the season, which is good for 16 points in a tight USHL Eastern Conference.  

Muskegon will head out on the road next weekend starting on Friday with a game against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Faceoff is slated for 8 p.m. The Lumberjacks also will travel to Waterloo on Saturday to play the Black Hawks for a 7 p.m. contest.

“They played a really great hockey game,” said Lumberjacks head coach Parker Burgess about Green Bay. “They did a better job adjusting to playing a third game in three days. They managed the puck better.”

Muskegon committed a pair of early penalties to give the Gamblers a two-man advantage. Green Bay opened the scoring just as the first penalty expired as Lev Katzin was credited with a power-play goal 3:53 into the opening period to give Green Bay a 1-0 lead.

The opening period was filled with many penalties as the Jacks were ticketed for four infractions for eight minutes, while Green Bay was called for two penalties for four minutes.

Green Bay held a 1-0 advantage at the first intermission while outshooting the Lumberjacks 11-5.

The Lumberjacks were presented a glorious opportunity to tie the game with a two-man advantage for 38 seconds at the 5:24 mark of the second period as Green Bay was handed two penalties less than 90 seconds apart.

Muskegon’s Justin Solovey (19) gets his shot denied near the net. Photo/Sondra Workman

Muskegon tied the game 1-1 while on the two-man advantage 5:45 into the middle period as Jack Galanek punched the puck in the back of the net.

The Gamblers quickly responded at the 7:38 mark of the second period with a goal from Libor Nemec to put Green Bay back on top, 2-1.

Green Bay thought they increased its lead to 3-1 at the 10:15 mark of the second period as it looked like the puck barely trickled in after a bad handle by the Muskegon goaltender. The play was under review, and it was determined the puck did not fully cross the goal line, keeping the Jacks deficit at 2-1 just past the midway point of the contest.

The Gamblers eventually scored to take a 3-1 lead with a tally from Geno Carcone at the 14:56 mark of the second period.

The goal also was under review, but it was determined the goal was legal and there was no kicking motion on the play.

Green Bay led 3-1 going into the final stanza while outshooting the Jacks by a 24-18 advantage.

The Gamblers added a pair of goals early in the third period from Nemec and Landen Gunderson at the 5:19 and 6:36 marks of the stanza to increase the Green Bay advantage to a 5-1.

Green Bay outshot the Lumberjacks, 36-24.

Both teams went 1-for-4 on the power play.

Lucas Szyszka suffered the loss in net, stopping 22-of-25 shots on net, while Lukas Swedin allowed two goals on 11 shots faced in relief for the Jacks.

“Guys are disappointed in the locker room, but now we can look forward,” Burgess said. “It will probably be good to get on the road with the guys and play simple hard hockey that will show our skills as a team.”