The Muskegon Lumberjacks earned a point but fell 3-2 in an eight-round shootout to the Youngstown Phantoms on Friday night in Muskegon. Captain Rudolfs Berzkalns tied the game with 2:30 left in regulation for his first goal of the season, then scored Muskegon’s only shootout goal, but Jesse Orlowsky won it for Youngstown. The Lumberjacks are 3-4-0-2, and the Phantoms improved to 3-5-0-0.
How the goals came
Youngstown struck first on a 5-on-3 power play in the first period, when Lucas Zajic one-timed a cross-slot feed from Brayden Thompson. Anthony Thomas-Maroon pulled Muskegon even about a minute into the second with his third goal of the season, finishing alone in the low slot after Louis Jonerheim won the puck below the goal line on the forecheck.
Matej Mikes put the Phantoms back in front at 12:13 of the third, banking a shot in off the near post. With Westman pulled for an extra attacker, Berzkalns redirected a Zaac Charbonneau shot past Youngstown’s Owen Lepak to force overtime. Berzkalns also dropped the gloves during the game.
Overtime, shootout, and goaltending
Muskegon carried the play in overtime, and Teddy Lechner was stopped on a breakaway. In the shootout, Zajic answered Berzkalns to extend it before Orlowsky ended it in the eighth round.
The goaltenders finished with identical lines. Oscar Westman made 26 saves on 28 shots for Muskegon and is 2-2-0-1, including a spinning glove save on the goal line during an early Youngstown power play. Lepak also stopped 26 of 28 and is 3-3-0-0.
Charbonneau, who drew the primary assist on the tying goal, was named this week to Canada Red for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
What’s next
The teams close the two-game series Saturday at 7 p.m. at Trinity Health Arena on Throwback Night.
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