Muskegon, Mich. – The Muskegon Lumberjacks drew first blood, but ultimately fell 4-1 to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in Game 1 of a second-round, best-of-five series at the Stable on Wednesday.

 

The Jacks struck first with just 1:29 left in the first period when Brendan Woods turned a crafty centering pass from Travis Belohrad into a power-play goal. As he weaved behind the net, Belohrad snuck the puck in front of Riders goaltender Brady Hjelle and Woods banged it over his shoulder for his first career Clark Cup Playoff goal. However, less than a minute later, Cason Hohmann set up Ryan McGrath, who completed a 2-on-1 transition by tipping Hohmann’s pass past Joel Vienneau.

 

Jayson Megna, the Riders’ regular-season leader with 30 goals, scored his first of the postseason on a fortuitous centering pass that banked past Vienneau with just less than five minutes to play in the second. Matt Berry had a point-blank chance to draw the Jacks even, but Hjelle stoned him with the leg pad twice with just over a minute left in the middle frame. The Jacks had to kill off 1:43 of 5-on-3 time shortly after Megna’s goal to keep the deficit at a single goal.

 

Megna doubled the Riders’ advantage when he threw the puck at the net from the left-wing half wall, beating Vienneau with 2:35 gone by in the third. The Jacks’ penalty kill finally was solved when Stu Wilson scored with just less than six minutes left in regulation. Before that, the Jacks were 16-for-16 on the kill.

 

Vienneau turned aside 28 of the 32 shots he faced and slipped to 2-1 in the postseason, while Hjelle went 20-for-21 to pick up the victory.

 

Game 2 will take place at the Stable on Friday. The puck again will drop at 8:05 p.m. (ET). Then the series heads to the L.C. Walker Arena, as Game 3 is slated for a 7:15 p.m. puck drop at the Jacks’ friendly confines. Game 4 – if necessary – will take place Monday, also at 7:15. For group tickets, dial (231) 724-JACK, and for individual tickets, dial (231) 726-2400.