Lumberjacks Log: Muskegon home for 2 of 3 this week

March 14, 2012

The Jacks challenge Green Bay Thursday morning at L.C. Walker Arena before hitting the road to Indianapolis Friday. The weekend wraps up Saturday night at home vs. the National Team, featuring green beer specials!


by Matt Gajtka

MUSKEGON, Mich. – In the midst of the season’s last extended stretch of home games, the Muskegon Lumberjacks play three games in as many days as they seek to rebound from a winless week.
 
Two of those will be at home, starting Thursday morning as they welcome the Green Bay Gamblers to town for their annual Hockey for Health game, facing off at 10:30 a.m. at L.C. Walker Arena.
 
Aiming to halt a three-game winless streak (0-2-1), the Lumberjacks (15-26-7, 37 points) take on the challenge of hosting the league-best Gamblers (39-8-2, 80 points) to begin the regular season’s final month. Muskegon will clash with Green Bay four times in its last 12 contests, including twice at home.
 
Friday, the Jacks travel to Indiana for the third and final time this season. Muskegon has gone 1-0-1 at the Pepsi Coliseum and 4-1-2 overall against the second-place Ice (29-14-6, 64 points), who are tied with Youngstown for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 spot, which comes with a first-round bye in the Clark Cup Playoffs.
 
The National Team Development Program (22-22-4, 48 points) solidified its sixth-place position in the East last week, as its two squads posted a combined 3-2-0 record. Muskegon entertains the Under-17 team Saturday night at 7:15 p.m. in an effort to close the gap between the two clubs and creep back into postseason contention.
 
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Lumberjacks will present a green beer special during Saturday night’s game! Draft beers will be $1 off for the entire night. Call (231) 724-JACK, stop by the L.C. Walker Arena box office, check out StarTickets.com or visit your local Meijer for tickets and information.
 
Buy your tickets before the end of the day Wednesday to take advantage of the Lumberjacks’ Economy Buster rate! Adults tickets purchased in that window are only $10 apiece. Offer applies prior to every weekend home game.
 
The Jacks have also reduced the price of season ticket plans for the 2012-13 campaign to just $200! That’s an average of only $6.25 for each of next season’s 32 home contests. Contact the Lumberjacks ticket office for more information.
 
The Meijer Pregame Show begins 30 minutes prior to every opening faceoff on the radio home of your Lumberjacks, 92.5 The Outlaw (925fmtheoutlaw.com). Voice of the Jacks Matt Gajtka has the play-by-play, with Muskegon hockey legend Ron Stephenson providing analysis during home games.
 
UPCOMING GAMES (Home games in bold; all times Eastern)
  • TOMORROW vs. GREEN BAY at 10:30 a.m. – Hockey for Health Day
  • Friday, March 16 @ INDIANA at 7:05 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 17 vs. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM at 7:15 p.m. – St. Patrick’s Day / $1 off draft (green) beers all night long!
  • Friday, March 23 vs. NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM at 7:15 p.m. – Dollar Beer/Hot Dog Night presented by John Morrell! Offer stands from 6-8 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 24 vs. GREEN BAY at 7:15 p.m. – Ollie’s Birthday! / Bring a present for our mascot’s first birthday and receive a free kids‘ ticket to the game. All gifts will be donated to the Rescue Mission!
 
JACKS FACTS
  • Rookie Tyler Heinonen (Michigan Tech) contributed two points (goal, assist) in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Lincoln; it was his fourth multipoint game in the USHL. The left winger from Delano, Minn., has 20 points in his last 22 games, dating back to Jan. 14 against Green Bay. Heinonen has failed to score in just six matches since then and his 23 points rank him fifth on the team – third among first-year players.
  • Defenseman Zach Yoder joins the team for the final 12 games of the regular season. A 6-foot-4 righthanded shooter from Woodstock, Ga., the 17-year-old Yoder scored 11 points (four goals) in 39 games for the TPH Thunder midget major club this season. Lumberjacks Head Coach Jim McKenzie was part of TPH Thunder’s coaching staff prior to his arrival in Muskegon.
  • The puck hasn’t bounced the Lumberjacks’ way in overtime this season. Following a 4-3 defeat in the extra session last Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Muskegon has won just once in six games decided in sudden death. Only Cedar Rapids (0-5 in OT) can match Muskegon’s overtime difficulties, but the Jacks have gone a respectable 2-2 in the shootout, making them 3-7 in games that go beyond 60 minutes.
 
ALUMNI ON THE ATTACK
·         Chris Lochner scored the final-minute series clincher for Niagara (17-10-9, 14-6-7 Atlantic Hockey) as the Purple Eagles swept Robert Morris in a best-of-three quarterfinal to move on to the AHA semifinal round this Saturday against RIT. Issac Kohls was named Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week for his two goals and three total points in the two games against Robert Morris; he is tied for third on the team in scoring with 22 points, while Lochner paces Niagara with 12 goals.
·         Mercyhurst and Ryan Misiak advanced to the Atlantic Hockey semifinals as well, as the Lakers (20-15-4, 15-8-4 AHA) topped Holy Cross in three games to move on and play Air Force Saturday. Misiak earned an assist Sunday to give him 18 points on the season; he was the Lumberjacks’ leading scorer last winter.
·         Casey Thrush (Easton, Md.) netted two goals to double his season total in Sunday’s final game of a Hockey East quarterfinal with No. 5 Boston University, but New Hampshire (15-9-3, 11-14-2 HEA) eventually suffered a 5-4 double-overtime loss to end their season. Thrush finished his freshman year with 12 total points, and his plus-7 rating was best on the team.
·         Last year’s Muskegon captain John Parker will be skating for Maine in Boston’s TD Garden this Saturday against former Jacks teammate Alexx Privitera and Boston U. in the Hockey East semifinal round. The No. 10 Black Bears (22-12-3, 17-10-2 HEA) topped Merrimack in a three-game quarterfinal series for the right to face the Terriers (23-13-1, 17-9-1 HEA).
 
BEST HOCKEY TALK ON THE LAKESHORE
JackSixty presented by Cinema Carousel is a weekly hour-long talk show devoted to your Muskegon Lumberjacks Tuesday nights from 6-7 p.m. at Hennessy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. Located at the corner of Jefferson and Clay Streets in the heart of Muskegon, Hennessy’s plays host as Gajtka and co-host Antonio Bartoli talk hockey with Lumberjacks coaches, players and other featured guests on 98.3 FM WLCS!
 
THE SOCIAL NETWORKS
Never go hungry for Jacks news: “Like” the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Facebook and follow “@MuskegonJacks” on Twitter to stay plugged into the Jacks 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, find the Jacks’ exclusive YouTube channel at youtube.com/MuskegonJacks!
 
The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud members of the United States Hockey League, the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league and the leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The Lumberjacks’ organization prides itself on developing not just premier hockey talent, but also exceptional young men outside the arena of sports. For more information, visit muskegonlumberjacks.com.


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