For the first time in 10 years, the Muskegon Lumberjacks are going to the Clark Cup Final.
After getting wins in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Jacks returned home and clinched a series sweep with a 3-1 victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints Tuesday night.
Vaclav Nestrasil got the scoring started for the Jacks at 8:06 of the opening period. David Klee kept the puck in the offensive zone and left it for Jack Galanek at the top of the circle.
Galanek fed Nestrasil, who was all alone on the far side of the ice. Nestrasil rifled a shot off the crossbar to the back of the net for his third goal of the playoffs.
The Saints notched a power-play goal following a double-minor penalty by the Jacks to tie the score 1-1 at 1:11 of the middle frame. Lucas Van Vliet ripped a shot to the back of the net glove side for his team-leading fourth goal and 10th point of the post-season.
The Jacks scored what would eventually be the game-winning goal later in the frame. Drew Stewart carried the puck into the offensive zone across the middle of the blue line. A drop pass to Carter Sanderson was followed by a feed to Matthew Van Blaricom on the far side of the slot. Van Blaricom sent a wicked wrist shot into the twine for his first goal of the playoffs at 13:57.
Muskegon’s final tally came on an empty-netter from Tynan Lawrence on a breakaway with eight seconds remaining in regulation for the 3-1 final. Lawrence leads all skaters with 13 points in the post-season.
Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev stopped 30 of 31 shots for the win. Liam Beerman suffered the loss, stopping 29 of 31 shots faced in his seventh consecutive playoff game.
Dubuque finished Game 3 with one goal on three power-play chances and killed all three Lumberjack power plays in the game.
The Jacks await the winner of the Western Conference Final between the Lincoln Stars and Waterloo Black Hawks. Game One of the Clark Cup Final will come on Friday, May 9 at the Western Conference Champion’s home ice.