Takeaways from a pair of Game 2s in the 2024 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs on Sunday
Two Sunday matinee USHL games saw the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Dubuque Fighting Saints even their respective series in the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs.
Muskegon used a three-goal second period and skated to a 4-1 win over Green Bay. Meanwhile, Dubuque exploded for six goals in its 6-0 win over Youngstown.
Let's go to our key takeaways from both games.
Solovey Records Second Straight Two-Point Postseason Game
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, Muskegon scored three goals in an 8:29 span in the second period.
With a goal and secondary assist, Justin Solovey recorded his second consecutive two-point postseason game. The Harvard commit tallied a goal and an assist in Game 1.
Cody Croal opened the scoring for the Jacks at the 7:28 mark of the second period. Teddy Spitznagel followed his first postseason post on a centering feed from David Klee.
Just over five minutes later, Solovey made it a 3-0 lead for the Jacks, redirecting Xavier Veilleux's shot-pass from the blueline.
Green Bay's Lev Katzin tallied his second postseason goal late in the frame before Joe Connor restored Muskegon's three-goal lead in the third period.
Lumberjacks netminder Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev turned aside 22 of 23 shots on goal. The series now shifts to Green Bay.
Reidler's Shutout Evens Series
Six different skaters found the back of the net as Dubuque took Game 2 by a 6-0 score to even the series with Youngstown.
Fighting Saints netminder Kevin Reidler stopped all 19 shots on goal to pick up his first postseason shutout.
Dubuque forward Juraj Pekarcik recorded three points in the first period, including the game's first goal at the 1:05 mark of the frame.
Beckett Hendrickson made it a 2-0 Dubuque lead three minutes later on a give-and-go play with Pekarcik after the Phantoms turned the puck over in the neutral zone.
Lucas St. Louis tallied his first postseason goal late in the first period via the power play, with Pekarcik recording a secondary assist on the play.
Jayden Jubenvill extended Dubuque's lead in the second period, taking advantage of his second-chance opportunity from the slot.
Into the third period, the Saints poured it on with goals from Jake Sondreal and Seamus Powell.
More USHL Stories
2024 NHL Draft: Could Waterloo's John Mustard Slide Into The First Round?
2024 Clark Cup Playoffs: Lincoln's Yan Shostak Among Standouts In First Round