General | 5/10/2025 9:41:56 PM

Muskegon 4, Waterloo 1
(Series Tied 1-1)
Box Score | Highlights

David Deputy continued his strong postseason, scoring twice to lead the Muskegon Lumberjacks to a 4-1 victory over the Waterloo Black Hawks in Game 2 of the Clark Cup Final. 

With the win, the ‘Jacks evened the best-of-five series at one game apiece.

After a wild opening period in Game 1, Saturday night’s first 20 minutes saw a tighter battle. Both teams had chances on the power play, but the goalies stood tall and the scoreboard stayed clean.

Waterloo drew first blood early in the second period, with Reid Morich tallying his sixth goal of the playoffs just 1:44 into the frame. Teddy Mallgrave created the chance, blazing into the zone and threading a pass to Morich in the low slot for the finish.

However, Muskegon responded with two goals in the period. 

Tynan Lawrence got the Jacks on the board midway through the frame, burying a slick backhander from the side of the net to tie the game. Moments later, Lawrence turned playmaker, setting up Deputy with a beautiful backdoor feed that the veteran forward buried for his ninth of the postseason.

With momentum swinging Muskegon's way, the Lumberjacks carried a 2-1 lead and a narrow 20-18 shots-on-goal advantage into the final period.

Deputy struck again in the third, this time on the power play, tucking home his tenth of the playoffs. The goal also marked his fourth multi-goal game of the postseason.

Just before the final horn, Vaclav Nestrasil potted the empty-net goal, sealing the win for the Lumberjacks.

After being lifted in Game 1, Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev bounced back in a big way, turning aside 22-of-23 for Muskegon. Carter Casey made 25 saves for Waterloo.

About the USHL
The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.