General | 5/20/2025 10:48:32 PM
Muskegon 4, Waterloo 3 (OT)
(Muskegon Wins Series 3-2, Captures First Clark Cup)
Jack Christ scored six minutes into overtime to complete the hat trick and lift the Muskegon Lumberjacks to their first Clark Cup championship.
With eight goals and ten assists, Tynan Lawrence was named Most Valuable Player of the Clark Cup Playoffs with eight goals and 10 assists in 14 games to lead all skaters in postseason scoring.
The Lumberjacks wasted no time taking a one-goal lead less than four minutes into the game. Lawrence rifled home a one-timer from the slot, finishing a slick setup from David Deputy to notch his eighth goal of the postseason.
Approaching the end of the first period, Christ added to Muskegon’s lead with a sharp finish from the right-wing circle, giving the Lumberjacks a 2-0 cushion heading into the locker room after the first 20 minutes of play.
However, Waterloo roared back with two goals in the second period.
Brendan McMorrow sparked the comeback just over four minutes into the frame, capitalizing on a deflection off the end boards and snapping the puck into the back of the Muskegon net. Late in the period, Reid Morich buried the equalizer in front off a feed from Teddy Townsend.
Despite the 2-2 scoreline after two periods, the Black Hawks held a 26-16 shots-on-goal advantage.
Early in the third, Christ struck again, reclaiming the lead for Muskegon with his first multi-goal outing of the playoffs. But once again, Waterloo had a response.
Hunter Ramos evened the score with a blistering one-timer from the left circle, hammering home a cross-ice pass from Chase Jette to make it 3-3 and setting the stage for a thrilling finish in overtime.
Christ scored for the third time at 6:01 of overtime, turning and firing a wrister past Carter Casey and led the charge to celebrate at the other end of the ice.
Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev turned aside 34-of-37 shots on goal for Muskegon. Casey made 28 saves for Waterloo.
About the USHL
The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the world's leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.
Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, 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), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.