Men's Ice Hockey | 4/25/2026 9:35:06 PM

Muskegon Lumberjacks 4, Dubuque Fighting Saints 2 | VIDEO RECAP
(Series tied 2–2)

Drew Stewart scored twice to lead the Muskegon Lumberjacks to a 4–2 victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday night. With the win, the Jacks have evened the Eastern Conference Semifinals at two games apiece. 

The opening twenty minutes proved to be a defensive stalemate, with both goaltenders keeping a clean sheet despite a combined 29 shots on goal. 

Muskegon broke the deadlock early in the second period. Jack Christ opened the scoring at 1:52, burying a wrister from the left-wing circle to give the Lumberjacks a 1–0 lead. The Jacks extended the advantage at the 7:59 mark when Viktor Norringer capitalized on a power play. Before the period was up, Stewart notched his first of the night to send Muskegon into the locker room with a three-goal lead.

The Lumberjacks added to their lead just 2:04 into the third period while on the penalty kill, as Stewart broke loose for a shorthanded goal to make it 4–0. 

The Fighting Saints mounted a late push, sparked by Michael Barron, who put Dubuque on the board with a power-play goal at 4:10. He added his second of the game at 14:28 to cut the deficit to 4–2. However, the comeback effort proved to be too little, too late.

Carl Axelsson earned the victory in net for Muskegon with a 31-save performance.
 
Sioux Falls Stampede 5, Lincoln Stars 1 | VIDEO RECAP
(Series tied 2–2)

Logan Renkowski netted a pair of goals as the Sioux Falls Stampede cruised to a 5–1 victory over the Lincoln Stars on Saturday night. The Stampede special teams proved to be the difference-maker, converting three times on the power play to even the Western Conference Semifinals at two games apiece.

Sioux Falls opened the scoring midway through the first period when defenseman Matthew Grimes buried a shot from the low slot. Lincoln answered back four minutes later as Layne Loomer beat the goaltender to tie the game, but the Stampede regained the lead before the intermission. J.J. Monteiro capitalized on a power play with 3:20 remaining in the frame to make it 2–1.

The second period belonged entirely to the Sioux Falls power play. Renkowski extended the lead at 4:55, burying a setup from Monteiro, and Brent Solomon followed suit at 17:27 with another tally on the man advantage.

Lincoln pushed to cut into the deficit in the third, but the Stampede defense stood tall, limiting the Stars to just six shots in the final frame. Renkowski put the game away for good at 15:37, netting his second of the night to secure the 5–1 final.

Linards Feldbergs earned the win in net for Sioux Falls, turning aside 25-of-26 shots. 
 
Madison Capitols 2, Youngstown Phantoms 1 | VIDEO RECAP
(Madison wins series 3–1)
 
The Madison Capitols are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals after a 2–1 victory over the Youngstown Phantoms on Saturday night. Despite a lopsided 38–13 shot count in favor of the visitors, the Capitols used timely scoring and a massive performance in net to close out the series.

Madison struck first early in the opening frame. Just 2:42 into the contest, Eero Butella capitalized on a man-advantage to give the Capitols an early 1–0 lead.

Youngstown managed to pull even early in the second period when Evan Jardine beat the goaltender at the 2:29 mark to tie the game. However, the deadlock didn't last long. Less than four minutes later, defenseman Nolen Geerdes restored the Madison lead, firing a shot home to make it 2–1.

The third period saw the Phantoms throw everything at the Madison net, racking up 16 shots in an attempt to keep their season alive. However, the Capitols’ held Youngstown scoreless through the final frame to preserve the one-goal lead and secure the series win.

Caleb Heil was the hero for Madison, turning aside 37 of the 38 shots.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

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 90% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimSunday's action across the USHL featured strong team performances, milestone moments, and physical play from start to finish. Four games highlighted the afternoon slate, with offensive surges and steady goaltending shaping the outcomes.