Men's Ice Hockey | 4/28/2026 9:41:20 PM

Muskegon Lumberjacks 6, Dubuque Fighting Saints 1 | VIDEO RECAP
(Muskegon wins series 3–2)

Adam Belusko scored twice in a dominant performance as the Muskegon Lumberjacks topped the Dubuque Fighting Saints 6–1 on Tuesday night. With the win, the ‘Jacks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dubuque drew first blood at the 9:03 mark of the first period when Luke Brierley scored on a putback attempt to give the Saints a 1–0 lead. However, the advantage was short-lived. Just over a minute later, Carter Sanderson responded for Muskegon.

In the second period, Belusko notched his first of the night at 5:59 to give the Jacks their first lead of the game. Late in the period, Melvin Novotny extended the lead to 3–1.

Rudolfs Berzkalns made it 4–1 early in the third, and the Jacks iced the series with a pair of late goals. Belusko found the empty net for his second of the contest at 16:15, and Niles Benson added a final exclamation point just thirty seconds later to complete the 6–1 victory.

Carl Axelsson earned the series-clinching win with 19 saves on 20 shots.

Sioux Falls Stampede 2, Lincoln Stars 0 | VIDEO RECAP
(Sioux Falls wins series 3–2)

Brent Solomon provided all the offense necessary, netting two goals to propel the Sioux Falls Stampede to a 2–0 shutout victory over the Lincoln Stars on Tuesday night. With the win, the Herd advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The first period saw 24 combined shots but neither team could find the back of the net.

At the 3:26 mark of the second period, Solomon skated hard toward the net and netted a shorthanded goal to give Sioux Falls a 1-0 lead. 

Solomon struck again early in the third period on a wrister from the right-wing circle to extend the advantage to 2–0.

Linards Feldbergs was flawless in goal for the Stampede, earning the 22-save shutout to seal the series.

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 optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).