Men's Ice Hockey | 5/15/2026 10:15:07 PM

Sioux Falls Stampede 3, Muskegon Lumberjacks 1 | VIDEO RECAP
(Sioux Falls leads series 1–0)

The Sioux Falls Stampede opened the Clark Cup Finals with a 3–1 victory over the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Friday night at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Powered by a multi-goal performance from Joey Macrina, the Western Conference champions weathered an early deficit to secure a 1–0 lead in the best-of-five championship series.

Muskegon drew first blood at the 5:14 mark of the first period after Drew Stewart capitalized on a turnover in the neutral zone to score a shorthanded marker on a one-timer from Chuck Blanchard's pass. Despite being outshot 10–6, the Lumberjacks carried a 1–0 lead into the first intermission.

The Stampede tied the game at the 12:39 mark of the second period. Macrina’s heavy forecheck in the offensive zone helped force a turnover, and he found the back of the net for the second time this postseason.

Sioux Falls took complete control in the final period. Macrina struck again at 12:07 to capture his second goal of the night on a second-chance opportunity in front of the net to give the Herd their first lead. J.J. Monteiro then iced the game with an empty-net goal late in regulation to secure the Game 1 victory.

Linards Feldbergs was outstanding again in net, turning aside 27-of-28 shots. The Sioux Falls netminder now owns a 1.94 goals-against average in this postseason.

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 nine 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).