Men's Ice Hockey | 5/22/2026 10:41:40 PM

Muskegon Lumberjacks 4, Sioux Falls Stampede 3 (2OT) | VIDEO RECAP 
(Sioux Falls leads series 2–1)

The Muskegon Lumberjacks outlasted the Sioux Falls Stampede in Game 3 of the Clark Cup Finals on Friday to keep their season alive and force a Game 4 on Saturday night. 

The Lumberjacks scored twice late in regulation to tie the game before Drew Stewart found the back of the net in double overtime. The goal marked Stewart’s ninth goal of the postseason and perhaps none bigger to this point than this one.

Sioux Falls appeared to be in complete control of the game for much of the night before Muskegon mounted a valiant comeback.

Anthony Bongo opened the scoring at the 9:29 mark of the first period after collecting a bouncing puck and wiring a shot into the back of the net from the high slot. The goal marked Bongo’s third of the postseason.
Niles Benson answered for Muskegon just before the intermission, burying a centering feed from below the net after Sioux Falls could not clear the zone. 

However, the Herd reclaimed control in the middle frame. Thomas Zocco scored early in the frame on a breakaway after Joseph McGraw sprung his teammate free with a stretch pass off the half-wall.

Cooper Soller followed with a power-play goal at 10:48, redirecting Matthew Grimes’ shot from the point. The goal was Soller’s first of the postseason and gave the Stampede a 3–1 lead heading into the final period.

Muskegon threw everything they had at the Herd, aided by an 18–5 shots-on-goal advantage in the final 20 minutes, and tied the game late. Melvin Novotny cut the deficit to one at the 16:05 mark after wiring a shot home from above the right-wing circle.

Carter Amico completed the rally with the game-tying goal just 1:24 later, cleaning up a second-chance opportunity in front of the crease. The goal marked Amico’s third of the playoffs and was assisted by Benson.

The ‘Jacks carried that momentum into the first overtime period, leading the way with a 14–8 shots-on-goal tally. However, Linard Feldbergs, who stopped 51-of-55 shots on net, kept a clean sheet for Sioux Falls to force another overtime.

Early in the second overtime period, Stewart followed the initial chance and buried his shot to lift Muskegon to the victory.

Carl Axelsson picked up the win in net for the Lumberjacks, turning aside 32-of-35 shots on goal, including eight in overtime. The Minnesota Duluth commit improved his save percentage to .912 in the playoffs.

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).