MUSKEGON – Just a few short months ago, the Muskegon Lumberjacks wondered who their goal scorers were going to be.

There weren’t many in the early weeks of the season, when the Jacks were struggling to win games. In their first 13 games they were averaging only 2.7 goals per game and went 3-9-1.

Throughout October and most of November, the only Lumberjack among the league’s top 20 point producers was Jacob Guevin, a defenseman who gets most of his points through assists.

How things have changed since then.

The goals have been coming at a much more rapid rate (an average of 4.2 per game over the last 15 games), helping the Jacks win 12 of their last 15.

The Lumberjacks currently have three players among the top 20 scorers in the league – forward Quinn Hutson (14 goals, 18 assists, 32 points, ninth in the league), Phil Tresca (14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points, 17th in the league), and Guevin (3 goals, 25 assists, 28 points, 19th in the league).

There are several others who have also been scoring a lot, or contributing to the attack – Joey Larson (16 goals, 9 assists), Ben Strinden (13 goals, 12 assists), Jack Williams (4 goals, 18 assists) and Jake Braccini (12 goals, 8 assists).

Forward Jake Braccini, who has been scoring a lot of goals for the Lumberjacks lately. Photo/Tonya Pardon

Most of those guys played big roles in the Lumberjacks’ two home victories last weekend.

On Friday, Braccini and Tresca scored in regulation, then Hutson scored in overtime to give the Lumberjacks an exciting 3-2 victory.

On Saturday, the Jacks trailed the Team USA 17-Under squad 3-1 after the first period. Hutson and Richard scored in the second period to tie the game 3-3, Team USA went ahead again with a goal early in the third period, then Braccini and Tresca scored to secure the comeback victory for Muskegon.

The weekend was all about scoring depth. The Jacks have a lot of guys who can put the puck in the net at any given time, and that makes them dangerous.

“Early in the season, everyone was leaning really heavy on Williams, Tresca and Hutson, and they were obviously pressing,” Hamilton said. “Now those guys don’t have to press because it’s not just one or two guys who have to win the game for us. A lot of guys are chipping in, including some defensemen.

“From a five-on-five standpoint, we have as much depth as any team you’re going to find in the league.”

Big games coming up

After the two weekend victories, the Lumberjacks are 15-10-3, good for third place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference. They are five points behind second-place Dubuque and 10 points behind first-place Chicago.

This weekend the Jacks will have a great opportunity to put some space between themselves and the fourth-place Madison Capitols, who are currently only three points behind Muskegon in the standings.

The Jacks will play on Friday and Saturday night in Madison before returning home for five straight home games – against Team USA (Jan. 14), Green Bay (Jan. 15-16) and Youngstown (Jan. 21-22).

The Lumberjacks’ Jacob Guevin, who will return to the lineup this weekend following a suspension.

Two players back, one gone

The Lumberjacks will welcome back two important defensemen to the lineup this weekend – Guevin and Gavin McCarthy – who both served two-game suspensions last weekend for hits against opponents that included contact to the head.

Meanwhile, the Jacks have sent defenseman Anthony Cliché to the lower-level North American Hockey League for further skill development, but he remains a Muskegon affiliate and could be back with the team at some point this season.

Snubbed by the league

The USHL, in conjunction with USA Hockey, recently announced the rosters for the third annual BioSteel All-American Game, slated for Jan. 17 in Plymouth, Michigan. The game will be covered live by the NHL network.

The 43 players chosen to participate are from various USHL teams and the Team USA 18-Under squad, which plays a partial USHL schedule. They are all American players who will be eligible for the upcoming National Hockey League draft.

Amazingly, not a single Muskegon player was among those 43, even though the Jacks have several talented draft-eligible players who deserve to participate – guys like Nathan McBrayer, Tyler Dunbar, Ethan Whitcomb and Cameron Korpi, to name just a few.

“We were snubbed,” Hamilton said. “I feel we’ve got quite a few guys who will be there (and have a chance to be selected) in the NHL draft. But whoever selected the teams doesn’t feel that way. I am disappointed. I feel there were a couple of mistakes made.”