MUSKEGON – One big step in the maturing process is dealing with unexpected change and realizing that it doesn’t necessarily lead to disaster.

In October, 20-year-old Jake Braccini was a young hockey player whose immediate future was set – or so he thought.

He was just beginning his second and final season with the Fargo Force of the USHL after scoring a respectable 12 goals in the 2020-21 season. When that was over, he was preparing to attend the University of Minnesota and play for the storied Golden Gopher hockey program, a dream of many young hockey players who grow up in that state.

Then everything changed for Braccini within a matter of days.

He learned that due to the pandemic and some unexpected circumstances, his opportunity for an athletic scholarship at the university would not come until at least his junior season, so the situation did not work out. Then just a few days later he was shocked to learn that Fargo had traded him to the Muskegon Lumberjacks, a team that was in last place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference.

Lumberjacks forward Jake Braccini

It was a head-spinning time for a young man who suddenly faced a lot of uncertainly.

But Braccini reported to Muskegon, determined to have the best season possible – and as it turns out, he’s having his best season ever, on the best team he’s ever played on.

His hot streak began on Dec. 5 when he scored a goal in the Lumberjacks’ 3-0 victory over Cedar Rapids. Five days later he scored twice in a 4-1 win over Team USA.

He ended up scoring 10 goals in 12 games between Dec. 5 and Jan. 15, including a five-game scoring streak between Dec. 17 and Jan. 7.

Braccini now has 15 goals and 9 assists in 34 games this season, compared to 12 goals and 15 assists in 54 games with Fargo last season.

“I think it’s just been a matter of listening to the coaches and being more of a shooter, and not passing up on shots when you have one,” Braccini said about his sudden offensive explosion. “I would say I wasn’t shooting the puck as much before. Maybe I was trying to overhandle it too much. Everybody likes to score goals, right? I think when they are going in for you, you have to keep shooting.

Braccini scored 10 goals in 12 games, with a five-game scoring streak. Photo/Tonya Pardon

“Ultimately I credit the coaching staff here and the things we work on. You have the option for morning ice all the time, and you’re always getting better offensively. And they always build in game situations in our practices. If you lose you do 10 pushups or 20 pushups – there is always some type of punishment.”

Braccini’s scoring has helped the Lumberjacks overcome a very slow start, win 19 of their last 22 games, and jump from last place to a tie for first in the Eastern Conference heading into this weekend’s games in Green Bay.

He arrived in the midst of the gloom surrounding the horrible start, and he’s enjoyed being part of the sudden rise.

“All the guys talk about that, how we started from the bottom and now we’re at the top,” he said. “When you’re winning games everybody is positive in any situation. It’s such a good feeling. We knew what the losing felt like, and now we’re winning.”

Braccini’s college prospects also improved dramatically in November, when he accepted a hockey scholarship at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, close to his home. That team will be making the jump from Division 3 to Division 1 next season, and Braccini can’t wait for the chance to contribute.

“It’s close to home, and I believe in what they are trying to do there,” he said. “It will be kind of cool to be part of a new culture and have friends and family there to watch me.”

Braccini played for the Fargo Force in last year’s Clark Cup finals, and is hoping to do the same with the Lumberjacks this season. Photo/Tonya Pardon

Braccini’s parents were in Muskegon on a recent weekend and had the opportunity to see him score a few goals. He said he enjoyed having them there, particularly his father, Bryan Braccini, a former USHL player who coached Braccini and his twin brother for 12 years during their youth league days.

“When he can come to watch me, after he was the guy who helped me get through it all, it was pretty fun,” Braccini said. “He played one season in the USHL with Des Moines, and he played Division 3 college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He was a gritty forward. He really took it to the body (of opponents). I’ve heard all the stories. I guess I have to believe them! He was a competitive guy.”

Braccini brings one thing to the Lumberjacks’ roster than none of the other players have – recent experience in the USHL Clark Cup finals. Last year his Fargo team finished fourth in the Wastern Conference, then got hot in the playoffs and advanced to the finals against the Chicago Steel before finally losing.

The Lumberjacks lost to Chicago in the Eastern Conference finals, or they would have been the team playing Fargo in the finals.

Now that’s he’s part of a really great team, Braccini would love to get the opportunity to play for the Clark Cup again, and maybe win it this time around.

“Playoff hockey is something else,” he said. “I would love to get my nose in there again and get to the finals again. I think that would be pretty cool.”

Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, Braccini’s recent experiences have taught him valuable lessons that will help him down the road in his career.

“Doors close and others open,” he said. “You learn not to fear change. You go at things with an open mind and realize that things happen for a reason.”