MUSKEGON – The Muskegon Lumberjacks have faced some really challenging situations in each of their last three playoff games, and have found a way to win each one.

Their latest success under duress came on Friday night, when they gave up an early lead, fell behind by a goal in the second period, then erupted for four unanswered goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the Madison Capitols in Game 1 of the USHL Eastern Conference finals at Mercy Health Arena.

Forward Phil Tresca led the way with a pair of goals while goalie Chase Clark turned in another great performance, making tons of big saves and stopping 37 of 39 shots.

The red-hot Lumberjacks are now 5-0 in the playoffs, and it takes 10 victories to capture a Clark Cup.

As Captain Jack Williams yelled on his way to the locker room, “We’re halfway there!”

Lumberjacks forward Phil Tresca, who scored two goals on Friday night. Photo/Tonya Pardon

Game 2 of the best of five series will be Saturday night in Muskegon. If the Jacks win again, they would only need one more win in the last three games to clinch the series and move on to the Clark Cup finals.

Friday’s scenario was familiar to Lumberjacks fans. It was a lot like Game 1 of the conference semifinals against Dubuque, when the Jacks gave up an early lead, let the fighting Saints tie the score, then pulled together to win 4-3.

It was also like the last game of the Dubuque series on Sunday, when the Jacks gave up a four-goal lead and allowed the Fighting Saints to tie the score in the third period, then scored three late goals to close out the series.

In short, the Jacks are playing with the type of confidence that overcomes crisis – the type that wins championships.

“You look at the roller coaster season we’ve had, where we started out 2-9, and then we go on a long winning streak, then start losing a lot of hockey games because we’re making stupid mistakes – I think there was a lot learned in those on-ice situations,” said Lumberjacks Coach Mike Hamilton. “At the end of the day, it’s great we are playing our best hockey at the right time at the end of the year.

Muskegon goalie Chase Clark makes one of many big saves in the game. Photo/Tonya Pardon

“Tomorrow for us is a massive hockey game. We are going to enjoy this one for 10 more minutes and get ready for tomorrow because we want to head into Madison up 2-0.”

There were a lot of heroes on Friday night.

The first was Tresca, a very productive forward who had 28 goals and 26 assists in the regular season, but was sometimes overlooked on a team full of big scorers.

Tresca opened the scoring when he redirected a shot from Jacob Guevin into the net at 7:50 of the first period.

His second goal, the game-winner at 8:20 of the second period, was a short-handed tally that put the Jacks up 3-2. It started when Clark made a save that rebounded almost all the way to center ice, where Tresca picked it up, outraced a Madison player and scored.

Muskegon’s David Hymovitch chases the puck in front of the Madison net. Photo/Tanya Pardon

“I saw the puck come out loose just outside the zone,” Tresca said. “I picked it and it was just me and the defender, so I skated as fast as I could and drove hard to the net. It wasn’t the first effort but the second effort that I put the rebound in, and it was a big goal.”

Tresca nearly had a hat trick, but failed to score on a breakaway early in the third period.

“They were teasing me of course but it is all good,” Tresca said about his teammates’ reaction to the missed opportunity. “It’s part of the game. and you can’t put in everything. At least we got the win!”

Clark improved to 5-0 in the playoffs with yet another great performance in goal. Muskegon was outshot 39-26 in the game, but the Jacks’ goalie negated that advantage.

“We are down 2-1 in the second period, and they had two or three breakaways where they found the outside, and Clarkie made the save on every one of them,” Hamilton said. “They had a chance to extend the lead and he made a couple of great saves. He was the number one star in my eyes tonight.”

Muskegon’s Quinn Hutson brings the puck up the ice. Photo/Tonya Pardon

Guevin also played a big role. The offensive defenseman, who leads the Jacks in assists, used his incredible shot from the point to get a goal and an assist.

The first came when he had an assist on Tresca’s first goal, then Guevin found the net himself with a shot from the point late in the second period, putting Muskegon up 4-2.

The Lumberjacks penalty killing unit was also superb, keeping Madison scoreless in six power play opportunities. The Jacks’ penalty killing was among the worst in the league for most of the season, but has been very strong in the playoffs.

The penalty kill was at its best in the third period, when Madison had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:39 but failed to convert.

“It was massive today,” Hamilton said about the penalty kill. “I don’t like the penalties we took in the third period, but it was huge killing that 5-on-3, and they didn’t get too many great chances.”

Tresca’s early goal gave the Jacks a 1-0 lead. Madison tied the game with a goal by Jack Musa at 9:16 of the first period, and the score was 1-1 at the first intermission.

Madison took a 2-1 lead on a Nick DeSantis goal at 3:58 of the second period. Then the Lumberjacks regained control, getting goals from David Hymovitch, Tresca and Guevin to take a 4-2 lead into the third.

Joey Larson scored at 2:54 of the final period to put the finishing touches on the victory for Muskegon.