MUSKEGON – Most Muskegon Lumberjacks players have been here and moved on by their 20^th birthdays.

The majority are off playing Division 1 NCAA hockey by then. The few who are still around at that age have accepted scholarships from their future colleges and know where they are going when they leave.

Forward Nicholas “Niko” Rexine, 20, is on a different timeline. He’s a bit of a late bloomer in the hockey world, just reached the Tier 1 junior hockey level this season and doesn’t have his college hockey plans worked out quite yet.

That doesn’t mean his hockey career is on a dead-end course, by any means. As Jacks fans discovered last weekend, Rexine can get hot and put the puck in the net when the opportunity arises.

Last Friday he scored a crucial goal against Team USA in a come-from-behind victory, then added two more on Saturday in an exciting matchup with the first-place Chicago Steel.

Rexine’s goal on Friday night against Team USA was huge. The Jacks led 2-0 after one period but trailed 3-2 after two and had seemingly lost the momentum.

Rexine evened the score at 3-3 with a shorthanded goal four minutes into the third period. That forced the game to overtime and the Jacks won on a goal by Cody Croal.

Rexine kept it going the next night, scoring the first goal of the game against Chicago in the first period, then adding another as the Jacks desperately tried to tie the game in the closing minutes – and almost pulled it off.

Chicago led 4-2 with four minutes left when the Lumberjacks pulled goalie Conor Callaghan for an extra attacker. The strategy created a wild ending, with the Jacks getting a goal from Michael Callow to pull within one, Chicago scoring an empty-netter to go ahead 5-3, then Rexine scoring with two minutes left to make it a thriller all the way to the end.

Muskegon pounded the net for the final two minutes and couldn’t get the tying goal, but Rexine said it was a fun way to end a game that could have been a dull two-goal loss to the top team in the league.

“That was so back and forth – that was crazy,” Rexine said about the Chicago game. “I remember hearing everyone (in the audience) was heading toward the exit signs, then I scored and everybody started walking back.

“We had a lot of chances at the end there. I thought we were going to find a way to tie it up.”

Rexine’s weekend goals were his third, fourth and fifth of the season and gave him a new sense of confidence.

He’s hoping to keep his hot streak going on Wednesday during a morning road game against the Team USA 18-Under squad, then on Friday and Saturday in two games in Youngstown.

He said he had a lot of bad luck earlier in the season, with goalies making great stops on his shots, or some shots hitting the post and bouncing away. He also knows he wasn’t shooting enough, something his coaches kept reminding him about.

He got more ice time last weekend, with four key teammates gone for an international tournament, and Rexine found his scoring touch.

“It just seemed like nothing would go in for me the past few weeks, but once I got that first one (last weekend) the other two seemed pretty easy,” he said. “I think we showed that our team has a lot of depth. Our teammates who are gone are really good, but we have other guys who are also really good, we stepped up and hopefully we can continue that.”

Oddly, Rexine started finding the back of the net while playing left wing, something he hasn’t done very much in his career.

“Usually guys are more comfortable on their strong side,” said Rexine, who’s been playing on a line with fellow forwards David Hymovitch and William Hughes. “I’m right- handed and I’ve played right wing for the majority of my life. It was kind of awkward at first but I’m getting the hang of it.”

Rexine grew up in Syracuse, New York, played prep school hockey and showed some offensive flash at that level.

Last season he played with the Minnesota Wilderness of the North American Hockey League (a notch below the USHL) and showed more potential, collecting 17 goals and 44 assists.

That brought the opportunity to play with the Lumberjacks this season.

A lot of college scouts watch the USHL, and Rexine has been able to showcase his abilities for a wider audience. He said he’s been talking to some college teams and could be ready to make a commitment to one of them soon.

“I’m an older guy, but I had a pretty good season last year and I think that opened up a lot of eyes,” he said. “If you can succeed here it shows that there’s a pretty good chance you can do well in college.

“I’m planning on visiting a few schools over (Christmas) break and I’ve been talking to a few. I think I might make a decision pretty shortly.”