Men's Ice Hockey 1/27/2024 8:50:00 PM Joel Norman

THREE-GOAL SECOND DOOMS STARS SATURDAY

PECHAR, OLIVER BOTH SCORE

The Lincoln Stars raced out to a 2-0 lead but could not hang onto it, falling to the Muskegon Lumberjacks, 3-2, on Saturday night at Trinity Health Arena.

Jack Pechar and Dashel Oliver scored four minutes apart in the first period but Lincoln (14-19-0-2) surrendered three goals in the second period, which proved to be the three final goals of the game. Muskegon (22-13-1-1) goaltender Beau Lane made 33 saves and prevented Lincoln from tying the game despite the Stars outshooting the Lumberjacks, 35-20.

Pechar put the Stars on the board first when Oliver led the charge the other way after a chance in front of the Stars net and threaded the needle with a pass to his right to Pechar, who made no mistake to net his 12th goal of the season at the 12:32 mark of the first. Oliver doubled up the lead by swatting home a rebound of his own shot on the backhand four minutes later for his seventh goal of the season and fourth since the post-Christmas schedule began.

Sacha Boisvert tied the game up with a pair of one-timers on the power play in the second period. His first at the 7:43 stayed even with the ice but put the Lumberjacks on the board. His second nearly mirrored the first but changed direction in on its way to the net at the last moment at the 16:46 mark.

Muskegon took its first lead of the game on a shot from behind the net. Matvei Griffin began to wrap the puck around the net but, instead of making it to the far post, banked the puck off the right shoulder of Stars goaltender Yan Shostak and into the net. That tally came with 50 seconds left in the second period and capped a three-goal period.

Lincoln has a quick turnaround as it faces Muskegon again at 2:05 p.m. CST on Sunday. The Stars' next home game is Saturday, Feb. 3 against the Omaha Lancers on Battle of the Decades Night. Purchase tickets now at lincolnstars.com.

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