The Granite City Lumberjacks started the season off this past weekend with two wins back-to-back versus the Minnesota Loons. The first in the series this weekend took place at the Loons Breezy Point Arena. The Loons were first to put a point on the board with a goal from forward Kyler Couture from Blake Keller.
Soon after the Jacks came out and controlled the game from this point out. The Jacks out shot the Loons 58 to 12. Rookie Loons goaltender Owen Reeve, Robbinsdale, MN native, did an outstanding job stopping 53 of 58 shots on net.
Top point getters for the Jacks were rookie Nick Mountain with 1 goal, 1 assist. Veteran Kullan Daikawa with 2 assists. Rookie defenseman Hayden Hennen from Hallock, MN rifled the puck into the net for 2 goals. Other goals came from Nicholas Richert and Wilson Dahlheimer. Assists from Tal Halliday, Brett Reed, Bjorn Jorgenson and Wyatt Halvorson.
Loons rookie forward Jamison St. Clair showed off his stick skills getting one past the Jacks goaltender on a penalty shot. Jacks came out on top 5-2 by the end of the 3rd.
Game 2 was played Saturday night at the Jacks home arena in Sauk Rapids, MN in front of a packed house. The Jacks fans were out and ready for the season opener. The Jacks dominated the game from the first puck drop out shooting the Loons 67 to 17. Loons goaltender Payton West from Lincoln, Nebraska did his best stopping 63 of the 67 shots he faced.
Jacks goals came from rookie forwards Nolan Wideman and Tory Lund. Veteran Bjorn Jorgenson put one in the net for his first of the year. And rookie defenseman Hayden Hennen ripped his 3rd of the year on a power play shot from the blue line. Assists came from Tal Halliday, Kyle Mortenson (2 on the night), Kullan Daikawa, Ben Tarlton, and Nicholas Richert.
Sartell, MN native goaltender Quentin Sigurdson started off his season with a shutout stopping all 17 shots he faced. Giving the Jacks a second win of the season with a 4-0 score by the end of the night.
The Jacks have two more home games next week starting with the Willmar Warhawks 9/24, and New Ulm Steel on the 25th. Both starting at 7:30 Friday and Saturday nights at the Armadillo Deck Arena.
-JuniorHockey.com Staff