Lumberjacks Edge Out First-Place Phantoms

Muskegon takes down Youngstown in close USHL matchup

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Muskegon Lumberjacks defeated the first-place Youngstown Phantoms 3-2 in a United States Hockey League game on Saturday. The Lumberjacks got goals from Rudolf Berzkalns, Carter Amico, and Niles Benson, while the Phantoms scored twice with goals from captain Ryan Rucinski and Jack Hextall.

Why it matters

This was an important matchup between two top teams in the USHL's Eastern Conference. The loss drops the league-leading Phantoms to 32-10-3-1 on the season, while the Lumberjacks improve to 29-15-0-1 and move up to fourth place in the conference standings.

The details

The Lumberjacks took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Berzkalns and Amico before the Phantoms responded with tallies from Rucinski and Hextall to tie the game. But Benson scored the game-winning goal for Muskegon in the third period to secure the victory.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Ryan Rucinski

The captain of the Youngstown Phantoms, he scored his 22nd goal of the season in the game.

Jack Hextall

A Phantoms player who scored his 15th goal of the year in the losing effort.

Rudolf Berzkalns

A Muskegon Lumberjacks player who scored one of the team's three goals in the win.

Carter Amico

A Muskegon Lumberjacks player who also scored a goal in the victory.

Niles Benson

The Lumberjacks player who netted the game-winning goal in the third period.

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The takeaway

This was an important win for the Muskegon Lumberjacks as they look to climb the standings in the USHL's Eastern Conference. The loss for the first-place Youngstown Phantoms shows they are not unbeatable, setting up an intriguing race for the top spot in the second half of the season.