Lumberjacks Break Out Brooms With Weekend Hockey Sweep

The unbeaten streak remains intact for the Granite City Lumberjacks. The Jacks emerged from a weekend series that saw the team head down to Blaine on Friday night, before heading back home and defending the lumberyard against Willmar on Saturday night.

On Friday night the Lumberjacks were at Fogarty Arena in Blaine taking on the newest team in the Western Division, the Minnesota Moose. The Lumberjacks skated out of the Twin Cities with a win, beating the Moose, 4-2.

On Saturday the Jacks return to the Miller Buick GMC Arena at the Benton County Fairgrounds as they were slated to take on the Willmar Warhawks. Three periods up, three periods down, it was a shutout for the Jacks as they won 3-0.

As it stands, the Lumberjacks are 11-0, with the next closest team in the West, Alexandria, currently having a record of 6-6.

Going into the weekend series, the Lumberjacks are being led this season by Parker Comstock with 6 goals scored on the year. In overall points, Seth Terhell led the team into the weekend with 13 overall points.

In terms of goaltending for the Lumberjacks, Trent Peterson went into the weekend ranked 8th with a goals-against average of 1.750. Catedral product Nick Hansen was ranked 17th with a goals-against average of 2.250.

Coming up this weekend, it's a big home weekend for the Lumberjacks as it's Smile for Jake weekend. On Friday night Alexandria comes to town for a 7:30pm start at the arena.

On Saturday the Lumberjacks welcome in the Minnesota Wilderness, for another 7:30pm tilt.

Smiles for Jake is an organization that looks to stamp out suicide. According to the organizations website:

Jake Haapajoki was your average 16-year-old kid. He was a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a grandson, a friend, a boyfriend, an athlete, and active in his church. Jake had a family that loved and supported him in all he did. Jake’s smile was nearly constant when he was in the presence of his friends and social environments. His smile could light up a room like no other. His wild hair and a unique love for his shoes were dominant in his handsome self. He loved candy.

Jake took his life on February 21, 2018. Jake couldn’t see an end to his pain.

Jake made a mistake. Suicide is always a mistake.

Jake’s family and friends, through their despair and grief, have launched the Smiles for Jake Movement to begin work to eliminate suicide and provide hope to all that suffer from darkness and despair.

The Lumberjacks will have various items for silent auction during the games this weekend as well as the opportunity to bid on the jerseys that the players wear.

You can learn more about the organization, Smiles for Jake, by heading here.