Dubuque, IA – The Fighting Saints (7-7-1-0, 15 pts) staged a late push on Friday, but ultimately fell 3-2 to the Muskegon Lumberjacks (7-5-0-2, 16 pts) in the series opener at ImOn Arena.

Early in the third period, the Fighting Saints erased a 1-0 Muskegon lead with Kane Johnson's redirect goal. His third tally in the last two games was assisted by Max Lind and Nikolai Zhukov, but the Saints' momentum was halted almost immediately.

Just 10 seconds later Aidan Janz beat Josh Banini on the rush to give the Lumberjacks a 2-1 lead at 4:57 of the third period. Janz then assisted as Maxim Simko handed the Jacks their fist two-goal lead of the night at 7:37.

The Saints pulled Banini with 3:34 to play and possessed the puck in the offensive zone for much of the next 90 seconds. That stretch culminated in Cruz Martin scoring after a Lincoln Krizizke shot hit the post and bounced to Martin at the side of the net. Martin's second goal and fourth point in four games with Dubuque brought the Saints within a goal. Joe Wahlund's secondary assist ended a six-game point drought for the defenseman. 

Despite outshooting the Lumberjacks 11-5 in the third period, and 23-11 over the final 40 minutes of the game, Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz made 30 saves for his fourth win of the season. 

The Jacks took a 1-0 lead at 11:03 of the first when Strider Carhart potted a rebound from a Gustas Zemaitis shot that ricocheted off the end wall to the circle where Carhart was waiting. Carhart's goal held up until Johnson's deflection early in the third period. Doyon-Cataquiz made a pair of important stops in the second period, the Jacks' goaltender stopped a Trevor Theuer penalty shot and a 2-on-0 rush by Krizizke and Jack Larkin.

Banini made 17 saves for the Saints in the loss, his first regulation defeat in three games with Dubuque.

The Saints and Jacks wrap up their weekend series on Saturday night at ImOn Arena with Military Appreciation Night.