DUBUQUE, Iowa — A ten-second swing early in the third period proved the difference at ImOn Arena on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, as the Muskegon Lumberjacks held on for a 3-2 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the opener of the teams’ Hometown Heroes Weekend series.

Muskegon struck first, with Strider Carhart scoring the only goal of the opening period at 11:03 for his third of the season. The 1-0 lead held through a quiet second period, and the game stayed that way until the final frame turned into a four-goal flurry.

Dubuque drew level 4:47 into the third period when Kane Johnson found the net. The tie lasted only ten seconds. Aiden Janz answered for Muskegon at the 4:57 mark with his fourth goal of the season, restoring the visitors’ lead at 2-1. Maxim Simko then added what proved to be the deciding goal at 7:37 of the third, his fifth of the season, stretching the margin to 3-1.

The Saints kept pressing and pulled goaltender Joshua Banini for an extra skater late. Cruz Martin cut the deficit in half with 2:05 remaining, but Muskegon protected the one-goal edge through the final two minutes to close out the win.

Dubuque outshot Muskegon 32-20, but Lumberjacks goaltender Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced to earn the win. The victory was Muskegon’s third in a row and lifted the Lumberjacks to 7-5-2 on the season, good for second place in the United States Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, four points behind the first-place Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

The loss was a setback for a Dubuque club that entered the night at 7-6-1-0 with 15 points and riding a three-game home winning streak, during which the Saints had scored 16 goals. The two teams meet again on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 7:05 p.m. at ImOn Arena to close the weekend series.