MUSKEGON, Michigan – Forwards Tarek Baker (University of Wisconsin) and Logan Lambdin put together a show at the L.C. Walker Arena on Friday night against the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Both Bloomington Thunder forwards turned in the organization’s first hat tricks as they rolled to a 6-3 win over the Lumberjacks. Bloomington (17-10-2-1) split the weekend with Muskegon (13-12-2-1) and hold the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.
On what seemed like a harmless play, Logan Lambdin scored the first goal of the game. The second year forward from Carleton, MI took the puck from Jake Durflinger and kicked it to himself before shooting the puck from the goal line. The shot sailed over the ‘Jacks goaltender, off the cross bar, and into the net at 11:34 of the first period.
His two other markers came in the third period just 28 seconds apart. The first was a spin-o-rama pass from Durflinger to Lambdin in front at 4:16 of the period. Then Lambdin finished the job crashing the net. The fastest two goals in Thunder history helped the 5-foot-8 forward take in the team’s first ever hat trick. He is second on the team with 11 goals behind only Baker who cashed in a hat trick of his own.
The Verona, WI native continued to roll for the Thunder, picking up a pair of goals in the second period and an empty netter in the third. Over the weekend, Baker netted five against the Lumberjacks. The first of the second period came on a rebound from Ryan Brushett (Providence College) before Baker hammered the shot in to make it 3-1. It was also Brushett’s first point with the Thunder and Joey Abate (University of Wisconsin) earned his first point of the season in three games.
Baker added another rebound goal in the second on the power play, beating Joey Daccord (Arizona State University, Ottawa Senators) on the short side. The goal chased the netminder from the rest of the period, but he would return in the third. The NHL Drafted goaltender suffers the loss making 29 saves in the game.
Max Humitz (Lake Superior State University) scored the first Lumberjack goal of the game, also a rebound at the halfway point of the game. Cruising into the slot, Humitz put the puck home for his fifth of the season and second in two games. Rem Pitlick (University of Minnesota) grabbed two points in the game, making the game 3-2 in the second period with his 19th goal of the year. They added one more in the third, trying for the comeback, as Collin Adams (University of North Dakota) scored his second of the weekend and 14th of the year on the power play.
Hayden Lavigne (University of Michigan) backstopped the team to his 13th win of the year on 31 saves. The future Wolverine made a highlight reel save in the third period to keep the Thunder on top in the game. Bloomington finished the night 2-for-3 on the power play. They also outshot the ‘Jacks 36-34 with a game high of 18 coming in the third.
Bloomington goes back to the U.S. Cellular Coliseum on Friday night to play the Des Moines Buccaneers for the first time this season. The 7 p.m. will be the first meeting of the season between the Thunder and Bucs to open Military Appreciation Weekend.
