The Sioux Falls Stampede clinched their fourth Clark Cup on Wednesday, defeating the Muskegon Lumberjacks 4‑3 in a marathon that stretched across two double‑overtime periods.
Joey Macrina delivered the decisive goal in the tenth period of play within a 24‑hour span, capping a back‑and‑forth contest that saw both teams trade leads.
Goaltending heroics
Linards Feldbergs stood tall between the pipes for Sioux Falls, turning away 41 of the 44 shots he faced, while Muskegon’s Carl Axelsson made 43 saves on 47 attempts.
The winning goal came with just 1:28 remaining in regulation, when Melvin Novotny slipped a shot past Feldbergs to give the Lumberjacks a fleeting lead before Macrina’s heroics restored the edge.
The game will be remembered as the first instance in Tier‑1 junior hockey history to feature two consecutive double‑overtime frames, underscoring the resilience of both squads.
Sioux Falls had previously lifted the Cup in 2007, 2015 and 2019, a testament to the program’s enduring excellence.
The United States Hockey League reaffirmed its ambition to remain the world’s premier junior circuit, noting that more than half of all NCAA Division I men’s hockey players and nearly a quarter of NHL skaters have passed through its ranks.
With the championship secured, the Stampede look ahead to next season’s roster and the continued development of talent such as J.J. Monteiro, who contributed the go‑ahead goal in the final frame.