MUSKEGON, Mich. – After trailing 4-0 in the first period, the Tri-City Storm battled back to tie Saturday night's contest with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, but allowed a late power play goal to fall 6-5 against the Muskegon Lumberjacks at Trinity Health Arena. 

Muskegon (25-11-7, 55 pts) has won 13 of 19 games on home ice this season. Tri-City (18-20-3, 39 pts) has dropped a season-high four straight contests. 

Muskegon scored its first four goals inside a four-minute span during the opening period. Teddy Spitznagel collected his ninth tally of the season at the 10:44 mark of the frame after sliding a quick one-timer past Tri-City netminder Ryder Fetterolf. Fetterolf, a 2008-born Storm affiliate player, made his USHL debut on Saturday. Spitznagel received his one-time feed in the left wing circle of Tri-City's zone. 

Slightly under a minute later, Tynan Lawrence doubled Muskegon's lead. Following a netfront scramble in the Tri-City crease, the puck made its way to Lawrence in the right wing circle of the Storm zone. The forward clapped the puck into Tri-City's net for his sixteenth goal of the campaign. 

Muskegon took a 3-0 lead while on a 2-on-2 offensive rush in the Tri-City zone. Lawrence fed the puck from the left wing circle to Ivan Ryabkin, who made a nifty move in front of Fetterolf to score his seventh goal in eleven games with the Lumberjacks this year. 

Twelve seconds later, Muskegon led 4-0 after Jack Galanek sped through neutral ice to the right wing circle of the Storm zone and roofed a snapshot past Fetterolf on the blocker side. 

Tri-City then began its comeback attempt and produced the next three goals. Cam Springer scored his fifth of the year to open Tri-City's scoring at the 15:56 mark of the opening frame. Bonkowski sent a long feed to Springer at the Muskegon line. The Bowling Green commit lifted a backhand shot over Lumberjack goaltender Stephen Peck for his fifth tally of the season. 

A little under three minutes later, Tri-City's Charlie Pardue collected his fourth tally of the year on a one-timer at the bottom of the left wing circle in the Muskegon zone. Lincoln Hjelm, who possessed the puck behind the Lumberjack net, fed a pass in Pardue's direction. The feed deflected off the side of the cage, then reached Pardue, who chipped it over Peck's glove side. 

The Storm cut Muskegon's lead to one with a shorthanded tally just beyond the halfway mark of the second. As Ilya Morozov served a minor penalty for delay of game, Nolan Roed won a board battle on the left wing of the Muskegon zone, then skated the stolen puck toward Peck. The St. Cloud State commit lifted a backhand shot over Peck's left shoulder for his league-leading fifth shorthanded tally of the season. 

The Lumberjacks regained a multi-goal advantage prior to the second intermission. David Deputy snatched the puck on the left wing boards at neutral ice, then evaded Tri-City's defense as he entered the Muskegon offensive zone. The Miami commit motored up the left wing and chipped the puck past Fetterolf's glove side for his fourteenth tally of the year. 

The Storm struck back with the first two goals of the third period, tying the contest at five. After a strong Tri-City forecheck in the Muskegon zone, Colby Woogk received a turned-over puck and threw a shot from the left point that danced past Peck at the 8:55 mark of the third. It was Woogk's fifth of the campaign. 

Tri-City tied the game with just over three minutes remaining. As the Storm possessed the puck in their offensive zone during Tri-City's sixth power play chance of the night, Carmelo Crandell sent a rink-wide feed to Paul Bloomer in the left wing circle. The Chicago native one-timed the puck, which redirected off the left leg of Muskegon's Cameron Aucoin, and fluttered past Peck. It was Bloomer's third tally of the year. 

Woogk was assessed a minor penalty with just under 2:30 left in the third as Muskegon looked to swiftly exit its zone. After fanning at a shot attempt near the right point of the Lumberjack's end, the Western Michigan commit interfered Muskegon puck pursuer Vaclav Nestrasil, which handed the Lumberjacks a late power play. 

It took Muskegon just eight seconds to score on the man advantage. The Lumberjack's Xavier Veilleux fed Ryabkin, who blasted a cross-ice one-time feed beyond Fetterolf from the top of the right wing circle to make it 6-5. Ryabkin's shot went in with 2:16 left in regulation. 

Tri-City called an immediate timeout and eventually pulled Fetterolf for an empty net. Despite a handful of good looks during the 6-on-5 advantage, the Storm could not find a late equalizer. 

It was the first time Tri-City had put up five or more goals in a game since January 18 against Des Moines.  

Fetterolf stopped 25 of 31 shots in his USHL debut. Peck halted 20 of 25 shots to collect his second win of the weekend. The New York City native also started last night's contest for Muskegon. 

The Storm have now dropped five consecutive "true" road games. 

Up next: Tri-City returns home to face Sioux City in a two-game series next weekend at Viaero Center. Puckdrop on Friday is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT. Saturday's game will begin at 6:05 pm CT.

Another FunZone Friday takes place next week. Pizza Ranch is the presenting sponsor of FunZone Friday. Kid's tickets are $5.00 with the purchase of a full-price adult ticket at all remaining Friday home games this season. The first 50 kid's tickets purchased at the box office for a Friday Storm home game will receive a FunZone Arcade bounce back card, good for $5.00 worth of gameplay. The FunZone Arcade is located inside of Pizza Ranch in Kearney. 

The Storm are also offering a Valentine's special on Friday night. Couples can purchase two tickets for $14.  Each couple that takes advantage is automatically entered to win a Valentine's giveaway. The Storm will hand out two $50 gift cards to Joy's Table, plus a grand prize package that consists of flowers from Divas Floral, cupcakes from Smallcakes Cupcakery, a $50 Gift Card to Joy's Table, and a $100 Gift Card for massages at Simply Steele. Winners will be announced during the third period of Friday's game. 

Saturday is Kool-Aid Night sponsored by Kool-Aid Days, honoring the legendary beverage created in Hastings. Join the Storm for another special jersey night that includes fun with the Kool-Aid man, a chance to peek at the Kool-Aid Koolectable, and samples of Kool-Aid drinks. Each special Kool-Aid jersey worn by a Storm player and Stormy will be auctioned off live on the ice after the game. 

To purchase tickets for Friday and Saturday's games, visit stormhockey.com, call the Storm at 308-338-8144, or stop by the Viaero Center box office in-person. FunZone Friday tickets are only available in-person at the box office.