STATE CHAMPIONS! Escanaba Pee-Wees Perfect

ALPENA---The Escanaba Binks Peewee hockey team didn't do it the easy way, but they got the job done at the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association's state tournament.

Escanaba won all five games at the tournament, including Sunday's 5-4 victory over Fraser in the championship game at Alpena's Northern Lights Arena. All five games saw the Hawks jump out to the lead, give up a couple of goals, then hang on at the end.

Escanaba won the semifinal game, 5-3, over Plymouth Sunday morning in a contest that wasn't decided until the Hawks scored an empty net goal.

And after a few hours of sitting around, the boys (and girls) went back to action against the metro-Detroit team from Fraser, which hadn't lost a game all season long. Escanaba wasn't scared.

The Fraser Metro Jets jumped out to a quick lead four minutes into the game, but Escanaba’s Nick Kolich struck back, scoring two goals, with Nick Martin and Chloe Allen having the assists. Kadon Hayes and Ayden Mylander scored for Esky in the second period, and so the second period ended with the Hawks in front, 4-2 4

The Metro Jets scored twice to tie it up in the third period, but with 6:11 to go in the game, Brayden Roberts scored, with assists going to Chloe Allen and Maddie Fulsher.

But it wasn't over yet. The Hawks had to fight off three penalties in the closing minutes, including a 5-on-3 power play situation for 50 seconds.

Goaltender Bryce Buchbinder held down the fort, making 2 saves as Frase outshot Escanaba, 36-20.

Buchbinder was chosen the game's Most Valuable Player, and the Hawks celebrated.

The Escanaba kids were treated like heroes after they made the four-hour ride home in a caravan from Alpena to the Wells Sports Complex. It was about 10:30 Sunday night, but Escanaba Public Safety escorted the team around town with a fire truck and two squad cars, and then everyone had a brief celebration at the rink.

It was a tournament that will show the Escanaba kids with a perfect 5-0 record, but the games were far from easy. Escanaba finished pool play undefeated.

The Hawks won their second game in pool play on Saturday, 6-3, over the host team.

Escanaba jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period on goals from Kaden Hayes and Ayden Mylander. Nick Kolich added a goal in the second, and Esky led going into the third period.

Brayden Roberts put in a rebound early in the third, but Alpena battled back and scored three straight goals to make it 4-3 with seven minutes to go in the game.

Roberts and Mylander were each able to find the back of the net toward the end of the game and Escanaba won, 6-3. The kids finished their sweep of pool play by beating Westland, 9-2.

Esky jumped on top right away with Kadon Hayes and Maddie Fulsher getting goals in the first 3 minutes of the game. Esky never looked back and went on to win 9-2.

Also scoring for Escanaba was Brayden Roberts, Nick Kolich (four goals) and Ayden Mylander (two goals). Getting assists were: Jace Holmio, Nick Martin (two goals), Maddie Fulsher, Ayden Mylander, Cole Crowe, and Kadon Hayes.

In Friday's first game against Grand Valley, Mylander got Esky on the board in a quick way, scoring three straight goals in a span of 33 seconds midway through the first period. After Grand Valley scored, Hayes put another one in late in the first period, giving Escanaba a 4-1 lead. There was no scoring in the second period, and then Grand Valley battled back and pulled to within 4-3 midway thru the third period.

But Mylander and Cole Crowe each scored late in the third period to seal the victory. Buchbinder made 14 saves in net for Escanaba, but his best games were still to come.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos from the tournament, along with video highlights and Roberts' interview.