Eskymos Starting Busy Stretch Drive At Showcase

CHELSEA, Mich.---The Escanaba High School hockey team made the long trip downstate Wednesday to take part in the Michigan Public High School Showcase in Chelsea. The Eskymos will play three games in three days for the third time this season.

The first time, between Christmas and New Year's, the Eskymos won three straight games to take the championship of a tournament in suburban Milwaukee. The second time, the Eskymos split a pair of games at a showcase tournament in Traverse City before coming home to beat the University of Detroit Jesuit on a Sunday afternoon.

This time, it's on an even bigger stage, at the 52-team Showcase at the Arctic Coliseum.

"It's a great showcase," Escanaba Coach Matt Hughes said Wednesday as the team held a 50-minute-long practice in Gaylord. "The kids see it on the schedule and they look forward to it. It's set up very nice as far as being matched up against good quality teams."

Escanaba, with a mostly young team this season, has had an up-and-down campaign, with an 8-9-0 record. Because of that, the Eskymos won't face the Showcase teams with the top records.

Rather, they will face teams who are having similar seasons record-wise.

"They go by strength of schedule, your current record, things like that," Hughes said. "So we don't get the schedule until a couple of weeks prior to the showcase. Overall, the kids look forward to it. It's a trip downstate, and they really, really enjoy themselves."

"It's a really good tournament," Escanaba senior forward Parker LaMarch said. "I've been coming down here for the last three years, and there's a lot of good hockey teams. There's a bunch of good competition that we'll be playing, and we have three tough opponents that we'll play this weekend. We've got to start on time."

Escanaba will face Plymouth Salem Thursday night at 6:00, Muskegon Mona Shores Friday at 4:00, and Woodhaven-Brownstown Saturday at noon. All three games will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrsnports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos from Wednesday's practice, and LaMarch and Hughes comments.