Wickham Hat Trick Sends Eskymos Past Kingsford

IRON MOUNTAIN---Garth Wickham scored three times, including twice in the third period, and the Escanaba Eskymos held off the Kingsford Flivvers, 5-4, Thursday night.

Wickham's third goal was his best, as he split between two defenders at center ice and raced in on goaltender Trevor Anderson. He double-deked and scored, making it a 5-3 game. Kingsford scored with eight seconds left in the game, but the Eskymos held on.

"It was nice to score a couple goals on my buddy Trevor Anderson," Wickham said. "He played a good game otherwise, though. I saw my opportunity and I took it. Number 22 there (Kingsford defenseman Ben Johnson), I played with him a lot in Green Bay, so I knew he was going to go for the poke. So, I just tried to go wide on him and it worked."

That goal gave Wickham his 20th of the season, five of which have come against the Flivvers.

It was his team-leading 29th point, and it was his third hat trick of the season.

Wickham's goal capped a wild flurry for Escanaba, which scored four times in the third period. The period started with Kingsford ahead, 2-1, but Wickham scored his first goal just 52 seconds in, as Chris LeMire stole the puck and passed it to him.

After Kingsford's Sawyer Perpich scored an unassisted goal off an Eskymo turnover to make put his team up 3-2, Escanaba sefenseman Paul Carne made a beautiful cross-ice pass to his little brother, Christer, who slammed it into a wide-open net to re-tie it at 3.

Then with less than seven minutes left in the game, Wickham scored his second goal to make it4-3. On that play, rookie Luke Labre held the puck in at the line and got it to LeMire, who did a nice give-and-go play with Wickham inside the Flivver zone.

LeMire was grateful for the win, but not too happy with the overall effort.

"We played pretty sloppy throughout the entire game," LeMire said. "But we found ways to score, and that's what mattered most. We had a few break-downs in the 'D' zone and that's what cost us, especially against teams like this. You keep them in the game, and they can come back."

Rease Hubert had Escanaba's first goal with 28 seconds left in the first period as the Eskymos outshot the Flivvers, 18-7.

In the second period, though, Daunte Fortner and Trent Juul scored goals five minutes apart to give Kingsford the 2-1 lead.

That set up a wild third period, which allowed the Eskymos to get revenge for an earlier 5-3 loss to Kingsford back in November at the Wells Sports Complex.

Escanaba improved to 11-11-0 on the season, with another road game set for next Thursday night in Sault Ste. Marie. Kingsford, which played with out injured seniors Joe Murvich and Austin VanPembrook, had its season record fall to 8-9-1.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos taken by Micky LaMarch, hear radio replays of goals by Carne and Wickham, and hear interviews with Scout Wunder, Wickham, and LeMire....as well as Grant Wickham's player spotlight interview.