END OF THE LINE: Marquette Eliminates Eskymos

MARQUETTE---The Marquette Redmen scored three goals in the third period to eliminate the Escanaba Eskymos, 4-2, in the first round of the MHSAA Division Two hockey regional tournament Tuesday night in Marquette.

The Redmen advance to the regional semifinals against the Kingsford Flivvers, who survived a major upset bid by beating Negaunee, 7-6, in overtime. Joe Murvich had the overtime winner for Kingsford, which trailed that game, 5-3, after two periods.

Marquette also trailed heading into the third period at Lakeview. The Eskymos scored two goals in less than a minute in the second period after Ethan Jones had given Marquette the lead with a power play goal late in the first period.

For the Eskymos, Garth Wickham scored (with his brother Grant assisting) at the very end of a five-on-three power play midway through the second period.

And then seconds later, the Eskymos took the lead when Wickham's shot bounced into the net off of a skate. Chris LeMire was given credit for that goal.

But in the third period, things changed when the Redmen started to carry the play. And just over three minutes into the period, when three Marquette players started to jam away after a loose puck in front of Eskymo goaltender Brodie Goddard. Ryan Morrisey made the last push, getting it across the goal line, tying the game at the 3:46 mark.

And then, just two minutes later, Marquette went ahead when Luke Beerman, who was cherry-picking in the neutral zone, caught up to a puck that went high into the air and bounced onto his stick at center ice. He went in on goal and shot it on Goddard, who got a piece of it, but not enough. The puck trickled across the line for a Marquette lead.

Escanaba had its chances to rety the game, with a two-minute power play with less than five minutes to play.

But Marquette goaltender Dylan Sibilsky made the skate save on Eskymo senior Paul Carne on two occassions, and he stopped LeMire as well.

In the final 1:09, the desperate Eskymos pulled Goddard for an extra attacker, and again had two good scoring chances turned away.

Marquette clinched the game when Joe Phillips scored an empty-net goal with 26.8 seconds left in the game.

The final shots on goal were sparse: Marquette 19, Escanaba 14.

Escanaba finishes its season with an 11-15-0 record, and says goodbye to six seniors: Carne, LeMire, Wickham, Parker LaMarch, Noah Olsen, and Kyle Egner.

Marquette hosts Kingsford Thursday night. The other semifinal pits Petoskey and Muskegon Mona Shores. The regional final is Saturday in Gaylord.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS above to see photos and videos taken by Sandi Young, and to hear interviews with Eskymo freshman Ethan Silverstone and student manager Zach Denome.