Eskymos Roll To Third Straight Mercy-Rule Victory

CLICK HERE to see all Upper Peninsula hockey scores and schedules.
CLICK HERE to see Escanaba Eskymo team/individual statistics.

WELLS----The Escanaba Eskymos won their fourth straight game Tuesday night, rolling over the Negaunee Miners, 9-0, at the Wells Sports Complex. The Eskymos outshot the Miners, 40-6, and won their third straight game via the mercy rule.

Jake Eastin scored a hat trick, with two of the goals coming in the final seconds of the second period as the mercy rule was kicking in. Levi Wunder added two goals, and Steve Wood, Derek Chaillier, and Nick Vandermissen all had three-assist "playmakers".

Quintin McCarthy (20) lets the puck go as Miner Ethan Ledford tries for a block.

Eskymo Coach Tim McCarthy says the team needed to pass the puck better in the second period after holding just a 2-0 after the first 17 minutes of play.

"The younger kids got a lot of playing time out there and they did what they needed to do," McCarthy said. "But in the first period, we got a little selfish at times. Everything was down low and we were just trying to punch it in. The second period was better."

And the Eskymos came out firing in the second period, scoring three goals in the first 1:53 of the period. Wunder ripped one into the upper part of the net just 13 seconds into the period.

Then Eastin made a nice individual move from the boards, deked goaltender Tony Moyle, and put it in short side to make it 4-0 at the 1:34 mark.

Dominic Aos goal.

Then, just 19 seconds later, Dominic Aos scored off a nice feed fromVandermissen, making it 5-0 and prompting Negaunee Coach Eric Hill to call "time out".

It didn't help, even though the Eskymos took several penalties that irritated McCarthy. That's because the Eskymos scored twice while shorthanded, just 73 seconds apart. One of the goals was by Wunder, and the next was by Ben Lasecki. It was 7-0.

Jalyn Dagenais is busy doing statistics.

That was all for Moyle in the Negaunee net. Tyler Riutta was brought in, and he kept the Eskymos off the board for the next ten minutes, making several nice saves.

But in the final minute of the period, Eastin scored with 23.6 seconds left. Then, with the clock running on the mercy rule, Eastin skated in again and completed his hat trick.

"In the second period, we moved the puck around more," McCarthy said. "We dominated the outside, took the shots when we needed, and had good passing. Those were some good cross-ice passes that made the goalie move."

Escanaba scored twice in the first period. T.J. Myrick broke a five-game goal-less streak with a power play marquer 6:24 into the game. Later in the period, freshman Calvin Pinar's point shot beat Moyle. It was Pinar's first career goal, and he was a happy kid.

Calvin Pinar's first high school varsity goal.

"The other team tried dumping it out of the zone, but I kept it in," Pinar said. "I took a shot, and it went in! It bounced right off the (goalie's) pad."

So, how did he feel when the puck went in?

Calvin Pinar (18) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his first goal.

"I can't even explain it," Pinar said. "It's just an honor to be out there."

It was also a milestone for another freshman: goaltender Jack Valentine. He made his varsity hockey debut, and while he wasn't tested often, nothing got by hm.

"I felt pretty good," the soft-spoken Valentine said. "The team did good and I didn't have a lot of shots on me. The defense did really good."

So, was Valentine nervous before the game?

"A little bit, at first," he admitted. "Nick (goaltender Nick LeMire) told me to stay calm and not be nervous and keep my head in the game. He's been helping me out this whole year, so I want to say thanks to him."

"I thought Jack did a good job," McCarthy said. "He didn't face a ton of shots. But the ones he faced, he blocked well. And no rebounds. He kept it right in front of him."

Jake Eastin first goal.

Escanaba ended up outshooting Negaunee (1-7), 40-6. While Valentine had six saves in net, Moyle stopped 19 of 26 shots for the Miners. Riutta stopped 12 of 14 shots.

It was the third straight game where the Eskymos seemed to be much faster than their opponents. McCarthy thinks there's a reason for that.

EHS freshman Jack Valentine (1) watches as the Miners try to get a scoring chance.

"I give my guys credit," McCarthy said. "The whole month of November, all of those two-a-days (practices). The kids were like 'coach, is this enough'? But I stay on them, and now they have no problem staying strong."

Escanaba (5-2) has won four straight games.

The Eskymos were scheduled to make the long trip to Waupun, Wis., Thursday night, to face the Warriors. But that game has been postponed because of heavy snow in the region.

Escanaba Athletic Director Dave Wilson says that they're looking at dates to reschedule the game, but no make-up date has been finalized.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Lisa Dagenais, and videos taken by Mike Dagenais. You can also listen to radio replays of some of the goals, and post-game interviews.

Game Seven---Escanaba Eskymos 9, Negaunee Miners 0

NEGAUNEE 0 0 X----0
ESCANABA 2 7 X----9

First Period
ESC 1-0: Myrick 3 (Wood, Lasecki) 6:24 PPG
ESC 2-0: Pinar 1 (una) 10:40

Second Period
ESC 3-0: Wunder 8 (Vandermissen, Myrick) 0:13
ESC 4-0: Eastin 8 (Wood) 1:34
ESC 5-0: Aos 2 (Vandermissen) 1:53
ESC 6-0: Wunder 9 (Chaillier, Vandermissen) 4:23 SHG
ESC 7-0: Lasecki 3 (Eastin, Chaillier) 5:36 SHG
ESC 8-0: Eastin 9 (Wunder, Chaillier) 16:36
ESC 9-0: Eastin 10 (Wood) 16:57

Escanaba Penalties (5/10): Aos 2 slashing; LaMarch 2 tripping; McCarthy 2 roughing; Casey 2 tripping; Aird 2 tripping.

Negaunee Penalties (4/8): Jacobsen 2 cross-checking; Ledford 2 roughing; Ledford 2 high-sticking; Roth 2 tripping.

Power Plays: Escanaba 1/2; Negaunee 0/4.
Shots on Goal: Escanaba 17-23=40; Negaunee 3-3=6.
Three Stars: 1. Wood, ESC; 2. Valentine, ESC; 3. Pinar, ESC.

Esky's Levi Wunder (21) is on the doorstep as Miners Luke Jacobsen (16) and Alex Roth (12) try to catch up.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

11/27	7:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	7 - 5 (W)	1-0

12/5	7:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	1 - 3 (L)	1-1

12/7	7:30 PM	at Macomb Dakota	0 - 8 (L)	1-2

12/8	12:45 PM	at Utica Eisenhower	4 - 1 (W)	2-2

12/14	8:15 PM	Tomahawk, Wis.	9 - 1 (W)	3-2

12/15	2:15 PM	L'Anse Purple Hornets	9 - 1 (W)	4-2

12/18	7:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	9 - 0 (W)	5-2

12/28	8:15 PM	Monroe, Wis.	9 - 1 (W)	6-2

12/29	2:00 PM	Painesdale-Jeffers Jets	9 - 1 (W)	7-2

1/4	6:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	9 - 0 (W)	8-2

1/5	1:30 PM	at Grand Blanc Bobcats	9 - 1 (W)	9-2

1/8	7:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	4 - 3 (W)	10-2

1/12	6:00 PM	at Calumet Copper Kings	2 - 5 (L)	10-3

1/15	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	3 - 1 (W)	11-3

1/26	7:00 PM	at Cheboygan Chiefs	8 - 0 (W)	12-3

2/1	7:00 PM	Alpena Wildcats	9 - 2 (W)	13-3

2/2	1:00 PM	Alpena Wildcats	6 - 4 (W)	14-3

2/7	8:00 PM	at Hartland Eagles	4 - 2 (W)	15-3

2/8	6:00 PM	at Rochester United	1 - 0 (W)	16-3

2/9	12:30 PM	at Chelsea Bulldogs	6 - 5 (W)	17-3

2/12	7:00 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	7 - 5 (W)	18-3

2/15	7:00 PM	Calumet Copper Kings	7 - 3 (W)	19-3

2/16	1:00 PM	Hancock Bulldogs	4 - 3 (W)	20-3

2/18	7:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	8 - 0 (W)	21-3

2/21	7:00 PM	Kingsford Flivvers	6 - 3 (W)	22-3

2/26	7:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	8 - 0 (W)	23-3

2/28	7:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	8 - 0 (W)	24-3

3/2	1:00 PM	Saginaw Heritage Hawks	1 - 2 (L)	24-4