Eskymos On Cloud Nine! Winning Streak Continues

SAULT STE. MARIE----They haven't beaten anybody.

That's what the Escanaba Eskymos hockey team has heard over the past few weeks as the boys won eight straight games against teams with losing records. No one, it seemed, would take the Eskymos seriously because their recent opponents were so weak.

Well, teams around the Upper Peninsula, and around the rest of Michigan, will likely take notice now.

The Eskymos extended their winning streak to nine games Tuesday night with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils at Pullar Stadium.

Eskymo captain Jake Eastin scored with 52 seconds left in the third period as Escanaba rallied from a goal down on two separate occassions in the final period.

Eastin gave the Eskymos a 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the game as he picked his corner on Blue Devil goaltender Nick Mackenzie. But with Dan Ritter in the box for tripping, the Soo tied the game on a power play goal by Will Gauthier.

The Blue Devils scored the only goal of the second period as Chris Skinner blasted one past Eskymo goaltender Nick LeMire to make it 2-1.

But the Eskymos managed to kill off a Soo power play late in the period and got to the dressing room trailing just 2-1.

In the third period, T.J. Myrick tied the game with an unassisted goal at the 3:45 mark, but the Blue Devils regained the lead with a goal on a bang-bang play less than three minutes later.

Kolbe Peller got credit for the goal as he tapped in a puck that was bouncing around in the blue paint after it ricoched off of LeMire's equipment.

But the Eskymos caught the Blue Devils napping as they rushed it quickly into the Soo zone. Freshman Calvin Pinar ripped one from the faceoff circle for the tying goal, just 34 seconds after the Blue Devils had taken the 3-2 lead on Peller's goal.

The Eskymos had scoring chances on the next shift, too, but leading scorer Levi Wunder hit the goal post from in close. Then it came down to the final minute, and it was Wunder's speed that set up what would be the game-winning goal.

As Wunder came into the Blue Devil zone, Mackenzie came out of his net to meet him. He got to the puck near the faceoff circle, but the puck hit him and bounced toward the front of the net. Seconds later, Eastin blasted it into the open net to make it 4-3.

The Blue Devils pulled their goaltender, but the Eskymos held the fort and celebrated a huge victory on the road against what most believe is the U.P.'s best high school hockey team.

The Soo had lost just two games this season: in overtime to Birmingham Brother Rice, and on the road to Muskegon Mona Shores in a downstate tournament. Sault Ste. Marie (10-3) was playing without top players Kyle TenEyck and Eric Hillock, both of whom are serving six-game suspensions.

The Blue Devils beat the Eskymos in the other regular season match-up, 3-1, last month in Escanaba.

Escanaba (10-2) will travel to another tough building this Saturday night: the Calumet Armory, now known as the Calisseum. The Eskymos-Copper Kings game starts at 6:00 Saturday night and will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600) and on rrnsports.com.

OTHER U.P. HOCKEY SCORES---The Hancock Bulldogs rallied for a 5-4 win over the Kingsford Flivvers Tuesday night.....and the Houghton Gremlins destroyed the Negaunee Miners, 9-1, at Dee Stadium.

SHOWCASE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED---The Escanaba Eskymos will play three games at the Michigan Public School Hockey Showcase next month in downstate Chelsea. Escanaba will face Hartland in its opener at 8:00 on Feb. 7. The boys will then play against Rochester United on Feb. 8 at 6:00; and will face the host Chelsea team on Feb. 9 at 12:30. Marquette and Kingsford are also competing in this tournament.

Thanks to Mary Gauthier for the photos from Tuesday's game.

Game Twelve: Escanaba Eskymos 4, Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils 3

ESCANABA 1 0 3----4
S.S. MARIE 1 1 1----3

First Period
ESC 1-0: Eastin 14 (Pinar) 5:58
SSM 1-1: Gauthier (LaCrosse, Rock) 8:15 PPG

Second Period
SSM 2-1: Skinner (Talentino, Mastaw) 9:32

Third Period
ESC 2-2: Myrick 5 (unassisted) 3:45
SSM 3-2: Peller (Formolo, Dalsky) 6:20
ESC 3-3: Pinar 2 (Chaillier, Wunder) 6:54
ESC 4-3: Eastin 15 (Wunder) 16:08

Escanaba Penalties (3/6): Ritter 2, tripping; Vandermissen 2, tripping; Chaillier 2, tripping.
Sault Ste. Marie Penalties (1/2): Hazen 2 tripping.

Power Plays: Escanaba 0/1; Sault Ste. Marie 1/3.
Shots on Goal: Escanaba 10-9-20=39; Sault Ste. Marie 10-11-14=35.

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