UP Hockey Teams Battle In Overtime At Showcase

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TRAVERSE CITY---The North-South High School Hockey Showcase wrapped up Saturday in snowbound Traverse City, with three Upper Peninsula teams in action. And there was extra hockey for all three U.P. teams as Escanaba, Kingsford, and Marquette playing overtime.

Marquette defeated Howell, 4-3; Escanaba got by Plymouth, 2-1; and Kingsford lost a tough one to Chippewa Valley, 4-3. The Upper Peninsula teams went 5-0-1 in this tournament.

ESCANABA 2, PLYMOUTH 1 (OT)---Cale Carter scored with 40 seconds left in the eight-minute overtime period to break a 1-1 tie and give the Escanaba Eskymos a 2-1 victory over the Plymouth Wildcats on Saturday. Carter took a goal-mouth pass from Graham Johnson and slid it past goaltender Liam Villalobos. Carter also scored Escanaba's first goal, off assists from Nolan Bink and Johnson, to give Escanaba (7-8-0) a 1-0 lead entering the third period. Noah Smentowski scored with 3:30 left to tie the game for the Wildcats. Goaltender Cully Hayes stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced. Villalobos had 40 saves for Plymout (8-7-0).

MARQUETTE 4, HOWELL 3 (OT)---Tucker Welch scored 56 seconds into the overtime periof to lead the Marquette Redmen to a 4-3 win over the Howell Highlanders on Saturday. Welch skated behind the Howell defense and scored the unassisted goal, leading Marquette (14-2-0) to its 13th straight victory on the season. Joel Eskola had sent the game to overtime for Howell with a goal with the goaltender pulled with 48 seconds left in the third period. Kyle Moyer, Nash Riipi and Brody Sheldon also scored for Marquette, and goaltender Parker Nevenhoven made 12 saves in net to earn the victory. Howell fell to 11-5-1 on the season.

CHIPPEWA VALLEY 4, KINGSFORD 3 (OT)---Kevin Dolney scored with 2:43 left in the overtime period to lead Chippewa Valley United to a 4-3 win over the Kingsford Flivvers on Saturday. Dolney went in on a 2-on-0 with Brendan Griffith and beat a helpess goaltender Brett Berglund to end the contest. Kingsford had carried a 3-2 lead into the third period on goals by Evan Moyer, Gavin Moore, and Jake Crockford. The Flivvers outshot CVU, 26-24, with Berglund making 20 saves and Zack Wiggington making 23 stops for CVU. The Flivvers fell to 4-12-0 on the season, while Chippewa Valley improved to 9-7-0.