MERCY! Eskymos Top Marquette In Home Opener

WELLS---"Beating Marquette never gets old".

Those were the words of Escanaba senior defenseman Derek Chaillier before his Eskymo hockey team played the arch-rival Redmen Tuesday night at the Wells Sports Complex.

After losing so many times to the Redmen over the years, the Eskymos won three straight against Marquette last year, and were favorites to do it again Tuesday night.

And even though the Marquette program is currently in rebuilding mode, the Eskymos are enjoying the unusual success against the Redmen to the fullest.

Chaillier had three assists and added a goal, and Levi Wunder had five points as the Eskymos won over the Redmen again, 8-0.

"We went over the game plan, and they stuck with it," Eskymo Coach Matt Hughes said. "We got a quick one 30 seconds into the game, and I think that got us some momentum."

"It took us a while to get the next couple, but once they started coming, the kids started recognizing and reacting to what was happening."

Steve Wood goal makes it 2-0 Eskymos.

The game was stopped on the mercy rule with 1:50 left in the third period as Wunder scored just eleven seconds after Chaillier lit the lamp with a power play goal.

Sophomore Calvin Pinar set the tone early for Escanaba, scoring the game's first goal just 30 sec0nds into the contest. Escanaba outshot Marquette, 20-4, during that first period, but Pinar's goal was the only one to get by goaltender Travis Cameron.

Calvin Pinar interview.

"I got a nice pass from Derek on the point," Pinar said of his goal. "I saw an open shot, so I just took it. It deflected off of one of the the defenseman and went in."

The floodgates opened in the second period, however, as Escanaba scored four times. Steve Wood scored at the 2:48 mark, then Wunder scored on the power play at 7:22.

Less than a minute later, T.J. Myrick went to-shelf for a goal that gave Escanaba a 4-0 lead.

Then Wunder tapped one into an open net with 52 seconds left in the second period, expanding the lead to 5-0.

Shots on goal were 39-7 Escanaba at that point.

Marquette tried to clog up the middle against the Eskymos in the third period, trying to prevent the game from becoming a mercy-rule contest.

The Redmen had some success at slowing down the Eskymos, and even had two scoring chances. Both were turned aside by Escanaba senior goaltender Nick LeMire.

Escanaba took a 6-0 lead on a Hunter LaMarch goal with 4:29 left in the game. Then, LaMarch got taken head-first into the ice by Marquette's Lucas Klingler. Escanaba capitalized twice on that major charging penalty to end the game with an 8-0 score.

First, it was Chaillier scoring with 2:01 left, then Wunder completed his hat trick.

"When you see one of your guys go down like that, it obviously brings a lot of energy to the bench," Wunder said about the hit on LaMarch. "We got the five-minute power play, and we figured, we might as well put this game away."

Escanaba (3-1-0) outshot Marquette (0-2-1), 47-13, in the contest.

Wunder ended up with three goals and two assists to again lead the way. And it took a while, but Chaillier finally ended a goal and three assists back on the Eskymo blue line.

"We just had to keep shooting at the goalie," Chaillier said, after being kept off of the scoresheet until halfway through the second period. "He wasn't very strong and he kept giving up huge rebounds. We just had to keep pounding it in."

Levi Wunder scores to make it 3-0 Eskymos.

Hughes was happy with what he saw out of Chaillier at both ends of the ice.

"He's a great player," Hughes said of Chaillier. "That's why he wears the (captain's) 'C' for us. He shows up on a daily basis. Both in practice, and in the games. He always finds a way to get into the play, and makes things happen."

Wood, LaMarch, and Pinar each had a goal and an assist. Lyle added two assists.

TJ Myrick goal makes it 4-0.

Escanaba travels to Negaunee next Monday night, then hosts Sault Ste. Marie next Tuesday. Those two games will not be broadcast on the radio in Delta County. But we will still post recaps of those two games afterwards here on www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Lisa Dagenais, videos taken by Josh Nelson and Mike Dagenais, and listen to radio replays and interviews.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

11/22	7:00 PM	at Houghton Gremlins	0 - 6 (L)	0-1

11/29	7:00 PM	at Alpena Wildcats	5 - 4 (W)	1-1

11/30	1:00 PM	at Alpena Wildcats	3 - 0 (W)	2-1

12/3	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	8 - 0 (W)	3-1

12/9	7:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	7 - 0 (W)	4-1

12/10	7:00 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	2 - 4 (L)	4-2

12/14	1:00 PM	Hancock Bulldogs	3 - 0 (W)	5-2

12/20	7:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	1 - 5 (L)	5-3

12/27	8:00 PM	Painesdale-Jeffers Jets	5 - 2 (W)	6-3

12/29	4:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	5 - 2 (W)	7-3

1/3	6:30 PM	at Cheboygan Chiefs	8 - 0 (W)	8-3

1/4	12:30 PM	at Grand Blanc Bobcats	11 - 3 (W)	9-3

1/11	7:00 PM	Calumet Copper Kings	8 - 1 (W)	10-3

1/14	7:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	2 - 2 (T)	10-3-1

1/17	6:15 PM	Macomb Dakota	3 - 4 (L)	10-4-1

1/18	1:15 PM	Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett	3 - 3 (T)	10-4-2

1/21	7:00 PM	Kingsford Flivvers	8 - 2 (W)	11-4-2

1/29	7:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	1 - 7 (L)	11-5-2

2/6	2:00 PM	Farmington High School	2 - 4 (L)	11-6-2

2/7	12:15 PM	at Marysville High School	6 - 2 (W)	12-6-2

2/8	12:30 PM	Berkley-Ferndale United	2 - 2 (T)	12-6-3

2/11	7:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	12 - 1 (W)	13-6-3

2/14	7:00 PM	at Calumet Copper Kings	4 - 1 (W)	14-6-3

2/15	1:00 PM	at Hancock Bulldogs	2 - 3 (L)	14-7-3

2/20	7:00 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	7 - 2 (W)	15-7-3

2/25	7:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	3 - 0 (W)	16-7-3

2/27	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	1 - 2 (L)	16-8-3