Eskymos Rip Jets To Run Win Streak To Six Games

WELLS----This time, it took a little bit longer to get the job done.

But the result of Saturday's Escanaba Eskymos hockey game was the same as the past four victories: a mercy-killing. Escanaba beat Painesdale-Jeffers, 9-1, to win the championship of the Dick Johnsen Memorial Tournament at the Wells Sports Complex.

Esky's Derek Chailler (10) plays defense.

Levi Wunder ended the game 2:16 into the third period with a top-shelf goal that sent the goalie's water bottle flying.

That invoked the eight-goal mercy rule a bit later than in the last four Eskymo wins, which all ended after two periods of play.

But Eskymo Coach Tim McCarthy was pleased with this win more-so than the others because his team took control early and kept their feet on the pedal all afternoon long.

"What I like most about it is how we responded," McCarthy said. "We came out right away in that first period, took possession, put it down in their end, and kept it there. We attacked, and we kept attacking. That's what we're good at. They responded."

Said Eskymo captain, Jake Eastin: "Just as a team, we were just playing better, passing, shooting, and obviously, sccoring."

The Eskymos entered the game believing that this game would be tougher than the wins over Negaunee, Tomahawak, L'Anse, and Monroe. After all, the Jeffers Jets came into the game with a 5-3 record that included wins over downstate opponents Big Rapids and Gaylord. But Escanaba jumped on the Jets early with two goals in the first 3:44.

Escanaba Eskymo goaltender Nick LeMire

Nick Vandermissen got the party started with a goal just 83 seconds into the game, then captain Jake Eastin tallied two minutes later. Vandermissen scored an unassisted goal at the 11:40 mark, and then he completed his hat trick with a power play goal at 12:42.

Vandermissen and the Eskymos had the Copper Country vistors in a 4-0 hole.

"I guess we're just figuring out where we're all going to go," Vandermissen said about he and his linemates' position pm the ice. "It's getting good."

Wunder scored his 13th goal of the season just 13 seconds into the second perios....a luck number for the Eskymo sophomore.

The Jets' Travis Wesa beat Eskymo goaltender Nick LeMire at the 4:57 mark to break the shutout, but the Eskymos responded quickly.

Levi Wunder Ends The Game

Vandermissen scored two more goals less than three minutes apart, both set up by Wunder. That gave Escanaba a 7-1 lead, and Vandermissen had five goals.

So, when is the last time that Vandermissen scored that many goals in a hockey game?

"I don't know, maybe in squirts?" he said.

Jeffers' Travis Wesa (14) carries the play as Escanaba's Dan Ritter (19) watches.

So, with Wunder, Vandermissen, and Eastin all scoring....who will be the top scorer?

"It doesn't matter," McCarthy said. "It really doesn't. They have nice eyes. They're looking for the pass. Nobody is being greedy about it. They know that anybody can score. It is really nice to see them share that."

"Ya, Nick and Levi are starting to run away from me (in the points standings)," Eastin laughed. "They've kicked it into gear!"

T.J. Myrick scored an unassisted power play goal with four minutes left in the second period, making it 8-1.

And it looked like it would be another two-period game when Vandermissen had the puck on his stick in the closing seconds of the period.

Nick Vandermissen goal makes it 6-1.

But, Jeffers goaltender Max Durocher made the save. Vandermissen rolled his eyes.

"The puck just bounced out and I thought that I had it," Vandermissen said. "I just couldn't finish it!"

It was only a matter of time, though, before the Eskymos would end it. In the early part of the third period, Wunder picked up a loose puck at center ice, skated in on goal, and ripped a top-shelf goal to end the game 2:16 into the third period.

EHS captain Jake Eastin (6) wipes out as he slides into Jeffers goalie Dax Durocher (30).

"We're feeling good," Vandermissen said. "We know that tough teams are gonna come up (on the schedule) next month."

Eastin says that he and his teammates wanted this win badly.

"We came in with the mindset that they were coming in here to take our trophy away from us," Eastin said. "We went as hard as we could and just took it to them."

Statistically, freshman Dylan Gauthier was a (+6) in the game. Chaillier was a (+4).

Escanaba (7-2) outshot Jeffers (5-4), 32-9.

The Eskymos will travel to Houghton next weekend to compete in the Jeffers New Year's Tournament.

Escanaba will not face Jeffers in the tournament. The Eskymos will take on Negaunee Friday night and Grand Blanc from Lower Michigan on Saturday.

We will broadcats both Eskymo games from Michigan Tech University's Student Ice Arena next weekend. The Friday night game starts at 6:00 and can be heard on WGKL-FM (105.5) and WCHT-AM (600). The Saturday game at 1:00 will be on AM-600.

Both games can be heard live over the Internet here at www.rrnsports.com.

Negaunee Miners celebrate their win

NEGAUNEE 11, MONROE (Wis.) 3---In the third place game of the Dick Johnsen Memorial Tournament on Saturday, the Negaunee Miners turned back the Monroe (Wis.) Avalanche, 11-3.

The win broke Negaunee's eight-game losing streak since the team's season-opening win over Lapeer in the Alpena Showcase.

In Saturday's game, the Miners led, 3-1, after the first period, and 7-2 after two periods of play.

The Miners invoked the eight-goal mercy rule late in the third period when freshman Jeff Matthews scored.

Ryan Syrjala had a hat trick for the Miners, and he had a playmaker as well....a total of six points for the sophomore forward.

Sophomore Cole Francis had two goals and an assist, and Mike Farley also scored twice for Negaunee (2-8). Other Negaunee goal-scorers were Ryan Bischof, Chad Larson, and Cody Wetton. Tony Moyle stopped 32 of 35 shots to earn the win in net.

Monroe's record fell to 0-8 on the season.

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

Game Nine: Escanaba Eskymos 9, Painesdale-Jeffers Jets 1

P.JEFFERS 0 1 0----1
ESCANABA 4 4 1----9

First Period
ESC 1-0: Vandermissen 10 (Wunder) 1:23
ESC 2-0: Eastin 12 (Lasecki) 3:44
ESC 3-0: Vandermissen 11 (una) 11:40
ESC 4-0: Vandermissen 12 (Eastin) 12:42 PPG

Second Period
ESC 5-0: Wunder 14 (una) 0:13
JEF 1-5: Wesa (Harris) 4:57
ESC 6-1: Vandermissen 13 (Wunder) 6:17
ESC 7-1: Vandermissen 14 (Wunder, Chaillier) 10:07
ESC 8-1: Myrick 4 (una) 13:00 PPG

Third Period
ESC 9-1: Wunder 15 (una) 2:16

Escanaba Penalties (0/0): None.

Jeffers Penalties (5/10): Rickard 2 tripping; Harris 2 roughing; Michaels 2 roughing; Wesa 2 slashing; Kumpula 2 tripping.

Power Plays: Escanaba 2/5; Jeffers 0/0.
Shots on Goal: Escanaba 14-15-3=32; Jeffers 3-6-0=9.

The Escanaba Eskymos pose with their championship trophy on Saturday afteroon in Wells.

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