Hayes, Bourdeau Help Eskymos Beat Ashwaubenon

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear interviews with Sawyer LaMarch, Cully Hayes, Carson Hughes, Keagan Braun, Ast. Coach Ethan Silverstone, and Head Coach Andy Johnson.

ESCANABA---Golatender Cully Hayes made 31 saves and Gunner Bourdeau scored two third period goals as the Escanaba High School hockey team turned back the Ashwaubenon (Wis.) Jaguars, 4-3, Friday night at the Wells Sports Complex.

The Eskymos fought through a team-wide bout with the flu, and lots of penalty trouble, to pick up their 14th win of the season.

Escanaba also picked up a forfeit win from Negaunee because the Miners don't have enough players to come for Saturday night's game. So, the Eskymos were awarded a 1-0 win and now have a 15-7-0 record with three games remaining in the regular season.

"When you play rough games like that, the refs start calling everything and anything," said Escanaba Coach Andy Johnson, who was one of those hit with the illness bug. "Unfortunately, we had that parade to the penalty box in the second period. But the boys worked so hard to kill those off."

"It was tough," Eskymo Captain Sawyer LaMarch said. "Second period, we had 12 minutes of penalties. You can't really do much when you're shorthanded pretty much the entire period. We're really good at getting penalties and killing them. We've been battling the sickness the past week or so, and everyone was just sloppy and lazy in warm-ups. But, I don't know, we just brought it together and put our game together that got us a W."

Ashwaubenon fell to 14-8-0 on the season.

The Jaguars struck first with a goal from Matt Schuch at the 9:32 mark of the first period, but the Eskymos drew even with 40 seconds left in the period as LaMarch got the puck to Graham Johnson in the Jaguar zone. Johnson put a perfect pass onto Nolan Bink's stick in front of the net and Bink pushed it past goaltdender Lincoln Simons to tie the game at 1-1.

Escanaba ran into a lot of penalty trouble in the second period, the same way as in Tuesday's win down in DePere, Wis. But this time, one pf the penalties caught up to the Eskymos as the Jaguars took a 2-1 lead at the 11:30 mark as senior Caden VanDuyse found the back of the net.

The parade to the penalty box continued all period long, as Trevor Streichert was given 12 minutes in penalties, and Bourdeau went to the box twice in the period: once for a cross check, and once for interference. The Eskymos survied the period, though, trailing just 2-1, despite being outshot, 28-10. Hayes stopped 26 shots in those two periods, several from in close.

Bourdeau was called for his third penalty (another cross check) just 1:24 into the third period. But the Eskymos turned the tables on that Ashwaubenon power play when Cale Carter jumped on a loose puck, went strong into the Jaguar zone, and put the pass on LaMarch's stick. The senior captain made no mistake as he scored the shorthanded goal, making it 2-2.

The Eskymos went shorthanded again just 21 seconds after that goal as Brett Labre was called for a cross check, but they were able to kill off that penalty. Escanaba had seven penalties, three each by Bourdeau and Streichert.

Midway through the period, the Eskymos got a power play as Ethan Pullen went in for tripping. Just 16 seconds later, Bourdeau got the last laugh as he rifled a shot off the crossbar and past Sinons, giving Escanaba its first lead at 3-2.

Then, with a minute left the game, the Jaguars pulled their goaltender. Boudreau, in his own zone, got the puck, and ripped a 180-foot shot into the empty net, making it 4-2.

Ashwaubenon's Caden Bartelme scored with 29 seconds left to make it 4-3, but the Eskymos won a big center ice faceoff, and were able to melt the final seconds off of the clock.

Escanaba got one goal and two assists from LaMarch, to go along with Bourdeau's two goals. Bink had an assist to go along with his goal. VanDuyse had a goal and assist for the Jaguars.

Hayes, though, was the game's first star, with 31 saves on 34 shots.

"It was a good game, really close, but it's nice to come out wit a Dub on the home ice again," Hayes said. "I mean, I was exhausted. I'm playing with a little bit of a cold. I had to push thourgh it. I made the saves I could and did what I could to help the team get the win."

"He's just been sound," Johnson said of Hayes. "He's been quick. He's quick to set up on rebounds. He's just doing everything that a coach wants a goaltender to do. Make the easy saves and control your rebounds. And that's what he did tonight."

The Eskymos will host the Manistique Emeralds on Tuesday night.

The Emeralds have a 15-5-1 record after their 10-3 win in Petoskey Friday night. Escanaba has won all three games against Manistique in the past two years, but two of them were in overtime.

Tuesday's game starts at 6:30 and will be broadcast on FM-93.5, AM-600, and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.