Wunder, Eastin Lead Eskymos Past Cheboygan 8-0

CHEBOYGAN----The Escanaba High School hockey team visited Cheboygan's Ice Pavillion for the first time since February of 2009 on Saturday night.

And unlike that game, which ended with a 5-4 overtime win on a Josh Miller goal, this contest ended early. The Eskymos overwhelmed the Chiefs, 8-0, in a game that ended on the mercy rule with 10:06 left in the third period. It was the eighth time this season that the Eskymos ended a game before the full 51 minutes had been played.

Levi Wunder power play goal for Escanaba.

"We came out strong in the first period and threw everything at them," Eskymo Coach Tim McCarthy said. "Then things started to get a little ugly, but our guys kept their heads. We beat them to loose pucks, we beat them to everything. That had to be frustrating for them on their home ice.

"I've been there. I know what that's like."

Levi Wunder scored three goals to give him 26 on the season, and 46 points. Jake Eastin had a three-assist "playmaker" and was selected as the game's #1 star for his effort.

"I was trying to get open and make plays for the team," Eastin said. "It's not that I didn't get the opportunities (to shoot), but I just figured that when you've gopt a guy open, you've got to get it to him."

"Jake shows a lot of leadership out there," McCarthy said. "He never leaves anything on the ice. He does what has to be done and he leads by example. Jake made them chase him quite a bit and he moved the puck well."

T.J. Myrick and Nick Vandermissen also had three-assist playmakers in the game.

Steve Wood makes it a 1-0. Escanaba lead .

Steve Wood got the Eskymos on the board just three minutes into the game when he stole the puck from a Cheboygan defenseman and roofed one past Chiefs' senior goaltender Brenden Wachter.

Wachter was in the net because the Chiefs' star goaltender, Nick Watson, suffered a severe concussion after being hit during a game against Alpena in early December. Watson has suffered memory loss and his hockey career is likely over.

Derek Chaillier scores.

Derek Chaillier blasted one past Wachter at the 6:29 mark for a power play goal, and then Wunder scored his first goal of the game, also on the power play, at the 10:53 mark. Before the period ended, freshman Calvin Pinar scored to make it a 4-0 game.

"I got a nice pass from Nick Vandermissen," Pinar said. "I just shot it, and it trickled in. I think it got tipped (off a Cheboygan stick) before it went in, though."

In the second period, the Eskymos were in the penalty box for most of it as Wunder was called for a questionable five-minute boarding penalty and Chaillier was called for an even more questionable slashing penalty. But the Eskymos killed off both power plays with ease. Eastin personally killed off more than three minutes of the major penalty.

Goalie Nick LeMire warms up Saturday.

"I was obviously winded after that one," Eastin admitted. "But you've got to do whatever you can to help the team. Just go both ways, as hard as you can, all the time."

"We played too much of that period shorthanded," McCarthy said. "That's a tough thing to do. We have to work on staying out of the box there. I think we were in the box more tonight than in any other game this season. We were in the box too many times."

Between the penalty kills, Wunder scored his second goal of the game. And then, on the last penalty kill of the period, Ben Lasecki scored a shorthanded goal off a pretty feed from Eastin.

That made it 6-0, and it was Escanaba's sixth "shorty" of the season.

In the third period, the Eskymos came out hungry to end the game early. There had been a scrum in which two players from each team got roughing penalties, and Eskymo defenseman Jeff Lyle took a knee-to-knee hit that was ruled only a tripping penalty.

Escanaba's Jeff Lyle gets hit knee-to-knee.

"Jeff's knee has got some swelling and he didn't play the rest of the game," said McCarthy, who argued unsuccessfully for a major penalty on the play. "He should be OK though. It is what it is. Our kids did keep their composure after that."

After the game, Lyle's knee was swelled up, but he said that he'd be OK. The game ended when Wunder completed his hat trick to make it 7-0, and then Ritter tipped in a Quintin McCarthy shot with 10:06 left in the game for a power play goal to finish the contest.

Derek Chaillier makes it a 2-0 Eskymo lead.

Escanaba outshot Cheboygan, 35-8, with all eight of the Chiefs' shots coming in the second period.

Nevertheless, it was the first shutout of the season for Eskymo goaltender Nick LeMire. Wachter stopped 27 shots for Cheboygan (9-10 record) in a losing effort.

The Eskymos hadn't played a game in more than a week because their game in Kingsford was postponed by cold weather. It will be made up pn February 12.

"It felt good just to get back into the 'game mode'," Vandermissen said. "I guess practice pays off."

Escanaba (12-3 record) travels to Negaunee Tuesday night. Game time is 7:00. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), nand on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to hear replays of Escanaba's first three goals and several player interviews, and to see videos from the game. Thanks to Luke Anthony for the video work.

Game 15: Escanaba Eskymos 8, Cheboygan Chiefs 0

ESCANABAH 4 2 2----8
CHEBOYGAN 0 0 0----0

First Period
ESC 1-0: Wood 2 (unassisted) 3:07
ESC 2-0: Chaillier 4 (Eastin, Lasecki) 6:29 PPG
ESC 3-0: Wunder 24 (Eastin, Chaillier) 10:53 PPG
ESC 4-0: Pinar 3 (Vandermissen) 14:08

Second Period
ESC 5-0: Wunder 25 (Myrick, Vandermissen) 9:28
ESC 6-0: Lasecki 10 (Eastin, Pinar) 16:00 SHG

Third Period
ESC 7-0: Wunder 26 (Myrick, Vandermissen) 4:03
ESC 8-0: Ritter 3 (McCarthy, Myrick) 6:54 PPG

Escanaba Penalties (9/21): McCarthy 2 elbow; Ritter 2 rough; Vandermissen 2 hook; Wunder 2 cross-check; Wunder 5 boarding; LaMarch 2 roughing; Aos 2 roughing; Chaillier 2 slashing; Myrick 2 head contact.

Cheboygan Penalties (7/14): Sayers 2 trip; Castagne 2 head contact; Player 2 trip; Beauchamp 2 trip; Castange 2 rough; J. Stempky 2 rough; J. Stempky 2 head contact.

Power Plays: Escanaba 3/4; Cheboygan 0/6.
Shots On Goal: Escanaba 13-10-12=35; Cheboygan 0-8-0=8.
Three Stars: 1. Eastin, ESC; 2. Pinar, ESC; 3. Vandermissen, ESC.

The Escanaba Eskymos enjoy a spaghetti dinner in St. Ignace before Saturday night's game in Cheboygan.

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