Eskymos Overcome Adversity; Get Win At Showcase

CHELSEA, Mich.---It was only 45 minutes, but it felt like 45 hours.

Everybody inside the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea watched in stunned silence as Escanaba Eskymo freshman Dylan Gauthier lay on his back, with blood gushing from his right leg and onto the ice.

Nobody could do anything, other than pray for their teammate. Gauthier was eventually taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center for surgery and his teammates somehow found a way to beat a good Hartland Eagles team, 4-2.

Dylan Gauthier lies down as teammate Quintin McCarthy (20) tries to help.

But even after a win over a Top ten opponent was in the books, everyone was thinking about Gauthier.

He raced after a rolling puck inside the Hartland zone, and went feet first into the boards. As he went down, one of his skates severely cut his right leg, causing it to bleed profusely. Gauthier knew he was in trouble, and called for a trainer.

Escanaba Coach Tim McCarthy got there quickly, and he felt helpless.

""I got out there right away and saw a very deep cut just inside the boot," McCarthy said. "We had a couple of our players in there right away helping out, talking to him, calming him down.

"It was very emotional. It's tough to see anybody get hurt like that."

T.J. Myrick's mother is a doctor and she immediately helped as well.

"I asked her what she wanted me to do," McCarthy said. "And she said to keep pressure on it. We couldn't stop the bleeding because it was such a deep cut."

The Eskymo players were stunned, and scared. Including captain Jake Eastin.

"It was very tough, very scary," Eastin said. "Just holding your breath standing there looking at him. Man, it was just terrible to see. The whole time that's going on, it's hard to keep a focus. Me and Ben (Lasecki) were just trying to keep people upbeat given the situation. Just trying to keep the situation positive."

Quintin McCarthy (20) and Hartland's Chris McRae (13) after Gauthier's injury.

Eskymo defenseman Derek Chaillier was also taken aback as he watched the situation.

"It's hard. I don't even know what to say," Chaillier said. "I sat there by him just to keep him calm. But he was also laughing down there, too. That's Dylan."

Gauthier ended up with a severed Achilles tendon, a massive lacerati0n on his leg, and broken fibula bone. He stayed Thursday night at the U of M Medical Center.

When Gauthier was hurt, the game was tied at 1-1 with 14:26 still left to play in the second period.

But the Eskymos came out inspired and scored three goals in less than five minutes to take control of the game. Levi Wunder had already scored in the first period to tie the game for Escanaba, and then in the second period, he tallied again.

Levi Wunder Goal #2

It started in the Escanaba zone when Quintin McCarthy broke up what could have been a two-on-zero for the Eagles. McCarthy got the puck to T.J. Myrick at center ice, and then he fed it to Wunder.

Wunder went top shelf for his 32nd goal of the season, and Escanaba led, 2-1.

When Gauthier was hurt, the game was tied at 1-1 with 14:26 still left to play in the second period. But the Eskymos came out inspired and scored three goals in less than five minutes to take control of the game.

Wunder had already scored in the first period to tie the game for Escanaba, and then in the second period, he tallied again.

It started in the Escanaba zone when Quintin McCarthy broke up what could have been a two-on-zero for the Eagles. McCarthy got the puck to T.J. Myrick at center ice, and then he fed it to Wunder.

Wunder went top shelf for his 32nd goal of the season, and Escanaba led, 2-1.

Two minutes later, Jeff Lyle shot one through a screen and Nick Vandermissen was there to tap it home for his 21st goal of the season, making it a 3-1 game.

Nick LeMire Post-game Interview.

And then two minutes after that goal, Ben Lasecki scored his twelth goal of the season off of a nice feed from Eastin. The 4-1 lead was plenty for the Eskymos because of the play of junior goaltender Nick LeMire.

LeMire stopped 35 of the 37 shots that the Eagles threw his way. He was chosen the game's #1 star for his efforts.

"I waited for my opportunity for two years," LeMirer said. "So now that I've got my opportunity, I've got to bring it, I guess."

Nick LeMire comes out to play the puck.

"Nick was very focused and did an awesome job in net for us," McCarthy said. "He had a lot of shots on him, and made a lot of quality saves."

Even after playing one of the best games in his high school career, LeMire's thoughts were still with Gauthier as he did the post-game radio interview.

"I just brought some blankets to him and cleared away the other players' stuff," LeMire said. But it was a Detroit Lions blanket...and Gauthier is a Green Bay Packers fan.

"I don't know what that was all about," said LeMire with a chuckle. "I brought it over to him, but I wasn't the one who grabbed it! Geez!"

Escanaba, ranked No. 4 in the state in Division Two, improved to 15-3-0 on the season. Hartland, ranked No. 7 in the state in Division Two, fell to 14-4-2 on the campaign.

The Eskymos continue play at the Michigan Public School Hockey Showcase on Friday against another ranked opponent: Rochester United. Rochester (12-6-1) is ranked No. 12 in the state in Division One. Game time is 6:00. You can hear the game live on WGKL-FM (105.5), WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see pictures and videos from the game, and to listen to radio replays and interviews. Thanks to Tracy Pinar for the photos and Luke Anthony for the videos!

Game 18: Escanaba Eskymos 4, Hartland Eagles 2

HARTLAND 1 0 1----2
ESCANABA 1 3 0----4

First Period
HAR 1-0: Ruthig (Early) 4:59
ESC 1-1: Wunder 31 (Vandermissen, Chaillier) 8:56 PPG

Second Period
ESC 2-1: Wunder 32 (Myrick, McCarthy) 11:13
ESC 3-1: Vandermissen 21 (Lyle) 13:15
ESC 4-1: Lasecki 12 (Eastin) 15:38

Third Period
HAR 2-4: Bandyk (McCann) 13:24

Escanaba Penalties (3/6): Pinar 2 holding; Lasecki 2 charging; Lasecki 2 roughing.

Hartland Penalties (5/10): Stevens 2 roughing; McCann 2 interference; McCann 2 interference; Early 2 roughing; Hartland 2 roughing.

Power Plays: Hartland 0/2; Escanaba 1/4.
Shots on Goal: Hartland 13-12-12=37; Escanaba 13-13-8=34
Three Stars: 1. LeMire, ESC; 2. Vandermissen, ESC; 3. Chaillier, ESC.

The puck is in the net as Escanaba's Ben Lasecki scores off of a Jake Eastin feed. (Tracy Pinar photo)

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