ALPENA---It was a rough afternoon for goaltenders on Wednesday as the Escanaba High School hockey team battled the Capital City Capitals out of Lansing at the Alpena Christmas Showcase. Both teams scored five goals in regulation time, sending the game into a shootout.
The Capitals won that, 2-0, to win the game, 6-5.
Escanaba trailed, 5-3, in the third period, before mounting a late comeback to tie the game. Nolan Bink scored two goals 35 seconds apart to get the game into a tie, and the Eskymos had a late power play chance, but could not capitalize.
Capital City (8-2-1) is a Division One program made up of kids from four Lansing-area schools. They got two goals from Will Tucker late in the second and early in the third periods to build that 5-3 lead.
Then in the shootout, Patrick Waterman and Chase Potter both scored, and the Eskymos were shut out by Caps goaltender Gavin Kashenider.
The Eskymos had the early 1-0 lead on a goal by Carson Hughes, assisted by Keagan Braun and Ben Sands, but the Caps tied it up 22 seconds later on a Aidan McGonogal tally.
Escanaba regained the lead at 2-1 in the second period when Owen LaBonte cashed in on a power play, with Braun and Sands both assisting, But the lead didn't last long again as Andre Venells scored to tie the game at 2-2. The game continued to go back-and-forth until the Capitals got the winner in the overtime shootout.
Escanaba goaltender Cully Hayes allowed five goals on 31 shots, while Kashenider allowed five goals on 36 shots.
With the loss, the Eskymos fell to 4-7-0 on the season. Eight different Eskymos scored at leasy one point: Bink (two goals, one assist), Graham Johnson (one goal, one assist), Sands (two assists), Braun (two assists), Brett Labre (one assist), Cale Carter (one assist), Hughes (one goal), and LaBonte (one goal).
Escanaba will return to action on Thursday against St. Edwards (Ohio) High School. The Eagles beat the host Alpena Wildcats in Wednesday's late game.
The Escanaba-St. Edwards contest faces off at 1:40 Thursday afternoon and you can hear it live on FM-93.5, AM-600, and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
WEDNESDAY'S OTHER U.P. HOCKEY SCORES
Manistique 4, Utica Eisenhower 2
Hancock 2, Calumet 1
Negaunee 8, Waupaca, Wis. 5
Houghton 3, Fond duLac, Wis. 0
