ESKYMOS FLATTENED

Escanaba sophomore Derek Chaillier slides to block a shot from Calumet's Ben Storm (19) as goaltender Austin Young slides over for a save. Left: Calumet's Levi Erkkila (8) carries the puck up-ice as Cody Cousineau (5) defends. (Sam Barton photos)

Fourth Straight Loss

CALUMET---The Escanaba High School hockey team should have known that it was gouing to be a long night the moment they arrived at their hotel in Houghton. When the team bus pulled up to the hotel, they were told that their reservation had been deleted, and their rooms had been sold to other people.

What's more, all of the other Copper Country hotels were full of snowmobilers and other winter tourists.

Eventually, the Eskymos found a few available rooms, but they didn't enjoy their time in them after dropping an 8-1 decision to the Calumet Copper Kings Friday night at the old Calumet Armory. The Kings, ranked fifth in the state, scored three goals in the first 4:39 of the game and routed an Eskymo team that nearly beat them in an earlier game.

It was clear from the beginning that the Copper Kings had improved since the Jan. 20 game that Calumet had to pull out of the fire in overtime.

Devin Barton (12) checks Calumet's Dylan Farmer (14) as John LeMire defends CHS's Cody West (18) >>>

In this game, the Kings jumped on the Eskymos right off the bat, as Brendan Jacques got the puck at center ice and raced into the Eskymo zone, beating goaltender Austin Young just 44 seconds into the game. Just over two minutes later, Lucas Lahnala scored, and 90 seconds later, Bryce Johnson scored a top-shelf goal to make it 3-0.

The Eskymos took advantage of a power play late in the period when John LeMire scored off a Nick Vandermissen shot. But any momentum the team could have gained from the goal went away when Jacques scored a top-shelf goal just 22 seconds in to the second period.

The Copper Kings turned the game into a rout by scoring three more goals in a span of 4:42 late in the second period.

<<<Escanaba's Ben Lasecki (4) and Nick Vandermissen (8) go for a loose puck with Calumet's Ben Storm. (Sam Barton photo)

First, it was Sam Lanctot scoring at the 10:54 mark. Then Jacques and Erkkila went in on a two-on-one, and Erkkila cashed in off the pinpoint Jacques feed to make it 6-1. Then Greg Anderson had a tap-in goal as the Eskymos were caught running around in their own zone with 1:24 left in the second period. The only goal of the third period happened when Erkkila won a face-off, skated a few feet, and ripped one past Young.

Hunter Bradford was given a five-minute major penalty with 1:32 left in the third period when he went knee-to-knee with Jacques. Fortunately, Jacques as OK, and the game ended without any further incidents.

(You can hear replays of LeMire's goal, and two Calumet goals, by clicking the 'CALUMET 8 ESCANABA 1' button on the left side of this page. You can also hear Steve Wood's player spotlight interview by clicking his button on the left side of this page)

Calumet (17-5-1) outshot Escanaba, 38-16, as Young was left alone to fend for himself on numerous occassions. Calumet sophomore Troy Pierce made 15 saves, with most of them being of the routine variety.

Ryan Meintz (21) carries the puck up ice as three Kings pursue him. >>>

Escanaba is now 10-11-1.

WATCH ESKYMOS vs COPPER KINGS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
CLICK HERE  to see Escanaba's John LeMire score a first period goal.
CLICK HERE  to see Calumet's Brendan Jacques score 44 seconds into the game.
CLICK HERE  to see Calumet's Lucas Lahnala score his team's second goal.
CLICK HERE  to see Calumet's Levi Erkkila rip one off the post for a goal.