Valentine Backstops Eskymos To 4-2 Road Victory

IRON MOUNTAIN---Levi Wunder scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, as the Escanaba Eskymos beat the Kingsford Flivvers, 4-2, in a game that was filled with numerous turnovers and penalties.

Wunder's tie-breaking goal with 1:55 left in the game came after the Eskymos surrendered a 2-0 lead in the third period.

"Things weren't going our way, and that was partly our fault," Eskymo Coach Matt Hughes said. "We didn't have a good start. I thought we were kind of lazy, which turned into penalty trouble. And it let them back into the game.

"But you've got to give Kingsford credit. They played hard, kept coming at us, and they started making things happen."

Marcus Andrews scored both Kingsford goals, with the tying goal coming on a tipped-shot in front of goaltender Jack Valentine on the power play. In fact, that goal happened on a Kingsford's sixth straight power play, and it was the Flivvers' second long five-on-three advantage of the night. Andrews tipped in a point shot from Adam Szabo to even the contest with 3:57 left in the third period.

The Flivvers still had a five-on-four power play for 1:40, but Valentine made a big save in net and defensemen Matt Casey and Calvin Pinar hustled to break up Kingsford's constant attempts at back-door scoring plays.

Levi Wunder celebrates winning goal

Seconds after the Kingsford power play ended, Chris LeMire turned the puck over, but he recovered and sent a pass to a streaking Wunder. The Eskymo captain skated in and blasted one past goaltender Joe Berglund.

"I saw a turnover happening at first," Wunder said. "So I'm thinking 'oh geez, we have to come back in the zone, regroup, and break out'. But Chris made a good play and kind of edged that guy out, and chipped the puck out. I just kind of came in over the blue line and ripped it far-side."

Garth Wickham empty-net goal

Then, less than a minute later, Dylan Gauthier passed to Garth Wickham for the empty-net goal, and the Eskymos escaped with the win.

"The guys found a way to get it done," Hughes said. "But we have a lot to clean up."

In the first period, Escanaba took a 2-0 lead on goals by Wunder (from LeMire and Paul Carne), and LeMire (from Casey and Charlie Zuidema). But the Eskymos squandered a 96-second-long five-on-three power play chance by getting only one shot on goal.

"We just couldn't get things going," Hughes said. "It started from our own end, all the way down 200 feet. We couldn't get much going after those first two goals."

Escanaba played shorthanded for the final two periods when Hunter LaMarch was decked at the blue line on a hit that he says he never saw coming. LaMarch tried to crawl off of the ice, but he didn't make it.

Eventually, he was helped to the dressing room.

"Punk will be all right," Hughes said. "He was hit pretty hard, and he was shaken up. But he'll be OK." Hughes chose not to elaborate on whether there should have been a five-minute penalty called rather than the two minutes that were called.

Things got even worse for Escanaba when Gauthier was given twelve minutes of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He had to sit for a good part of the third period, and that's when Kingsford made its move, tying the game at 2-2.

Jack Valentine turns away Flivver power play

Valentine was also under siege at times in the second period, especially in the final 50 seconds of the period when Kingsford had its first five-on-three power play. His biggest save was when he robbed Sawyer Perpich from point-blank range along the goalpost.

"Jack had a great performance, and that was a part of our speech as coaches between the second and third periods," Hughes said. "We said 'this guy is standing on his head. He's playing his heart out for you guys. You guys need to step up.'"

"They were pretty much putting pucks on the net constantly and I always had a guy in front trying to screen me," Valentine said. "I was just trying to stay focused and control the rebounds, and just tried to keep the puck out of the net, I guess."

And yet in the third period, the Eskymos continued to founder, as the penalties piled up and the blue-line turnovers continued to happen.

Valentine ended up stopping 25 of 27 shots. Kingsford's Berglund also faced 27 shots, stopping 24 of them. Escanaba is now 3-0 on the season; Kingsford dropped to 1-1.

Statistically, LeMire led the way with a goal and two assists. Wunder had two goals, Wickham had the empty-net goal. Casey, Gauthier, Zuidema, and Carne had assists.

Valentine was chosen the game's #1 star. Wunder got the #2 star, and Andrews was picked as the #3 game star.

Escanaba faces Sault Ste. Marie Saturday afternoon at the Wells Sports Complex. Game time is 1:00 and it will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (600), and rrnsports.com.

TUESDAY'S OTHER U.P. HOCKEY GAMES
Houghton 5, Marquette 0
Painesdale-Jeffers 2, L'Anse 1

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