Eskymo Comeback Bid Falls Short vs Hancock, 5-3

WELLS---The Hancock Bulldogs raced to a 4-0 lead and then held off a late Escanaba rally to post a 5-3 victory Saturday afternoon at the Hannahville Ice & Turf in Wells.

Eskymo senior Garth Wickham scored three goals in the third period in his final home game, but the team was way too far behind to beat the defending state champions.

"Garth played with a chip on his shoulder today," Escanaba Coach Matt Hughes said. "He got to the rink and he was focused. He was on a mission, and he played well for us. He played hard, he played physical, and was good with the puck. He was unselfish."

But unfortunately for the Eskymos, Wickham's offensive outburst came after the team gave up several bad goals again.

Hancock built is lead with three goals on its first ten shots on goal, and the backbreaker came in the third period when Trevor Tchida's long-range shot found the back of the net as the Eskymos were about to start a three-minute power play. That made it a 5-2 Hancock lead, and even though Wickham completed his hat trick 100 seconds later, the Eskymo comeback had been short-circuited as the clock ran down.

"It's unfortunate that that happens," Hughes said. "Especially when we're working hard. You tell these boys day in, day out, that if you work hard (good) things are going to happen. And unfrortunately, they weren't happening tonight until the third period."

Hancock's star center, sophomore Alex Nordstrom, scored two more goals, including a pretty top-shelf goal on a shorthanded breakaway that gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead midway through the second period. Lance Kangas had three assists for Hancock.

The game started to get chippy as the afternoon moved on, with the Bulldogs becoming increasingly frustrated with the officiating. It got so bad that Hancock took two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Escanaba had nine power plays in the game.

For most of it, though, the Eskymos were unlucky, with Wickham hitting a goal post and Paul Carne rifling a shot off the crossbar.

And Colton Hayes, perhaps the hardest-working Eskymo of the bunch, was robbed by Hancock goaltender Dawson Kero.

Kero stopped all 25 shots he faced in the first two periods before allowing three Wickham goals on 13 total shots in the third period. Escanaba outshot Hancock, 38-25, with Eskymo goaltdender Brodie Goddard being credited with 20 saves in net.

Wickham's hat trick was this fourth of the season. He finishes as the team leader with 24 goals and nine assists for 33 points in 25 games played.

Escanaba finishes the regular season with an 11-14-0 record, heading into the first-round playoff game on Feb. 28 in Marquette against the Redmen.

Hancock improved to 16-8-0 on the season with a game Monday against Kingsford before its title defense begins with a regional tournament game against Calumet.

In Saturday's junior varsity game, the Escanaba JV Eskymos got four goals from Aaron Young and beat the Hancock JV Bulldogs, 5-3. Trevor Denome got the victory in net for Coach Jake Eastin's JV Eskymos, who also beat Calumet in overtime Friday night.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos, and listen to interviews with Hughes and Student Manager Jake Strom.