Marquette Redmen Escape Escanaba's Upset Effort

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos from the game.

Also click the AUDIO buttons to hear post-game comments from Eskymo Coach Andy Johnson and #1 star Brayden Martineau. Also click to hear the player spotlight interview with Jayger and Sawyer LaMarch, and comments from Marquette Coach Doug Garrow, and hear radio replays from the game.

MARQUETTE---The Marquette Redmen rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits and escaped with a 5-4 win over the understaffed Escanaba Eskymos Tuesday night at Marquette's Lakeview Arena.

The undefeated Redmen, regarded as a state finalist contender in Division Two, outshot the Eskymos, 46-10, but needed a power play goal from Colin Nemacheck with 5:11 left in the third period to secure the win.

The Eskymos, with just 12 skaters on the roster this year, were further hobbled by a knee inury to freshman Riley Stannard, as well as playing shorthanded on six different occassions as the Redmen were afforded power play chances.

The Eskymos killed off the first five, including along 5-on-3 penalty kill, before Marquette cashed in on that last power play chance.

"We just made a statement," Escanaba Coach Andy Johnson said, "that we're a hockey team, and even though our bench is short, we're gonna come out and battle. We can battle with anybody. I think Marquette is one of the top teams in Division Two, and, I mean, we can play with anybody."

Escanaba goaltender Dylan Ziemke kept his team alive, stopping 41 of 46 shots. It was Ziemke's second straight stellar performance in the Great Lakes Conference, after he made 44 saves on 50 shots last week in a 6-0 loss at Houghton.

Meanhwile, Marquette goaltender Anna Byczek, who won her first game in a Redmen uniform last weekend, struggled in this one. She allowed four goals on six shots before being replaced in the second period by Wylen Cambensy. Cambensy only faced four shots, and stopped them all in his period-and-a-half of work. He was credited with the win.

Eskymo junior Brayden Martineau, playing in his first game after being sidelined by an off-season shoulder injury, scored two goals for Escanaba.

"Oh my God, it was like an early Christmas present," Martineau said. "Getting to come out there, finally, after over a year, and go play some hockey again. Finally healthy, and it just felt great."

Fellow junior Sawyer LaMarch also scored twice, including one off of his skate in the first period that gave Escanaba a 2-0 lead.

Cole Ranta got the Redmen on the board when he jammed one by Ziemke at the 10:15 mark of the first period, then Tucker Welch tied the game up just over a minute later.

In the second period, Jayger LaMarch threw a pass right onto the stick of a streaking Martineau, who beat Byczek over her glove for the second time, making it a 3-2 game.

Moments later, Sawyer LaMarch scored his second goal on a rebound off a Trevor Streichert shot, making it 4-2, and leading to the Marquette goaltender switch.

"I just told the boys, 'why not be underdogs'," Martineau said. "I mean, if Michigan (foorball team against #2 Ohio State) can do it, why can't we? Just had to go out there with a good mindset and we had to grind for pucks, play hard hockey, and get pucks on net and play hard."

The Redmen quickly got to within 4-3 on a blast from the left point by Joe DeMattia, but Ziemke fended off the Marquette attack the rest of the period.

Earlier, the Eskymos had killed off a 5-on-3 power play with relative ease, despite having both defensemen, Gunnar Bourdeau and Brett Labre in the penalty box.

Escanaba got its one and only power play of the game late in the second period when Dylan King was called for folding. The Eskymos did not get a shot on goal during that power play.

The Eskymos had two strong shifts to start the third period, but the Redmen regained control and tied the game on Ranta's second marquer of the contest at the 5:40 mark.

It stayed tied going down the stretch, with Ziemke doing much of the work in net, although the Eskymos were able to limit the "Grade A" chances in front of the senior goalie.

Finally, with six minutes left, Sawyer LaMarch was called for a penalty. About halfway through the power play, Streichert was on the penalty kill when he was sent sprawling onto all-fours.

There was no interference call, and while Streichert was trying to get back on his skates, the Redmen worked the puck to the left circle where Nemacheck rifled it off the post and past Ziemke to give Marquette its first lead of the night with 5:11 to play. Streichert was given an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play when he argued about the lack of an interferemce call.

Marquette played keep-away from there, and the backbreaker came with 2:16 left when the Eskymos were called for a bench penalty, another unsportsmnanlike call, as the Eskymos again pleaded with the referees for a call. That effectively ended the game as Escanaba could not even get control of the puck long enough for Johnson to pull Ziemke for an extra attacker.

Marquette (4-0) escaped with a home-opening win in front of a vocal student section, which stood near the penalty boxes and had fun chirping the Eskymo players who were sent into the "sin bin". But Redmen Coach Doug Garrow was clearly displeased with the overall effort, as the Redmen players were treated to a "bag skate" after the game ended.

Escanaba (1-2) will try to rebound this weekend with two games in Sault Ste. Marie. The Saturday game will be braodcast on WCHT-FM/AM (93.5/600) starting at 12:40.

"I tell the boys, this season isn't gonna come easy for us," Johnson said. "Whether we've got players hurt, we've got players sick, the calls aren't gonna go our way, we have to battle through it. I've been telling them since Day One that this is going to be a long road for us. We have to battle through everything."

Marquette, meanwhile, travels downstate again to face Saginaw Heritage and Midland.