ESCANABA---The Victory Honda Vipers Peewee AA hockey team out of suburban Detroit is spending a few days nearly eight hours from home, in the Upper Peninsula.
The team of 11-and-12 year-olds started the U.P. tour on Friday with a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste. Marie Lakers in St. Ignace. Then the boys journeyed to Escanaba to face Marquette Superior Hockey in a doubleheader on Saturday before wrapping up the trip with a Sunday game against the Escanaba Hawks Bink's Coca Cola team.
"We came up here to prepare for states," Vipers Coach Paul Worsley said. "We want ti play these teams because we'll see them next week, March 1st weekend. The games were obviously very close and it was worth the trip."
The second game on Saturday with Marquette was a wild, entertaining one, ending in a 5-5 tie. It started off with Marquette goalie Wylen Cambensy stopping a breakaway.
Moments later, after the teams exchanged goals, Marquette's Nash Riipi was literally tackled by Gavin Worsley.
Rippi was awarded a penalty shot, and he converted to give Marquette a 2-1 lead.
Caleb Janofski also scored to give Marquette a 3-1 lead, but then the downstate club tied it up with a late second period goal by Chris Wilson and an early third period goal by Blake Simon. Marquette's C.J. Carter put Superior Hockey back in front before Victory Honda tied it at 4-4 on a Boston Bennett goal.
Late in the game, Marco Medico put the Vipers back in the lead with a pretty goal, but with the Marquette goalie pulled for an extra attacker in the final seconds, Superior Hockey got the tying goal from Landon Carpenter.
And that's the way the game ended.
"The hospitality is fantastic," Worsley said. "The other coaches on the other teams are very nice. They gave us the ice, got the referees, set everything up, and we just had to show up. Everything's been great since we've been here."
The Vipers won Sunday's game over Escanaba, 5-0, outshooting the Hawks, 38-10. Escanaba's goaltenders, Zack Wirhanowicz and Alex Noble, combined to make 33 saves. Carson Dirkmaat got the shutout in net for the Vipers. The Vipers broke oopen a close game with four goals in the second period, led by Sam Rogers and Bennett (who got one off the end-boards and put it home).
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and video highlights from the weekend action.
The team of 11-and-12 year-olds started the U.P. tour on Friday with a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste. Marie Lakers in St. Ignace. Then the boys journeyed to Escanaba to face Marquette Superior Hockey in a doubleheader on Saturday before wrapping up the trip with a Sunday game against the Escanaba Hawks Bink's Coca Cola team.
The second game on Saturday with Marquette was a wild, entertaining one, ending in a 5-5 tie. It started off with Marquette goalie Wylen Cambensy stopping a breakaway.
Moments later, after the teams exchanged goals, Marquette's Nash Riipi was literally tackled by Gavin Worsley.
Rippi was awarded a penalty shot, and he converted to give Marquette a 2-1 lead.
Caleb Janofski also scored to give Marquette a 3-1 lead, but then the downstate club tied it up with a late second period goal by Chris Wilson and an early third period goal by Blake Simon. Marquette's C.J. Carter put Superior Hockey back in front before Victory Honda tied it at 4-4 on a Boston Bennett goal.
And that's the way the game ended.
"The hospitality is fantastic," Worsley said. "The other coaches on the other teams are very nice. They gave us the ice, got the referees, set everything up, and we just had to show up. Everything's been great since we've been here."
The Vipers won Sunday's game over Escanaba, 5-0, outshooting the Hawks, 38-10. Escanaba's goaltenders, Zack Wirhanowicz and Alex Noble, combined to make 33 saves. Carson Dirkmaat got the shutout in net for the Vipers. The Vipers broke oopen a close game with four goals in the second period, led by Sam Rogers and Bennett (who got one off the end-boards and put it home).
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and video highlights from the weekend action.
