Escanaba junior Keegan Brown, 21, hits a Jeffers player during a game at Wells Sports Complex on Nov. 27, 2024. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)
WELLS – After falling behind 3-1 late in the second period in Wednesday’s game against Jeffers, Escanaba hockey needed a big push to improve to 3-0 on the season.
The Eskimos fought back, but were unable to do so and lost 4-2 to the Jets.
“We will learn from this.” Esky coach Andy Johnson said. “That was a gut punch.”
The Eskies (2-1) needed 99 seconds to get within one point in the third period. Junior co-captain Graham Johnson beat Jets top goaltender Kasen Helminen with assists from junior co-captain Nolan Vink and freshman Nick Martinson.
The push continued. The Eskimos spent a lot of time on the Jets’ side in the third period, putting up 15 shots on goal in the final 17 minutes, but Helminen stood firm.
Andy Johnson elected to pull up junior goaltender Callie Hayes with 43 seconds left in the game, but Hayes stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced. Jeffers freshman Max Nordstrom buried an empty-net goal 19 seconds later with a door shot on an Esky reversal.
However, in the second period, the Eskimos had plenty of chances to seize momentum.
With 1:53 left in the first frame, junior Keegan Brown deflected a shot from Davin Mattonen and scored, giving Eski a 1-1 tie going into the first period. Junior Owen Labonte was credited with assisting on the goal.
But when the final whistle blew, Jets junior Griffin Heinonen slammed the puck into the boards with no intention of making a play, prompting a delay of play. Eskey was going to start the second period on a power play.
Vink was then sent to the penalty box 15 seconds into the second period for a cross-check. The power play chances changed to 4-on-4.
Eskimos had a great chance in the second half of the frame. Jeffers (4-0) committed back-to-back penalties, setting up a 5-on-3 with 1:24 left in the game. Despite multiple chances, including a cross-eye play that Bink and Martinson missed just inches from me, the Eskimos took advantage of their multiple man advantage and walked away empty-handed.
In the end, the Jets scored two goals in a span of 74 seconds in the final two minutes of Game 2, holding a two-goal lead at halftime.
“We started to get selfish.” Andy Johnson said. “The players were trying to play selfishly with the team on their backs. It took us two periods to realize that.”
Eskymos will return to action during the TCW Thanksgiving Invitational. The Eskies collided with Traverse City West on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Traverse City Central on Saturday at 1 p.m.
