Portage Lake forward Wyatt Geschel tries to keep the puck away from a De Pere defender during a game Sunday, March 24, at Dee Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambault/For the Gazette)
HOUGHTON — Despite a lot of turnover, the 2024-25 Great Lakes Hockey League is off to a fast start with one team, the Market Mutineers, leaving the league and three new teams joining the M&Ms in their place. Ta. Shamrocks, Sun Prairie Killer Beads, Dane County Dairy Kings.
The Portage Lake Pioneers, who won the regular season title last season with a 15-2-1 record and 31 points, played their season opener on Saturday night. They hosted the new Shamrocks at Dee Stadium and lost 8-4.
Rookie Alec Brotzman had two goals and two assists, and former Houghton Gremlins and Michigan Tech captain Raymond Brice had two goals for the Pioneers in the win.
Brötzman, who also captained Michigan Tech in college, scored just 5 minutes, 25 seconds into the game. Zach Hill and Colton Salani both had assists.
The Shamrocks responded with a goal of their own at 3:01.
Defenseman Matt Markel restored Portage Lake’s lead with three minutes left in the period, and the Pioneers entered the locker room with a 2-1 lead.
Returning to the ice in the second period, the Pioneers took a 4-1 lead before the end of the period, with a second goal from Brotzman and one from forward Spencer Donnelly.
Salani then scored at 5:36. Hill scored his own with 3:51 left in the frame.
Former Mutineers forward Dallas McLaughlin got one back for the Shamrocks with 3:28 left. The Shamrocks then cut the lead to 6-3 before the period was over.
Leading 6-4 in the third, Brice scored an unassisted goal with 10:16 left to put the Pioneers back within three points, 7-4. Bryce then scored again with 5 minutes and 32 seconds left to seal the victory.
Goaltender AJ Petrulis finished the game with 14 saves for the win.
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The Pioneers will be off until Friday, Dec. 6, when they will travel to take on the Mosinee Papermakers.
