Esky icers come up short at home
Trending
WELLS -- Escanaba's penalty kill unit got plenty of work here Thursday night in a 3-1 hockey loss to Ashwaubenon, Wis.
The Jaguars also kept senior goaltender Dylan Ziemke busy as he turned away 39-of-42 shots in this non-conference contest at the Hannahville Ice & Turf Complex.
"Dylan was our best player of the game," said Esky coach Andy Johnson. "Our penalty kill was real good, but it seemed like as soon as we'd get momentum, we'd get a penalty. We need to be more disciplined. Having a short bench, we can't afford to be in the box. That's a good hockey team. They (Jaguars) move the puck well, and they're fast."
The Eskymos (5-5) drew 11 penalties for 33 minutes and played shorthanded for 21 minutes as they fell to third straight loss. The Jaguars (8-2) were penalized four times for eight minutes.
"We have a lot of speed in that locker room, which helps," said Ashwaubenon coach Matt Golden. "Their goaltender played real well, and their penalty kill was very good. They were very good in front of the net. They did a good job tying up the puck, which eliminated some of our rebound opportunities. They never stopped working. They gave us everything they had."
Ashwaubenon was 1-for-9 on power plays, and the Eskymos finished 0-for-2.
Senior forward Cooper Routheau scored Ashwaubenon's third goal from the doorstep on a 5-on-3 power play midway through the third period.
The Eskymos then got on the board with four minutes, 12 seconds remaining on senior forward Karson Krutina's shot from the slot with freshman forward Cale Carter credited with an assist.
Esky dropped its previous outing to Hancock 3-0.
"It took six periods for us the find the back of the net, and Cale made a nice play in the neutral zone to set our goal," said Johnson. "Our freshman Alex Schwalbach, Riley Stannard and Cale played real well."
Sophomore defenseman Charlie Laurent scored Ashwaubenon's first goal from between the circles 3:12 into the contest and Routheau's one-timer from the slot gave the Jaguars (8-2) a two-goal cushion midway through the second stanza.
Esky was limited to 15 shots on goal, with junior goaltender Lincoln Simons stopping 14.
The Esky penalty kill unit killed 8 1/2 minutes, and the Eskymos were outshot 12-3 in the opening frame.
Ashwaubenon held an 11-8 shots on goal advantage in the second period but came up empty on two additional power plays.
Overall, It was a frustrating night for the Eskymos and junior forward Gunner Bourdeau, who was whistled for five minor penalties and ejected early in the third period, according to Michigan High Athletic Association rules.
The Eskymos will be road warriors next week as they face Dexter Tuesday and Alpena Wednesday in the Alpena Holiday Showcase, then travel to Michigan Tech to meet Painesdale Jeffers Thursday.
Ashwaubenon 1 0 2 -- 3
Escanaba 0 0 1 -- 1
Scoring plays:
First period
A -- Laurent (Driessen, Routheau), 3:12
Third period
A -- Routheau, 3:35
A -- Routheau (Driessen), 8:00
E -- Krutina (Carter), 12:48
Statistics
Shots on goal: Ashwaubenon 42, Escanaba 15
Goaltender saves: Ashwaubenon (Simons 14), Escanaba (Ziemke 39)
Power plays: Ashwaubenon 1-9, Escanaba 0-2
Penalty minutes: Ashwaubenon 4-8, Escanaba 11-33