HOUGHTON – For the second straight weekend, Team Copper Country U18 AA faced their Upper Peninsula rivals from the middle of the peninsula in Marquette in a pair of hockey games at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. While Team CC was less disciplined on the weekend, taking eight penalties over the two games, they remained undefeated topping Marquette, 5-1 and 4-0, on Sunday.

Despite starting the season 6-0 and outscoring opponents 28-1, head coach Micah Stipech is looking for better execution from his players.

“We experimented with different line combinations this weekend,” said Stipech. “Our next games are Sept. 10 and 11 in Duluth. We’ll face Duluth and for two games on Saturday and Thunder Bay on Sunday. We expect them to be tough games. We’ll need to work on our special teams in practice the next two weeks to compete with those AAA teams”

Hancock’s Teddy Randell was a force offensively for Team CC throughout the day, scoring a goal and an assist in the opener and then adding two more goals in the nightcap.

Calumet’s Brent Loukus, playing his first two games of the season, also had a strong weekend for Team CC, scoring a goal in each contest and catching the eye of his coach.

“Brent’s biggest weapon is his legs,” said Stipech. “He created opportunities with his speed [Sunday]. His future potential is as high as he wants to make it.”

Team CC also created some offense from its blue line as well. Calumet’s Jack Sturos scored in the opening game while Hancock’s Tommy Randell earned an assist in each contest. In the second game, Houghton’s Kevin Bostwick scored the opening goal.

“They did a good job of getting to the net through traffic,” said Stipech of his blueline corps. “In particular, Jack Sturos had a really nice play where he walked the line, looked where to shoot, missed shin pads and blasted the puck a foot off the ice.

“We use a drill in practice a lot that works on that skill. I learned it from watching game day practices of Joel Quenneville when he coached Jeff Finger in Colorado.”

Calumet’s Rory Anderson opened the scoring for Team CC in the first game, scoring 12:30 into the game. Teddy Randell picked up the lone assist on the even strength goal.

Sturos’ tally extended the lead to 2-0. Hancock’s Lance Kangas and Brody Budweg both assisted on the goal.

After Marquette cut the lead to one, Loukus regained the two-goal advantage with a late-second period strike. Budweg and Houghton’s Taavi Rajala both assisted on the goal that came with just 20 seconds left in the period.

Anderson struck for a second time early in the third period while Teddy Randell was in the penalty box for tripping. The unassisted goal came at 5:45.

Teddy Randell sealed the game with a power play goal with the assist going to his brother, Tommy, on the power play at 10:26.

Hancock’s Dawson Kero earned the victory.

In the second game, the teams skated to a 0-0 tie after first period. It took only four more minutes for Team CC to strike when Bostwick found the back of the net. Hancock’s Alex Nordstrom picked up an assist on the goal.

Loukus’ and Teddy Randell’s second tallies of the weekend came just 1:12 apart late in the second period, both at even strength. Loukus’s goal was assisted by Budweg and Kangas. Randell’s was assisted by Anderson and Tommy Randell.

Teddy Randell added an insurance marker nine minutes into the third period, while on power play.

Houghton’s Will Stier earned the win and the shutout.

Team CC returns to action on September 10 and 11 when they will face the Minnesota Northern Wings and Thunder Bay, with both sets of games taking place in Hermantown, Minnesota.