By DAVER KARNOSKY

dkarnosky

@mininggazette.com

HANCOCK – Coming into the season back in late November, Dan Rouleau, coach of the Hancock Bulldogs hockey team, lamented about the fact that for the past eight seasons, his team has been perhaps the second-best team in the area, but the Bulldogs had nothing to show for it.

They do now.

It would have been easy for this group to fall into the same category. They had just six losses all season, and every one was by one goal.

They did have the deepest returning group of defenders, starting in goal with sophomore Dawson Kero, younger brother of current Michigan Tech goaltender Devin Kero and former Huskies’ forward Tanner Kero.

In front of Kero were two seniors in Dylan Paavola and Jack Fenton. Both led by example, giving the kind of effort all season that Rouleau expected from the pair.

Joining them on the blue line again this season were a pair of juniors in Tanner Givens and Tommy Randell. Rouleau could not be more proud of the development of the duo.

Givens, a two-way defender who has a penchant for physical play, had to do a lot growing in maturity between a loss before Christmas to the Jeffers Jets and the end of the season. He evolved into a key piece of the run as perhaps the Bulldogs’ best defender in the playoffs.

“It is something I have always dreamed of doing,” said Givens of winning a state championship. “I cannot put it into words though. I am speechless. [The fans] give you a lot of energy.”

Randell, older brother of Teddy, was a player that Rouleau turned to to protect just about every one of the Bulldogs’ victories throughout the season. Rouleau described Randell as a tenacious defender.

“Tommy is just relentless,” said Rouleau. “I swear the puck has his name on it, because when he loses it, he wants it back. He’s just tenacious at that.”

Randell learned how to get his shot through to the net, and eventually it became a weapon for the Bulldogs offensively.

“From the beginning of the season, we talked about doing this,” said Tommy Randell of winning a state title. “That was our goal. We were able to get it done. The fans are awesome. Their representation was awesome, not just from Hancock, but the full U.P.”

The biggest question surrounding the Bulldogs this season was who was going to score. The answer became sophomore Teddy Randell and freshman transfer Alex Nordstrom. Randell made huge strides as a freshman last season, but no one expected him to fit alongside Nordstrom so easily this season.

Add to that pair senior Danny Hill, who missed much of the season with a ankle injury, and the Bulldogs had a top line that was competitive with anyone in the state.

“I knew Teddy was going to have a great season,” said Rouleau. “When Alex made the team this year, I expected him to be a Top Six forward, he far exceeded our expectations. When we first picked the team, we envisioned that line [with Danny]. Danny missed so much time. As the season progressed and we got Danny back, we tried it. They far exceeded our expectations.”

Rouleau was also quick to acknowledge the efforts of his third line as well. A trio that often consisted of senior Jacob Norkol, senior Luke Rautio, junior Bryan Lepisto, and recently, junior Devyn LaCourt, the Bulldogs energy line often gave them just that, scoring timely goals just when the team needed them to most.