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Copper Kings reload after memorable state title run

Calumet’s Brent Loukus is the top returning scorer from last season’s team. (David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET — Last season, the Calumet Copper Kings had a tremendous year, turning an 0-4 start into a Division 3 state title run that ended in the championship game with a 6-3 loss to Warren de La Salle. While a good chunk of their offense and defense graduated, the Copper Kings have reloaded and appear ready to make another deep run this season.

“We are more than happy with how last year worked out,” said head coach Dan Giachino. “Obviously, you want to win the last game, but we are happy with how things went.”

The Copper Kings graduated the likes of Great Lakes Hockey Conference Player of the Year Rory Anderson and his 29 goals and 71 points, and winger Ed Beiring and his 20 goals and 44 points up front and Trevor Johnson and Jack Sturos, who combined for 58 points from the blue line.

Those are some big skates to fill.

Fortunately for Giachino, he has at least one piece back on his top line, junior winger Brent Loukus. After scoring seven goals and 18 points as a freshman, Loukus blossomed last season, putting up 31 goals and 62 points in 31 games. Where he truly shined was on the man advantage, where he scored 13 goals and 23 points.

“He’s going to be a huge piece for us,” said Giachino. “For him, the skill level was always there. As a freshman … he was half a step behind every little play he needed to make. For him to get that little bigger, stronger, faster allowed him to get where he needed to go.”

The question that will dog Loukus this season is whether he can repeat those numbers without Anderson and Beiring.

“I see a noticeable difference,” said Giachino. “That was something that we talked with him at the end of the year last year.”

He will have new linemates, potentially including junior Sam Erkkila and sophomore Gabe Coppo.

Erkkila, who plays a game similar to that of Anderson’s — a game of speed and physicality — had a solid first season at the varsity level last year, scoring nine goals and 27 points.

“Sam brings a speed element to us,” said Giachino. “You partner that up with the determination, the effort, what he brings. He creates that chaos. He creates turnovers.”

Coppo is another bigger-framed body. He also possesses what Giachino feels is the heaviest shot on the team, which helped him put up six goals and 15 points last season, including a two-goal, four-point night against Houghton.

Two freshmen who are expected to step in this season and earn some valuable experience are Tanner Rowe and Dean Loukus. Giachino has been waiting for the pair to arrive at the varsity level, and he figures they will both find spots in the top six fairly quickly.

“Tanner is going to be a very good hockey player,” said Giachino. “He is going to do well.

“Dean is a very strong player, good speed. Very good shot out of him as well.”

Replacing Johnson, Sturos, Trevor Salata and Russ Bjorn on the back end will be difficult. Giachino figures that if his team has a weakness coming into the season, it’s his defensive corps, not from a talent perspective but simply from a lack of experience.

Fortunately, senior Davin Lehto and junior Josh VanDenburg are both back. VanDenburg saw action in 30 games last season, and he put up a modest two goals and eight points. Lehto played in 27 games and scored three goals and 10 points.

Giachino sees the pair stepping into leadership roles this season.

“Those two guys are going to see a lot of minutes,” said Giachino.

Joining VanDenburg and Lehto this season are several new faces including sophomore Lincoln Beiring and sophomore Nick Djerf. Both are shorter than VanDenburg and Lehto but are solid puckhandlers.

What the Copper Kings do miss on their blue line is the physical play of Johnson and Salata. Giachino has been working hard with his blueliners, and hopes that part of their game will develop quickly.

“We took six defensemen,” said Giachino. “Normally, we don’t like to do that. There’s going to be some growing pains.”

Fortunately, behind those young defenders, the Copper Kings have a very solid starting goaltender in senior Nick Voelker. After a season of backing up Ian Carroll as a sophomore, he stepped into the spotlight last season as the starter. He had some growing pains, especially in December.

“Nick had a fabulous year,” said Giachino. “He was a huge piece for us.

“Nick went through a short, rough patch in December. He wasn’t playing poorly, but he wasn’t playing to his capabilities. He strung together 2-3 games, got his confidence back up, and he went on a two-month run where, some games, he was one of the best players on the ice.”

Things fell into place for Voelker in January, and from that point on, he was nearly unbeatable until that final game. He posted a record of 16-6-1 on the season with a 2.16 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.

Behind Voelker, sophomore Alex Studebaker returns while looking to push the veteran.

“We are confident in Alex,” said Giachino. “Alex is going to see some good quality games this year. That is a good problem that we have; we have two goaltenders that I feel confident putting in the net any night of the week.”

Studebaker went 7-0-1 last season in nine appearances, putting up a 1.61 goals against average and a .928 save percentage.

The Copper Kings open the season against rival Hancock on Friday in the Copper Island Classic. A week later, they face Cranbrook-Kingswood before hosting Marquette and Rochester. Utica Eisenhower, Houghton and another matchup with Hancock sit on the horizon beyond that, and Giachino is excited to see what this group can accomplish.

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