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Physical Houghton outduels Calumet 3-2 in clash of styles

Houghton’s Dawson McKay plays the puck in front of Calumet’s Nick Voelker Tuesday, at Dee Stadium in Houghton. (Eden Laase/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — When Calumet travels to the Dee to take on Houghton, the team knows what to expect. And when the Gremlins play the Copper Kings, they know what they are getting into.  

Year after year the two teams bring their distinct styles of play to the ice. No one knows their opponents better than Corey Markham and Dan Giachino, as they have both played and coached in countless Houghton vs. Calumet games.  

“We are two evenly-matched teams, two different styles of team right now,” said Giachino, Calumet’s head coach. “We are a little bit more speed, skill based and they are a little bit grittier, a little bit more physical, they will get into your face a little more.” 

When the teams battled on Tuesday in Dee Stadium, grit and physicality won out as the Gremlins secured a 3-2 win.  

“I expect a close game every year,” Giachino said. “No matter what talent they have in their locker room, Corey (Markham) does a great job of getting his team to work hard and he certainly did that tonight.” 

In the first two periods, Calumet and Houghton showed how closely matched they are, and as the third frame began they were tied at 2.  

The Gremlins challenged Calumet goalie Nick Voelker early with eight first-period shots. Even when the puck wasn’t flying toward the net, the goalie was under constant pressure as Houghton kept the puck in Calumet’s zone.  

Voelker weathered the tests early, but Houghton eventually snuck one by him — literally.  

Taavi Rajala skated up the right board and lined up a shot with 1:30 left in the first. Voelker slid to the post and looked to have the save as the puck hung on his arm momentarily. But then, as though it has been caught in a breeze, it slipped gently between his body and the pole, giving the Gremlins a 1-0 lead.  

“It was a bad-angle goal and I think it surprised the goalie a little bit and got up on him,” Markham said. 

But the Copper Kings would get their chances too.  

Sam Erkkila made sure of that with 13:10 left in the second when he skated through two Houghton defenders at center ice for a one-on-one situation with Will Stier in the net.  

Erkkila shot the puck low and slid it past Stier to even the score.

As the second period wound down it looked like the teams would take a 1-1 tie into the locker rooms. But with 1:38 left in the period, Brad Gauthier lined up a long-distance shot that gave his Gremlins a 2-1 lead.  

Not to be outdone, the Copper Kings struck back a moment later when Brent Loukus evened it once more on an assist from Erkkila.  

“We just used our speed through the neutral zone, getting some of our guys that can go pretty well to put pressure on their defensemen,” Giachino said. “We were able to to that a few times in the second period, and we created some offense out of it, but it just wasn’t there consistently enough.”  

For the Gremlins, consistency was key, and that is ultimately how they secured a victory, adding to a three-game winning streak. 

The go-ahead goal came with 10:42 left to play when captain Dawson McKay found the puck on his stick. 

“I thought we had a great working shift and we threw the puck over and Dawson got a free puck and slammed it home,” Markham said. “All of our goals were hard-working goals, but I’m pretty happy with any way they go in.” 

The Gremlins outshot the Copper Kings 30-15 and limited Calumet’s high-quality scoring chances. When the Copper Kings scored, they did it with their speed cutting through the neutral zone, but those opportunities weren’t easy to come by.  

“We need do a little better job in the neutral zone, defensively,” Markham said. “Our forwards need to do a better job picking up their forwards and then our defense needs to gap up and get a little tighter so they don’t have the time and space in the neutral zone. Those chances they scored on a couple where they transitioned well, but they didn’t have a lot of Grade-A chances besides the ones they scored on.” 

Despite the shot margin, Markham knows the gap between his Gremlins and the Copper Kings is slim, and it will only get smaller as the season progresses. 

“I think we are very close,” he said. “I think we are just a little bit older than they are, but their skill level is extremely good, and all around talent we are extremely close together. They will only get better. There will be a lot of fun games as the season goes on.”

Next up both teams will take part in the MacInnes Holiday Hockey Classic on Dec. 27 and 28, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Hancock and Howell will also participate. 

– – – 

Calumet 0 2 0 — 2

Houghton 1 1 1 — 3

First period

Houghton — Taavi Rajala (Dawson McKay), 15:29, 1-0.

Second period 

Calumet — Sam Erkkila (Scott Looks, Brent Loukus), 3:41, 1-1.

Houghton — Bradley Gauthier (Brendan Erickson), 14:58, 2-1.

Calumet — B. Loukus (Erkkila), 15:22, 2-2. 

Third period

Houghton — McKay (Rajala, Erickson), 6:18, 3-2.

Saves

Calumet: Nick Voelker 27; Houghton: William Stier 13. 

Penalties 

Calumet: 2/4; Houghton: 2/4.

Power plays

Calumet: 0/2; Houghton: 0/2. 

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