HANCOCK — It was the battle of the Bulldogs on Saturday night, with Grandville beating Hancock 6-3.

Despite a sluggish start in the opening minutes, Grandville (13-3) took a 2-1 lead into the locker room after one.

Grandville outshot Hancock 25-22 on the night.

“We didn’t play our best game tonight,” said Hancock coach Scott Mikesch. “We need to be better in all areas.”

Hancock (7-9-1) was the cause of that as the dominated their opponent at center ice in the opening minutes. Hancock interrupted most of Grandville’s attempts to get into the Hancock zone.

Hancock got on the score board first with a man-down goal at the 6:03 mark. While defending a Grandville power play, Todd Anderson was able to pick off an errant pass and skate in solo and lifted one past their goalie Anne Beck.

“We opened up flat,” said Grandville coach Joel Breazeale. “We struggled to put any offense together.”

It was the only lead Hancock had all night, and it was a short-lived one. With just over five minutes to go in the first, Grandville’s Mason Schroeder launched a rocket above the left circle and into the Hancock net. It was the first of two long slap-shot goals for Grandville on the night.

“We have some very good forwards who can get in the crease and screen, and two goals came off of that,” Breazeale said.

Grandville’s Drew Harrington made it a 2-1 game with less than two minutes to go in the first.

While they had the lead as they came back on the ice for the second, coach Breazeale still wasn’t happy.

“I still thought we were kind of flat and not jumping on pucks like we are used to,” he said. “But as the period went on, we we’re able to get back to doing some of the simple things and manage the puck better.”

Grandville had a great chance to make a 3-1 game midway through the second as Hancock had two men in the penalty box on separate penalties at around the 11- minute mark. It gave Granville a five-on-three advantage for close to 90 seconds, but Hancock shut them down doing a masterful job of clearing the puck.

Less than a minute later Hancock tied it two thanks to a goal by Leroy Bastian only to have Grandville make it a 3-2 game with a goal at the 6:30 mark as they headed into the locker room after for the second intermission.

Grandville dominated the third period. It was their best as they came out fast and strong. Their second big slap-shot goal came off the stick Gunner Suidinski at the 11: 47 mark.

Hancock got back in the game at the 8:11 mark as Brady Galetto found net on a loose puck in front of the net. It was now 4-3, but that was as good as it got for Hancock. Grandville would score two more times including an empty netter to seal the deal at 6-3.

This was Grandville hockey’s first trip for a weekend series in the Copper Country, and Breazeale said they will definitely be back.

“The quality of hockey up here is great,” Breazeale said. “We hope we can make this an annual event.”

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