Pioneers comeback twice, top Wolverines in shootout, 6-5
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CALUMET -- The Portage Lake Pioneers, who came into Tuesday night on a three-game winning streak, fell behind in the first and third periods, and both times fought back to even the score, eventually forcing overtime and a shootout in order to top the Calumet Wolverines, 6-5, in a Great Lakes Hockey League (GLHL) matchup at the Calumet Colosseum.
The Pioneers were looking for some revenge from a 2-1 shootout loss back on Dec. 30, however, the Wolverines managed to take the lead 5-4 just 4:10 into the third period. A late penalty to Calumet winger Michael Babcock changed the fortunes of the visitors. Babcock was whistled for hooking at 16:44, but on the way to the penalty box, he picked up an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.
That extra two minutes gave the Pioneers (10-3-1) a power play for the remainder of regulation, but it took them almost the entirety of the remainder of the game to even things when defenseman Ross Rouleau blasted a slap shot past Wolverines goaltender Tyler Hubbard with just 11 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 5-5 and force overtime.
Rouleau then scored again in the shootout to give the Pioneers the win.
Winger Jonathan Bostwick scored two goals earlier in the contest to help give the Pioneers a 4-2 lead after they fell behind 2-0 in the first period. He and his linemates, Dylan Farmer and Cale Markham, accounted for three of the Pioneers' five goals.
"They came out strong," Bostwick said. "We came out a little flat, and we just started to focus on getting pucks deep and get into our forechecking cycle. We got a couple of chances out of that, and then ended up putting a couple in the back of the net."
Farmer scored the Pioneers' first goal at 15:08 of the first period when he skated into the slot and fired a wrist shot that hit the crossbar and fell behind Hubbard. Bostwick followed Farmer's goal at 19:14 when he crashed the net and the puck found him and bounced in.
"Cale beat the defenseman, took it wide, and just threw it to the net," said Bostwick, "and it hit me and went in."
Bostwick's second goal came 3:51 into the second period as the result of some strong forechecking by the Pioneers. Spencer Donnelly followed Bostwick's second tally with one of his own at 5:30, putting the Pioneers up 4-2.
Calumet, who scored twice in the game's first 14:18, needed a spark in the second, and got it when Babcock beat out an icing by defenseman Stephen Dudenas, and fired a wrister over the blocker of Pioneers goaltender Drew Eaton at 13:19.
Looking to mimic their start, Wolverines (4-7) scored twice in the first 4:10 of the third. The first came off the stick of captain Logan Rastello just 2:07 in.
"We had to get back to what we were doing right," he said. "That's just skating, getting pucks deep, and just get it on net. You always want to start a period with a couple of good shifts, get momentum, and we just happened to get a couple of goals and right back in the game."
The second was scored by center Brent Loukus at 4:10 when he beat Eaton with a wrist shot.
The start was just what the Wolverines were looking for.
"I think we started (well)," Rastello said. "When you start (well), and you start skating (well), especially against a quick team like that, you get your confidence up."
The Wolverines jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after 8:42 in when Scott Loukus pounced on a rebound and beat Eaton.
Calumet's second goal came on the power play at 14:18 when winger Sherman Mowrey set up in the right circle and one-timed a pass from Brent Loukus past Eaton.
With the win, the Pioneers jumped into the lead in the GLHL standings, however, they have played four more games than second-place Fond du Lac. They have been reinvigorated after a difficult season last year thanks to young talent like Bostwick, who is enjoying the experience.
"(We need to) just keep doing what we're doing, showing up every night, playing our game, and doing what we do well, I guess," said Bostwick.
The Wolverines are sixth in the GLHL standings, but have been playing much better hockey since beating the Pioneers just before the start of the New Year. Rastello feels that their record is not indicative of the progress the team has made recently.
"I don't think our record really indicates the type of team we are," said Rastello. "The biggest thing for us is we need to stick to our game, which is get the pucks in, get it deep, get our feet moving.
"I don't think a record really indicates what we've been playing. We've just been playing shorthanded, or with what we have, and maybe not up to our full potential."
Eaton finished his night with 33 saves in the win. Hubbard made 27 saves in the loss.
Up next
Both teams are off until Saturday, Feb. 18, when they will face each other against the Calumet Colosseum. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m.