Colorado forward Tanner Kero celebrates a goal during a game this season. (Photo courtesy of the American Hockey League)

HOUGHTON — Two Copper Country area natives are playing college hockey at the Division I level. Both are key parts of their team in depth roles. A third player with ties to the area is playing professionally in New York City.

Atlantic Mine native, and Hancock graduate, Alex Nordstrom is in his third season with the Michigan Tech Huskies. After seeing action last season in 16 games and picking up two assists, he has played in 23 games this season.

He scored not only his first career goal, but his two career goals in a game against St. Thomas on Thursday, Jan. 11. He recently added to that total on Friday, Feb. 23, when he scored two goals in a 7-0 win over Bowling Green State.

He has four goals and six points this season.

Calumet native Tanner Rowe is in his first season with the Michigan Wolverines. He has played in 25 games this season and has one goal.

His first career goal came in a 12-4 win over Stonehill on Friday, Jan. 12.

Another player with area ties is playing professionally in the Professional Women’s Hockey League during its inaugural season. Sault Ste. Marie native Abby Roque is playing for New York. Roque’s mother, Julia, is originally from Calumet.

Roque has played in all 14 games for New York thus far, scoring two goals and eight points. She leads the team in penalty minutes, with 29. She also is tied for the team lead in power play assists with four.

JUNIORS UPDATE

Hancock native Austin Salani of the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League, scored a goal Friday night against the St. Cloud Norsemen. He now has 22 goals and 53 points in 48 games with the Bruins.

Houghton native Camden Markham, who also plays for the Bruins, saw action in one game against the Norsemen last weekend. He recorded one shot and one penalty in Saturday’s game.

Dodgeville native Gaborik Carlson, who plays for the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, played in a pair of games last week against the Kindersley Klippers. He did not pick up a point in the two games.

Eliott Mikesch, son of Hancock native and former Huskies forward Pat Mikesch, who also plays for the Millionaires, scored a goal against the Klippers on Friday, breaking a five-game streak without a point. With the tally, he now has six goals and 10 points in 19 games since being traded to the Millionaires.

Calumet native Dean Loukus, who plays with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League, picked up a goal this past weekend in a game against the Ottawa Steelheads. Loukus scored in the third period against the 67s on Friday in a 4-3 loss in overtime. He was held off the scoresheet Sunday in a 6-1 win over the Windsor Spitfires.

KERO, BLISS HONORED

On Monday, the American Hockey League announced that former Huskies skater and Hancock native Tanner Kero was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week. The Colorado Eagles forward scored four goals and added three assists, along with a plus-7 rating in four games.

He now has 11 goals and 30 points in 50 games for the Eagles this season.

Also on Monday, the ECHL announced that former Huskies forward and Green Bay, Wisconsin, native Trenton Bliss was Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week.

Bliss, who plays for Pat Mikesch with the Toledo Walleye, scored four goals and added four assists in three games to earn the honor. Bliss now ranks eighth in the ECHL in scoring with 22 goals and 58 points in 49 games.