Portage Lake forward Wyatt Geshel tries to keep the puck away from DePere defender during a game Sunday, March 24, at Dee Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With a lot of shuffling, the 2024-25 of the Great Lakes Hockey League is off to a fast start with one team, the Marquette Mutineers, no longer in the league, but three new teams coming in to replace them in the M&M Shamrocks, the Sun Prairie Killer Bees and the Dane County Daily Kings.

The Portage Lake Pioneers, who won the regular season title last season with a 15-2-1 record, good for 31 points, were in action Saturday night in their season opener. They welcomed the newly-formed Shamrocks with an 8-4 defeat at Dee Stadium.

The Pioneers got two goals and two assists from newcomer Alec Broetzman, and two from former Houghton Gremlins and Michigan Tech captain Raymond Brice en route to the win.

Broetzman, who also served as a Michigan Tech captain during his collegiate career, scored just 5:25 into the contest. Zach Hill and Colton Salani both earned assists on the tally.

The Shamrocks answered with a goal of their own 3:01 later.

Defenseman Matt Marchel regained the lead for Portage Lake with three minutes remaining in the period and the Pioneers took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.

Returning to the ice in the second period, the Pioneers got Broetzman’s second goal and one from forward Spencer Donnelly to take a 4-1 lead before the period was five minutes old.

Salani then scored at 5:36. Hill scored one of his own with 3:51 left in the frame.

Former Mutineers forward Dallas McLaughlin got one back for the Shamrocks with 3:28 left. The Shamrocks then cut the lead to 6-3 before the period came to a close.

Leading 6-4 in the third, Brice put the Pioneers back up by three, 7-4, with an unassisted tally with 10:16 left. Brice then struck again with 5:32 remaining to seal the win.

Goaltender A.J. Petrulis finished the game with 14 saves to earn the win.

UP NEXT

The Pioneers are off until Friday, Dec. 6, when they travel to face the Mosinee Papermakers.