Hancock forward Forrest LaCourt fires shot during a 50th annual John MacInnes Holiday Hockey Classic game against Eastside Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With a win over the Eastside Stars Saturday and a loss to the DePere Voyageurs Sunday, the Hancock Bulldogs hockey split their two games in the 50th annual John MacInnes Holiday Hockey Classic at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton.

With the win and the loss, the Bulldogs moved to 5-5-1 on the season.

Bulldogs 9, Stars 1

Saturday, it felt like everything the Bulldogs threw at the net found the twine as Hancock rolled to a 9-1 mercy win over the Stars in two periods.

Bulldogs coach Joe Burcar liked how his team responded to an 11-day break in their schedule by scoring six goals in the opening period to set the tone.

“It’s real important to get the win,” he said. “We talked about that for the last week and a half, just because our practice schedule hasn’t been the norm, intensity hasn’t been the norm. We’ve been off a lot of time around the game, a week and a half. So, it was important for us to get out to (a good) start.”

When the game came to an end, eight of the nine goals were scored by a different player, which spread the offense around.
”Contributions from everybody, which was key,” Burcar said. “That’s something from the coaching staff that was stressed a lot to the guys. It’s just, with the lack of structured practices, and times, that structure of after school, just Christmas break, or out of school, (there was) a lot of downtime. So, we weren’t sharp in our practices.

“It was addressed, and we practiced yesterday (Friday) and again talked today. We had a good warm up. But, give our guys a lot of credit. They came out and executed. They did a good job.”

The barrage of goals started just 40 seconds into the game when sophomore forward Nolan Hanner knocked his own rebound home.

Eastside tied the game at 1-1 at 4:33 when Beckett Fast found the net, beating senior goaltender Brian Ponnikas, who was making his first varsity start.

Several minutes later, the Axford triplets started finding the scoresheet.

Junior forward Lukas Axford found the net to put Hancock back ahead at 9:39. His brother Brady, a forward, scored the Bulldogs’ fourth goal at 12:29 when he knocked a rebound home. Lukas scored another just 1:28 into the middle frame when he crashed the net and buried a pass from sophomore forward Luciano Paoli.

Not to be outdone, Tyler, a defenseman, scored the Bulldogs’ final goal at 13:30 of the second period, causing the game to switch to running time until the end of the period. He crashed the net and knocked a rebound home for the tally.

“Number one, they’re just great athletes, obviously, football players, and I think that’s another good example,” said Burcar. “What I’ve learned from them, they’re pretty tight as brothers. I think the whole entire family (is a) great family. They feed off each other. They build off each other. So, not only the brothers, but the entire team. They kind of build and build and build, and it’s fun to watch.”

Junior forward Forrest LaCourt scored at the 10:00 mark of the first period to put the Bulldogs up 3-1 the shift after Lukas Axford’s first goal.

Paoli scored at 13:48 when Hancock took advantage of a turnover. Then, senior forward Kirby Storm capped the first-period scoring with one of his own at 15:40.

Sophomore defenseman Jax Pierner made it 8-1 with a goal 3:52 into the second period when he crashed the net. He also had three assists in the game.

Ponnikas made eight saves to earn the win.

“His first high school start ever, and, honestly, we did our homework,” said Burcar. “We didn’t have a lot of information on Eastside, and it wasn’t because of the score that came out of this. It was because he deserved a start. He’s worked hard for as many years as he’s been here. He’s been back and forth in the JV, and it was important for him to have this game today (Saturday).

“He deserved it. He earned it. He earned the right to start today, and that was the most important thing.”

Voyageurs 7, Bulldogs 3

As well as things went Saturday, the Bulldogs got off to a good start Sunday against DePere. However, despite having a 2-1 lead after one period, the Bulldogs could not sustain that lead for three periods as the Voyageurs came out with quick goals in both the second and third periods to leave Houghton with a 7-3 win.

The game turned on a seven-minute span in the second period. The Bulldogs led at that point 2-1, but Max Greenya scored 44 seconds into the frame, and Leo Dose scored 35 seconds later from essentially the same spot in the left circle, and suddenly DePere was in the lead.

Hancock was awarded a major power play at 1:42, but only managed to get two shots through to Voyageurs goaltender Chase Van De Ven.

The Bulldogs were awarded another power play, but this time Michael VanHelden scored from almost the same spot the previous two goals had come from in the period.

After Kade Koszarek scored to make it 5-2 DePere on a tip at 14:07, sophomore defenseman Chase Keranen scored his first goal of the season at 14:53, pulling the Bulldogs back within striking distance.

However, a second goal from Greenya just 19 seconds into the third on the power play, and a tally from Austin Lee at 37 seconds, put the game out of reach.

Ponnikas came in to relieve senior goaltender Adam Mikkola at that point for Hancock, and he stopped 17 shots to close out the game.

“Unplanned, and he just did an outstanding job,” Burcar said. “He made some tough saves. He didn’t give up anything. He was the spark we had today. He was a bright spot, I’ll say that.

“Not the spark, the bright spot. Brian did a heck of a job.”

Hancock struck first 6:11 into the game when Lukas Axford scored his third goal of the weekend from the slot off a pass from Hanner.

After DePere tied things up on a goal from Easton LaBelle at 7:06, Hancock regained the lead on the power play at 8:45. Hanner scored the goal on a wrist shot from the high right circle.

Burcar attributed the change in his team’s play after the first period to them taking their proverbial foot off of the gas pedal.

“I think we were reading box scores,” he said. “I think they all looked at, didn’t respect DePere. DePere is a great team, and well coached. From a coaching standpoint, we knew they were going to come in like this. But, I think what we watched last night, 7-3 from Jeffers. So, we did what we did.

“We thought we could come and do the same thing. That’s not the game of hockey. Every day is a different day.”

Up next

Hancock is back in action on Tuesday, when they face Jeffers at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton at 6 p.m.