HANCOCK — The Hancock Bulldogs hockey team scored once in each of the first periods and held off a comeback attempt in the third period to skate away with a 2-1 win over the Sparta Spartans Friday at the HoCo Arena.

Forward Nolan Hanner got the Bulldogs (4-3-1 overall) on the board first with a late first-period tally on the power play. The goal, Hanner’s fourth, came with assists from forward Tyler Axford and forward Ben Keranen at 14:45.

The score remained 1-0 past the halfway point of the second period until forward Kirby Storm scored his third goal of the year at 10:57. Keranen earned his second assist of the night on the play.

Goaltender Adam Mikkola stopped all 10 shots he saw through the first two periods. However, Arend Clark broke out the shutout bid just 1:14 into the third.

From there, Mikkola stopped the rest of the shots he faced, finishing with 16 saves to earn the win.

Gremlins fall to Escanaba

ESCANABA — Graham Johnson scored twice in just over a five-minute stretch of the first period as the Escanaba Eskymos hockey team earned a 6-2 win over the Houghton Gremlins Saturday at the Hannahville Ice and Turf Arena.

Johnson scored his first just 1:19 into the contest and his second came at 4:45. In between Chase Korpi scored and the Eskymos led 3-0 after the first period.

In the second, Owen Labonte scored 4:48 in. Gunnar Lamarche stuck just 18 seconds later to put Escanaba up at that point, 5-0.

Henry Sholten then put the Eskymos up 6-0 on the power play at 8:21.

Houghton (4-5-1 overall) got one back less than two minutes later when forward Liam Frick scored his first goal of the season at 10:07. Forward Max Aldrich picked up the assist.

Captain Connor Arko scored the Gremlins’ second goal of the game with just 1:01 remaining. The goal, Arko’s fifth of the year, was assisted by forward Brody Donnelly.

Goaltenders Cooper Flachs and Brycyn Nettell combined to stop 20 shots in the loss for Houghton.

Jets lose Friday, tie Saturday

GAYLORD — The Jeffers Jets hockey team battled back from a 2-0 deficit Friday to take a 3-2 lead, only to fall 4-3 to Dearborn Divine Child at the Otsego County Sportsplex. Saturday, they battled to a 4-4 tie with Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Down 2-0 in the first period Friday, captain Brogan Turner got the Jets (7-3-1 overall) on the board with just 11 seconds remaining in the period. Turner’s 12th goal of the season was set up by forward Griffin Heinonen.

Heinonen then evened things just 5:17 into the second period with his second goal of the season. Forward Tage Rajala assisted on the goal.

Turner then struck for the second time with just 14 seconds left in the middle frame. Forwards Easton Therrian and Max Nordstrom both earned assists on the tally.

The Jets held the lead until the Falcons evened things on a Brody McNamara goal with just 1:05 remaining.

Nordstrom was whistled for a penalty with just 10 seconds left, and four seconds later, Kole Boike knocked home the game-winner for the Falcons.

Goaltender Kasen Helminen stopped 31 of 35 Falcons’ shots in the loss.

In Saturday’s game against the Cougars, the Jets led 3-2 after one period and 4-3 after two, but an early third-period goal pulled Grand Rapids CC into a tie.

Heinonen broke the ice just 2:40 into the game. Forward Carson L’Esperance and Turner both assisted on Heinonen’s third of the year.

Gage and Cohen Potter scored 14 seconds apart to put the Cougars up, 2-1, at 8:42 and 8:56, respectively.

Forward Cameron Anderson then evened things with 4:22 left in the period. L’Esperance and defenseman Blake Heltunen both assisted on Anderson’s 10th tally of the season.

L’Esperance then scored one of his own with just 22 seconds remaining. His fourth of the season was assisted by Turner and Heltunen.

The Cougars evened things at 3-3 just 1:33 into the second, but Turner scored his 14th of the season at 5:10 to regain the lead for the Jets. Nordstrom earned the lone assist.

Casey Tenharmsel tied things again at 4-4 just 4:20 into the third, and that is where the scoring ended.

Helminen earned the tie for the Jets.