Houghton forward Brody Donnelly celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period of a Region 17 semifinal game against Hancock Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The Hancock Bulldogs hockey team knew they were in for the best the Houghton Gremlins could throw at them in their Region 17 semifinal matchup Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. They got all of it.

When the dust settled, the Gremlins scored all five goals in a 5-0 win over the Bulldogs.

Alternate captain Brody Donnelly led the charge, netting a hat trick.

Donnelly missed the Gremlins’ 6-5 loss at Wing Ding 14 days earlier. So, being able to back in the lineup for the semifinals was important to him.

“That Wing Ding game sucked for me to watch,” he said. “I just wanted to be out there and play with my buddies. We all knew we had to get revenge for this one, and we did tonight.”

When asked how he was able to score three goals, Donnelly gave a very simple answer.

“(It) feels great. Nothing better,” he said, “but couldn’t have done it without my linemates and my teammates, so all credit to them.”

The Gremlins attacked in waves through the first five minutes of the game, but Bulldogs senior goaltender Adam Mikkola withstood the challenge. He was still holding his ground until a shot from junior defenseman Porter Markham hit Donnelly in the slot and bounced past him at 7:35.

Then, just under two minutes later, Donnelly struck again when the Gremlins forced a turnover on a clearing pass. He skated in alone and wristed a shot past Mikkola at 9:25.

“It was huge to get something to show for it,” said Gremlins coach Micah Stipech. “In the past, we’d have a stretch of good offensive zone possession, and then give up an easy one the other way, and it kind of takes the wind out of your sails. So, to get something to show for in a game where kids are nervous, and there’s a big crowd, it helps get the momentum on your side.”

Bulldogs assistant coach Matt Marchel felt that, while his team did withstand the first five-minute push by the Gremlins, after that, they made key mistakes that allowed Houghton to grab the advantage quickly.

“We spoon fed him a couple goals early, and chasing that team is tough, because they play with the lead a lot,” he said. “Then, once you start cheating a little bit for offense, things start moving very quickly. Obviously, that happened tonight.”

It took nearly all of the middle frame, but Donnelly scored his natural hat trick goal at 16:08 when he jumped up into a rush with sophomore forward Braden Kari, who had the puck on his stick. Kari skated into the slot, fed the puck over, and Donnelly wasted no time beating Mikkola with a wrist shot.

“He’s just fast and strong,” said Marchel. “He skates with the puck as fast as he skates without it. I didn’t watch a whole lot of those guys this year, but man, he can move. Obviously, he scores. I think he averages two points a game or something against us. For the last couple years that I remember, his name’s all over the scoresheet.

“His skating ability and strength on the puck I think is better than a lot of guys out there.”

Kari then chipped in with a goal of his own to put the game out of reach just 2:21 into the third period. He took a pass from senior defenseman Kade Jenkins in his own end and raced up the ice with speed. Freshman forward Mason Soli joined him for a 2-on-1, but Kari held the puck until something opened up and he beat Mikkola with a wrist shot.

Sophomore forward Gunner Gullstrand iced the game for Houghton while on the power play with 2:27 remaining in the contest. He skated through the slot and picked up a pass on his backhand from alternate captain Noah Maillette. Gullstrand then wristed a shot through Mikkola and in.

With the goal, all three members of Houghton’s second line, Kari, Gullstrand, and Donnelly, had at least one goal in the game.

“Their line was really good,” said Stipech. “They had a lot of opportunities. Gunner distributing pucks and setting guys up. He set up Braden as well. (He) was a big part of making that happen. Then Brody, he has a knack for finding an open spot on the net.”

Stipech pointed to the loss to the Bulldogs during Wing Ding as being a moment the Gremlins needed to experience.

“That game was very important for us in helping us to play the right way against a good opponent like them,” he said. “Tonight, I thought we took a big step forward.”

In net, the Gremlins turned to senior Cooper Flachs, and he was stellar. He stopped all three shots he saw in the first and nine more in the second, but none bigger than a stop on alternate captain Kirby Storm, who created time and space for himself with 6:09 left. He skated in and appeared to get tripped up by a Gremlins’ defender, but he still managed to get a scoring chance out of the play, and Flachs held his ground. In all, Flachs stopped 16 shots to earn the shutout win.

Mikkola stopped 31 for the Bulldogs in the loss.

Up next

With the win, the Gremlins advance to the Region 17 championship game Wednesday against Calumet. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Hancock goaltender Adam Mikkola makes a glove save during a Region 17 semifinal game against Houghton Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)