Portage Lake forward Dawson McKay battles for a puck in front of the Eagle River net during a game at Dee Stadium. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With a potential Great Lakes Hockey League regular season title on the line for the Portage Lake Pioneers, they had to battle the Eagle River Falcons for the third time in four games Friday night at Dee Stadium.

With the win, the Pioneers improved to 17-1 on the season.

The Pioneers scored five goals in the second period and added two more in the third to win 7-4.

Eagle River struck first when Zach Kennedy found the net at 4:11.

However, Pioneers forward Devyn LaCourt evened things just 48 seconds later. Forward Wyatt Geshel picked up an assist on the play.

Forward Alec Broetzman then scored to give Portage Lake the lead at 9:10. Forward Cody Sivonen picked up the lone assist.

Defenseman Ross Rouleau extended the Pioneers’ lead at 14:13. Broetzman added an assist on the play.

Looking for more, the Pioneers got it when forward Zach Hill struck exactly three minutes later. Broetzman notched his third point of the night on the goal.

Eagle River cut into the lead with 1:58 left in the frame when Todd Koritzinsky scored, but forward Connor Raffaelli regained the three-goal cushion for the Pioneers when he scored at 18:40. Forwards Brett Hauswirth and Spencer Donnelly both earned assists on the play.

Leading 5-2 in the third, the Pioneers struck again when forward Dawson McKay scored at 10:29, unassisted.

The Falcons answered that tally just seven seconds later when Mitch Idalski scored.

Hauswirth scored Portage Lake’s seventh goal of the night at 11:40. Defenseman Brendan Erickson picked up the lone assist on the goal.

Eagle River added one last goal with 3:57 remaining when Kennedy scored his second of the night.

Goaltender A.J. Petrulis made 45 saves to earn the win for Portage Lake. Mike Madosh stopped 37 for the Falcons.