Members of Gino’s Restaurant pose with the trophy after winning the Copper Country Oldtimers Hockey League championship game Sunday at the HoCo Arena in Hancock. Pictured in the back row (from left): John Kilpela, Craig Sporalski, John Erickson, Trevor Ploe, Jake Wisti, and Taylor Augustine. Pictured in the front row (from left): Don Beauchamp, Roy Manninen, Mark Harris, Zach Babcock, and Charlie Turner. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — To say this season in the Copper Country Oldtimers Hockey League has gone to plan for Gino’s Restaurant would be far from the truth. However, it ended in the best way possible, as they scored two goals to open the championship game, and four of the last five, to win 7-4 over Calumet Electronics at the HoCo Arena.

The win capped an incredible run for Gino’s, who finished fourth in the regular season with a record of 9-10-1, but won all six playoff games.

“I’ll tell you what, in all the years I’ve been here, it’s been not too many times where a team would have a losing record going into the playoffs, and then not only go 5-0 in the playoffs, and then win the championship,” said league president Craig “Boney” Sporalski. “So, it’s a pretty rare feat what we did. We came together. We had some guys playing different positions during the season, and then we kind of figured out what lineup worked best for us, and we rolled with it through the playoffs, and it really worked.”

Personally for Sporalski, this win meant far more. He has been on several teams that have played for a championship, and his team even won a couple, but he was not able to play in those games for various reasons. To be a part of the game Sunday was everything he could hope for.

“It feels fantastic,” he said. “I tell you what, this is my 31st year in the league, and I think I was on the losing end of this about six or seven times. I had COVID one year, couldn’t play, and then I had a business trip. I was out of town. To be able to be here and be part of the championship is just so special.

“I mean, it’s been a long time for me. I’m so happy.”

Don Beauchamp got things started for Gino’s just 11 minutes in when he got a pass from Charlie Turner and beat Calumet goaltender Dustin Jaehnig.

Gino’s struck again a minute and a half later when Zach Babcock found the net with a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot.

Zach Babcock finished with three goals for Gino’s in the game. His brother, Michael, scored one for Calumet.

Michael Babcock’s tally evened the game at 2-2 at 26:15. Steve Vairo picked up the assist on the play.

Vairo had the first Calumet Electronics goal at 21:30 when Alex Marino fired a shot that Gino’s goaltender Roy Manninen stopped, but the rebound bounced right to Vairo, who quickly put it in the net.

Calumet wasn’t finished scoring. Ryan DeForge found the net on a rebound at 29:00, and the team that finished 11-8-1 during the season was in the lead at half time.

Manninen made 22 saves in that first half. He made another 19 in the second half.

“I have to say, Roy Manninen just played fantastic today,” Sporalski said. “He had 41 saves. We were outshot, I believe, 45-26. So, he came up big for us.”

Turner tried to spark his team early in the second half, with multiple looks in the first two and a half minutes, but Jaehnig stood his ground. The game remained 3-2 in favor of Calumet until Jake Wisti found the net with a wrist shot at 14:00.

Just 1:10 later, Zach Babcock buried his second of the game with a wrist shot from the slot. Another 1:10 after that, he scored his hat trick goal off a feed from Turner.

Turner, who lost his house to a fire just prior to the season, became a rallying figure for Gino’s throughout the season.

“The guys really rallied around Chuck,” said Sporalski. “It was a tragedy. He lost pretty much everything he owned. This group of guys really came together, and helped him out. To have him a part of this is just fantastic.

“I couldn’t be happier for Chuck. I played with the guy for many years. I just love the guy and he is a great hockey player.”

Calumet finally got back on the scoreboard at 24:30 when Joel Isaacson scored a power play goal from the left circle after getting a feed from Joe Weingarten.

However, Turner iced the game with 2:12 remaining as he scored the game’s final goal.

Jaehnig finished with 18 saves in the loss for Calumet.

Up next

The Copper Country Oldtimers Hockey League hosts its annual tournament this weekend with games going from Thursday through Sunday evening at Dee Stadium, the HoCo Arena, and the Calumet Colosseum.

Gino’s Restaurant’s Charlie Turner tries to keep the puck away from Calumet Electronics’ Michael Babcock during the championship game of the Copper Country Oldtimers Hockey League Sunday at the HoCo Arena in Hancock. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)