Portage Lake poses with the Kohlman Cup after winning the Great Lakes Hockey League’s playoff title Sunday at Dee Stadium in Houghton. The Pioneers are: Nick Harris, Austin Mikesch, Bryce Hanner, Wyatt Geshel, Dawson McKay, Zach Hill, Matt Mantta, Charlie Turner, Colton Salani, Ross Rouleau, Cody Sivonen, Brett Hauswirth, Connor Raffaelli, Jack Fenton, Matt Marchel, Dominick Nettell, Riley McKay, Landon Stevens, Brendan Erickson, Dylan Farmer, Joseph Dancy, Pete Rouleau, Alec Broetzman, A.J. Petrulis, Camden Burggrabe, Alex Sears, Alexander Reville, Devyn LaCourt, and Gaborik Carlson. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — It took the Great Lakes Hockey League’s top regular season team just 43 seconds Sunday to announce that they had every intention of winning the Kohlman Cup for the second straight season at Dee Stadium.

Alternate captain Spencer Donnelly tipped a feed from winger Austin Mikesch past Eagle River Falcons goaltender Mike Madosh at the point. It was the first of 10 goals the Portage Lake Pioneers scored in a 10-3 win to claim the GLHL Tournament title.

Winning it at home made it better.

“It’s awesome to be at the Dee Stadium and win,” said forward Alec Broetzman. “We work all year to ultimately be at this moment, and it’s just awesome.”

Mikesch was then involved in two other goals, first a power play goal at 6:31, and then in the second period at 9:25 when he picked up his second assist of the day.

“Great season for us,” he said. “Glad we could complete it this way. (We had a) good group all year. Had a couple new guys come in, young guys, and it’s just fun. We came together as a group again this year, and going back-to-back is special.”

Mikesch’s goal came at a turning point in the opening frame. The Pioneers drew a pair of penalties 34 seconds apart. Mikesch then found a quiet spot in the slot and winger Zach Hill passed a puck to him that he tipped past Madosh.

“He slowed it down,” said Mikesch. “I just had a good stick in front, and he was able to find me.”

Still on a power play, the Pioneers struck again just 15 seconds later when defenseman Ross Rouleau fired a shot through traffic that found the net.

As devastating as that second power play goal was, things nearly went off the rails for the Falcons three minutes later. Hill, who had been whistled for a penalty, came out of the box after it ended, and was fed a breakaway pass. He skated in alone and wristed a shot that Madosh fought off with his left shoulder.

Donnelly scored his second goal of the game 9:25 into the middle frame when he tipped a shot from Mikesch past Madosh.

Broetzman, a former Michigan Tech Huskies captain, scored the first of two goals to make it 5-0 at 12:14. He got a pass in the slot from defenseman Matt Marchel that he wristed home.

“It’s just a good group of guys, and we’re all friends,” Broetzman said. “We like to hang out and have fun. And, winning’s fun.”

Broetzman’s second goal came just 28 seconds into the third period, turning a 6-1 lead into a 7-1 advantage. This time, it was Hill with the pass to set him up.

“The first one was just right on my stick in the slot and trying not to miss,” Broetzman said. “The second one was just a great play by Zach Hill, same exact spot.”

Portage Lake had made it 6-0 in the latter portion of the second period when winger Landon Stevens, one member of the young line that also features center Gaborik Carlson and winger Connor Raffaelli, batted a rebound home at 14:35.

“They’re a physical team,” said Stevens, after the Pioneers defeated DePere in the semifinals. “We’re going to have to just work harder than them, because we went to Eagle River and lost. e. They’re good. Everyone’s going to have to show up. It’s going to have to be a team-effort game.”

Less than 24 hours later, he was right.

The Falcons finally solved Camden Burggrabe with 4:50 left in the second period, but with Broetzman scoring just 28 seconds into the third, lift did not get any easier.

Eagle River scored a second goal 2:56 into the third, only to have Marchel score on a Pioneers’ power play at 4:35 to make it 8-2. Former Michigan Tech Huskies forward Pete Rouleau picked up an assist on the goal.

Stevens scored again less than a minute later, at 5:17, on a wrist shot off a well-placed pass from Carlson.

Pete Rouleau was whistled for a penalty at 8:09, and the Falcons struck for the third time, but less than five minutes later, Hill capped the scoring with a rebound off a shot from center Dawson McKay.

Burggrabe made 44 saves to earn the win for the Pioneers. Madosh and Matias Anderson combined to make 29 saves for the Falcons after Anderson took the net for the final frame.

Pioneers 8, Deacons 2

The DePere Deacons held a 2-1 lead in the late stages of the second period of the second semifinal game Saturday night, but a penalty changed the momentum as the Deacons found themselves shorthanded, and the Pioneers scored on the advantage before adding six more in the third period to win, 8-2.

After a scoreless first period, the Pioneers got on the board first when Stevens wristed one home from the right circle 2:22 into the second.

DePere evened the game at 14:10, and then struck on the power play at 16:28. They appeared to be poised to head into the third period up a goal when Carson Hilt took a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct with 1:35 remaining. Pete Rouleau batted a puck between goaltender Dylan Baker’s legs to tie the game with less than a second remaining in the period.

“Completely changed the momentum,” said Stevens. “We were working in the first two (periods). We just couldn’t put one in the net. Then Pete had that chance and scored to end it, and everything changed. We just felt way more confident.”

From there, the game went downhill for the Deacons.

Hill scored 1:21 into the third on a wrist shot from the high slot. Stevens scored his second of the night at 2:27 on a rebound off a shot from Raffaelli. Finally, Broetzman scored at 4:09 when he lifted a backhand over Baker’s blocker, and suddenly the Pioneers led 5-2.

“It’s amazing,” Stevens said. “We were tied going into the third there, and things can get a little scarier then. Anything can happen in a close hockey game. We came out gunning, and then we did what we needed to do all day, so it feels amazing.”

McKay, Hanner, and defenseman Jack Fenton all found the net over the final 9:21. McKay’s tally came at 10:39 off a rebound. Hanner’s goal was shorthanded at 12:26, and Fenton fired a wrist shot that found the net at 14:37.

Portage Lake goaltender A.J. Petrulis made 27 saves to earn the win.

Pioneers 4, Deacons 3

Earlier in the day Saturday, the Pioneers and Deacons played to a 3-3 tie in regulation, but the Pioneers scored in overtime to seal the top seed from their pool for the medal round, 4-3.

Donnelly got the Pioneers on the board first 11:12 into the game.

DePere evened things at 17;14, but Pete Rouleau found the net with 1:09 remaining to put Portage Lake up 2-1 after the period.

Neither team found the net in the second period, but Hill made it 3-1 just 30 seconds into the third period.

The Deacons fought back, scoring at 11:48 and again at 18:41, to tie things up and force overtime.

In the extra session, Marchel scored the game-winning tally 4:49 in. Ross Rouleau had the lone assist on the goal.

Burggrabe stopped 55 shots to earn the win.

Pioneers 15, Killer Bees 0

Friday night, the Pioneers scored seven times in the first period, and added eight more over the next two periods, to defeat the Sun Prairie Killer Bees, 15-0.

Raffaelli got Portage Lake on the board just 1:24 in. Forward Colton Salani, McKay, Carlson, Stevens, Donnelly, and defenseman Brendan Erickson all scored before the opening period came to a close.

In the second, Carlson scored his second goal, Ross Rouleau scored, and Hanner struck late to put Portage Lake up 10-0 after 40 minutes.

In the third, Salani scored, Carlson scored his hat trick goal, Raffaelli scored his second, and Salani scored his own hat trick tally, putting the Pioneers up 14-0 with 8:42 remaining.

Forward Alexander Reville scored his first career goal at 13:54 to cap the scoring when he stuffed a rebound home.

Petrulis made 15 saves to earn the shutout for the Pioneers. Heath Bear stopped 56 for the Killer Bees.