Portage Lake poses with the Gibson Cup after winning their best-of-three series with Calumet at the Calumet Colosseum Friday. Pictured are: Nick Harris, Bryce Hanner, Wyatt Geshel, Dawson McKay, Zach Hill, Matt Mantta, Charlie Turner, Ross Rouleau, Cody Sivonen, Brett Hauswirth, Connor Raffaelli, Matt Marchel, Riley McKay, Landon Stevens, Brendan Erickson, Dylan Farmer, Pete Rouleau, Alec Broetzman, A.J. Petrulis, Camden Burggrabe, Alexander Reville, and Gaborik Carlson. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

CALUMET — Winning the Great Lakes Hockey League regular season title, the Kohlman Cup as the playoff champion, and the Gibson Cup in the same year is extremely difficult. Yet, with a 7-2 win Friday over the Calumet Wolverines at the Calumet Colosseum, the Portage Lake Pioneers have done just that, for the second straight year.

“To be honest, there’s no better feeling,” said Pioneers captain Charlie Turner. “It’s a long season. A lot of things have to go right. Some things go wrong. But honestly, I’m so proud of this whole group, from the old guys to, especially, the new young ones. The commitment and everything else has been unbelievable.”

The young core Turner was referring to includes forwards Gaborik Carlson, Landon Stevens and Connor Raffaelli, and defenseman Brendan Erickson. The quartet of former Houghton Gremlins are part of the next generation of Portage Lake skaters and the three forwards all played together in high school, with Carlson and Stevens playing on the same line.

“It’s great,” said Carlson, when asked about getting to play with Stevens and Raffaelli again. “It’s actually been a couple years, and I miss it a lot, so I’m glad to be able to play with them again.”

All four figured in the scoring for the Pioneers Friday night. Carlson had two assists, Stevens and Raffaelli each scored a goal, and Erickson picked up a pair of assists.

“It’s a pretty incredible feeling, actually, because I know it’s glorified beer league hockey, but it means a lot to all of us,” said alternate captain Spencer Donnelly. “It’s competitive hockey. To win the regular season is extremely hard, because you have to get buy-in from all your guys. This year we got buy in from the younger guys, and we made it fun. We all get along.

“The league tournament is even harder to win, because everybody brings their best squad. Then, to go and win the Gibson Cup the weekend after, it’s just an awesome feeling. I’m so happy and I love this group of guys.”

Even the Wolverines feel that the line of Carlson, Stevens and Raffaelli is a lot to deal with right now.

“They’re probably the best line in the GLHL, I’d give them that,” said forward Gabe Coppo. “They’re really quick, but I think it’s just playing smart hockey. The only way to beat them is to play smart. You make one mistake, and they’ll find it right away.”

The win Friday also marked the fourth straight Gibson Cup series win by the Pioneers dating back to 2023. The Wolverines had won the four prior to that from 2018-22.

“I think it’s just a year-round thing, like getting guys to show up and participate,” said Coppo. “Going on the road with 10 guys isn’t a winning formula. If we go on the road with 15, 18 guys, we have a good chance every night. But, the buy-in is tough right now for us.”

After a goal by captain Logan Rastello on the power play pulled the Wolverines back within one in the second period, 2-1, the Pioneers did not want a repeat of the first game of the series Thursday, where they gave up three straight goals. Instead, they came out and scored three straight of their own in a 5:15 span.

It all started with a goal from Donnelly at 5:51 when he knocked a rebound home. Then, Stevens tipped home a pass from Carlson at 8:16, and forward Alec Broetzman notched a goal on a wrist shot at 11:06 off a pass from forward Brett Hauswirth, and suddenly Portage Lake led 5-1.

“We came into the room after the first period, and we kind of felt we were flat, just like last night (Thursday),” Donnelly said. “Our team’s got a lot more than what we showed tonight. But, we did come out, we picked it up, and we talked in the room that we have to get some more effort. We kind of get sucked into their game.

“They’re a good team, but we’re a lot faster, we’re a lot grittier, and you get sucked into playing their style, and they go on odd-mans, we just have to play our game. Our game is fast, it’s hard, and it’s physical.”

Alternate captain Matthew Yeo cut the lead back down to 5-2 when he buried a feed from Rastello, who was below the Pioneers’ goal line, at 17:49, but Portage Lake answered back quickly at 19:04 when forward Pete Rouleau found time and space in the right circle and quickly wristed a pass from forward Zach Hill into the net, putting the Pioneers back up by four, 6-2, heading into the final frame.

Calumet’s starting goaltender Tyler Hubbard was forced to come out of the game 4:33 into the third period due to an equipment issue, and Jake Garrow stepped in for the remainder of the contest.

Garrow surrendered a goal to Broetzman three minutes later on a wrist shot from the high slot, but stopped everything else he saw.

Portage Lake started the night with a goal from Raffaelli 5:46 in, when he took a pass from Carlson and fired a puck that Hubbard stopped. However, Raffaelli drove the net hard and knocked the rebound into the net.

Defenseman Riley McKay made it 2-0 Pioneers at 19:43 of the first when he scored quickly off a faceoff and feed from Turner.

There was a fight, the second in the series, between Portage Lake’s Alexander Reville and Calumet’s James Pryal, to start the third period, but otherwise, the the two teams played a clean game with only five penalties called between the combatants.

Hubbard and Garrow combined for 42 saves in the loss for Calumet. Camden Burggrabe stopped 26 in the win for the Pioneers.

Portage Lake forward Landon Stevens scores against Calumet goaltender Tyler Hubbard in the second period of the second game of the Gibson Cup series Friday at the Calumet Colosseum. Also pictured is Calumet defenseman Maxx Fredrickson. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)