Houghton defenseman Connor Raffaelli (17) shoots the puck during a game against University of Detroit Jesuit Saturday at Dee Stadium in Houghton. Also pictured are teammates Camden Markham (9) and Landon Stevens (13). (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

Houghton defeats Detroit Jesuit, 5-2

HOUGHTON — For the first eight minutes of Saturday’s afternoon hockey game at Dee Stadium, the Houghton Gremlins found themselves chasing a team that appeared to be both bigger and faster than they were.

The University of Detroit Jesuit Cubs rushed all over the rink, earned a quick 1-0 lead, and then unexpectedly sat back and waited for the Gremlins’ counterpunch. Houghton took advantage of three goals in a stretch of less than two minutes and then cruised to a 5-2 win in a penalty-filled affair to move to 16-0 on the year.

The Cubs’ Thomas Angell struck just 2:10 into the contest when he picked up a puck near his own blue line, blew past both Gremlins’ defenders and then wristed a shot past goaltender Bryant Lee. Angell scored another goal at 15:32 of the third period to cap all the scoring in the game.

For Houghton, the rough start could have proved costly. The Cubs outshot them 8-2 through the first eight and a half minutes.

“(What) we’re trying to stress to our team all along is (that) we’re going to get teams’ best shot at the start, especially,” said Gremlins coach Corey Markham. “I thought Jesuit had a great start, came out strong. They were flying.”

Needing a spark to get themselves going, the Gremlins found one when the Cubs’ Alexander Thweni took a charging penalty with a hit on sophomore center Jay Halonen at center ice. During the ensuing power play, alternate captain Landon Stevens found open ice on the left side of the slot, and when he got a pass from co-captain Camden Markham, he buried it at 9:48.

Stevens struck again shorthanded three shots later at 11:20. Markham again provided the assist on the play.

For Stevens, it was his 12th game with two goals in Houghton’s first 16 games.

“I don’t think he has a hat trick this year, but he’s had two in about 10 games,” Corey Markham said. “It’s a crazy amount where he has two goals in the game, so it’s been very good.”

In between Stevens’ goals, sophomore winger Jace DeForge found time and space in the slot to bury his fourth goal in his last three games at 10:41.

Getting offense from the second line has really helped the Gremlins continue their successful start to the season.

DeForge had a golden opportunity for a second tally in the second period with Cubs goaltender Harrison Greig out of position, but he hit the crossbar.

“Jace is putting the puck in the net there,” said Corey Markham. “(He) unfortunately missed an open net in the second and hit the post, but that line is really what we’ve been looking for and they’ve been strong.”

Camden Markham extended the Gremlins’ lead at 14:41 of the second period as Greig lost control of the puck and co-captain Gaborik Carlson picked it up and fed it over to Markham for the tally.

Camden Markham then returned the favor just 1:21 into the third as he found Carlson in the slot for the Gremlins’ fifth goal.

Lee made 25 saves to earn his 12th win of the season.

Gremlins hold off Warriors Friday

HOUGHTON — The Gremlins answered a key question Friday night, where will the offense come from when their top line doesn’t score? Houghton’s “Orange” line combined to score five goals in the team’s 6-5 win over the Brother Rice Warriors at Dee Stadium.

The Warriors scored two goals in a stretch of 31 seconds to jump out to an early 2-0 with goals at 11:56 and 12:27 of the opening frame. That advantage did not last long, though.

Junior winger Michael Maillette struck just 16 seconds later to cut the lead in half. DeForge followed with an unassisted tally just 22 seconds after that to even the score.

DeForge scored his second of the night 9:26 into the second. Camden Markham followed with a goal at 12:33. Maillette made it a 5-2 game at 13:42.

The Warriors got one back before the middle period ended, setting up a battle in the third period. They got one more 5:52 into the third.

Maillette scored his hat trick goal 9:54 in off another feed from alternate captain Sully Rajala.

With their goaltender pulled, the Warriors cut the Gremlins’ lead back to one at 15:50, but could not get any closer.

Lee made 18 saves to earn the win for the Gremlins.

Up next

Houghton is off until Friday night when they host Grandville at 7 p.m. at Dee Stadium. Saturday, they will face Salem at 2 p.m.