Bourdeau Helps Eskymos Roll Past Cadillac Vikings
Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos taken by Micky LaMarch, and to hear post-game comments from Gunner Bourdeau, Karson Kruitina, and Sawyer LaMarch. Also listen to Isaiah Boyce's playr spotlight interview.
ESCANABA---Gunner Bourdeau scored two goals, added two assists, and played shutdown defense Friday night as the Escanaba Eskymos rolled over the Cadillac Vikings, 7-0, at the Wells Sports Complex.
Sawyer LaMarch added two goals and three assists as the Eskymos outshot the downstate team, 34-14. Karson Krutina, Jayger LaMarch, and Trevor Streichert also scored for the Eskymos, and goaltender Bryce Buchbinder earned a shutout victory as he stopped all 14 shots that were sent his way.
Bourdeau was picked the game’s first star.
“We’ve seen little spurts from Gunner, but tonight, he put it all together,” Escanaba Coach Andy Johnson said. “We’ve been working with him on getting his shots off quick, instead of taking that big windup. Getting a quick snap shot, quick wrist shot from the point. We need that puck getting through, getting on net, and good things will happen. He did that tonight.”
Bourdeau played a much more controlled game, after having several earlier this season that led to a parade to the penalty box.
“I was feeling good going into the game,” Bourdeau said. “All the boys were ready to go. We got pucks on net and they started going in. I got kicked out of one game for five penalties and so I had to tone ‘er down and get hits that are there for me and don’t get chippy with them. Just stay out of the box!”
For the captain Krutina, it was an overall solid game. He had two assists to go along with his goal, and he was solid in the faceoff circle.
“I felt great tonight,” Krutina said. “I was having a lot of fun out there. They gave us a lot more room than Bay Reps did (last Saturday) and we actually had time to work with the puck, and make something happen out there tonight.”
And as for his success on faceoffs?
“Well, Ethan (assistant coach Silverstone) gave me a little tip,” said Krutina, who was picked the game’s #2 star. “Just had to outpower them, I guess, and get it (the puck) back. It’s really important to win them, because if you don’t, it’s all the way in the other end and you have to go back there to get it out of that end.”
“Ethan noticed something in Karson where it was just a little tweak,” Johnson said. “Thankfully, it worked, and he’s winning those face-offs now.”
And it was another typical multi-point game for LaMarch, with five points on two goals and three assists. His highlight was at the very end of the second period after Cadillac took an icing with nine seconds to play. Krutina won the draw, and LaMarch, playing at the point for a change, sniped it past Viking goaltender Dylan Quartz, to send Escanaba into the dressing room with a 5-0 lead.
“You get what you get with Sauce,” Johnson said. “He goes hard every night. The kid has endless energy. He’s smart with the puck. He’s smart without the puck."
LaMarch was picked the game’s third star.
Cadillac’s goaltender, Quartz, did his best to keep his team in the game, making 27 saves. But he didn’t get much help, as long stretches of the game were played in his end, even on the Vikings’ two power play chances.
The Vikings actually thought they had scored a goal at the game’s final buzzer as senior Kameron Hearld found the back of the net. But it came after all zeroes were on the scoreboard, and Buchbinder had his shutout.
Escanaba improved to 12-5-0-1 on the season. The record improved even more after Houghton was forced to forfeit five early-season hockey games due to a “residency issue”. One of those forfeits was a 6-0 Houghton win over Escanaba.
Cadillac fell to 6-11-0 on the season. The Vikings visit Negaunee on Saturday. The Eskymos will host Calumet Saturday afternoon at 3:00. That game will be broadcast live on FM-93.5, AM-600, and rrnsports.com.
