Hancock travels nine hours to USA Hockey Arena, leaves with D3 state title

 

By @MichaelCaples –

PLYMOUTH – The game started with a “U.P. Power” chant raining down on the ice from the Hancock student section.

The game ended with the Hancock players presenting a state championship trophy to their classmates.

Riding a three-goal first period, the Bulldogs prevailed over Grand Rapids Catholic Central, winning the MHSAA Division 3 state title with a 4-2 victory at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.

“Usually when a team from the U.P. comes down, you have the whole Upper Peninsula backing mentality up there, and it’s really cool,” said Hancock head coach Dan Rouleau. “We’re a little isolated up there, but we’ve got good hockey players up there, I’ll tell you that.”

Jack Fenton, Alex Nordstrom and Danny Hill all scored in the opening period for Hancock, while Nordstrom added an empty-netter to let the loyal Bulldogs fans who traveled nine hours to start celebrating before the final buzzer.

PHOTO GALLERY: Hancock wins D3 state title

“It was huge – the support we get from up there, it’s unbelievable,” Bulldogs captain Dylan Paavola said. “You’re talking about kids coming on a bus, leaving at 1 o’clock in the morning, coming down for a game and then literally getting back on the bus and driving back nine hours to where we came from, where our home is. It’s unbelievable support – great fans.”

For the Cougars, it was Ethan Tellier and Chase Madden finding the back of the net in the second period to pull GRCC back into the contest. Jacob McClelland stopped 37 shots between the pipes.

Hancock’s Dawson Kero stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced in the contest to record the state title-clinching victory between the pipes. He stood tall in the third period, holding GRCC scoreless on numerous opportunities.

“Me and [assistant captains Danny Hill and Jack Fenton], we try to pound into the younger kids’ heads that we have to keep going hard, not ever giving up, because that’s when comebacks happen,” Paavola said. “We didn’t want any of that, because we haven’t ever won a state championship. We didn’t want to screw this one up, I guess you could say.

“I could say I felt comfortable with 3.6 seconds left.”

 

The Bulldogs weren’t feeling nervous in the first period, scoring three times to seize control of the contest early.

First, it was Fenton squeezing a shot through GRCC goaltender Jacob McClelland at the 7:17 mark of the first period.

Three minutes later, Nordstrom finished off a scoring chance flurry by burying a rebound to the game 2-0.

Then, in a backbreaking moment for GRCC, Hill finished off a two-on-one while shorthanded to put the Bulldogs up three heading into the break.

“Obviously any hockey game you want to get off to a quick start, and that was our game plan here today obviously,” Rouleau said. “To get a three-goal lead was huge, because it turned out to be the difference.”

Tellier found the back of the net at the 8:41 mark of the second period, beating Kero with a shot from just inside the blue line.

Four minutes later, Madden made it a one-goal game with a tip-in goal off a shot from Campbell Balk.

The score remained 3-2 until an empty-netter from Nordstrom sealed the game late in the third period.