Marquette, MI – December 6, 2022 – The Marquette Redmen (4-2-0) played host to the Calumet Copper Kings (0-1-0) on Tuesday night. Marquette was coming off a great pair of weekend wins, while the Copper Kings looked to reel back from their season opener loss to Jeffers. John Thomsen and Joe Gaffney were live at Marquette Lakeview Arena with the call for Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 – 99.9!
1st: Marquette won the opening face off, but it was Calumet who would get the first shot on goal. The Redmen were able to keep the puck in the Calumet zone for the majority of the opening minutes. Both teams struggled to get their passes inside, and led to turnovers for each team. Marquette would finally strike off a Copper King turnover. Dylan English made the unassisted top shelf goal for his first of the year.
The Redmen would then get a man advantage with Calumet picking up the first penalty of the night. Marquette would get a couple great shots on goal, but Aksel Loukus showed why he’s one of the top goalies in the state of Michigan with a pair of saves. Marquette kept shooting relentlessly with nothing able to make its way past Loukus.
Marquette 1 (16 SOG) – Calumet 0 (5 SOG)
2nd: The first intermission ended and both teams picked up right where they left off. Marquette kept things in the Calumet zone for the first minutes of the period. The Copper Kings defense was able to draw a penalty to force the power play. Marquette would find themselves in trouble after committing another penalty to make it 5-on-3 for a minute of play. Calumet couldn’t stifle the shorthanded Redmen as Marquette continued to pepper Loukus.
Copper Kings couldn’t keep things in Marquette’s zone on the power play only registering one shot on goal. Marquette would get their turn with a power play opportunity. The Redmen would show great puck movement, and have good shooting opportunities. They wouldn’t be able to find the back of the net however with Loukus playing outstanding in the Copper King net. Both teams went back and forth with Marquette racking up shot attempts, and neither team scoring. Calumet would even things up with a rebound put back into the net and end the period.
Marquette 1 (12 SOG) – Calumet 1 (2 SOG)
3rd: Marquette won the face off to start the final 17 minutes of play. The Redmen registered four shots on goal in the opening minute of the period, with none of them making their way into the net. The Copper Kings just couldn’t clear the action from their end of the ice. Calumet would have a breakaway but Cole Kelly able to make the save and clear the puck.
The Redmen had the power play opportunity and capitalized. Nash Riipi found the puck on his stick off a rebound and he put it back for his sixth goal of the year. Marquette looked to pile it on, but the shots seemed to just miss their marks. Calumet had their best chance of the night with the puck behind the goalie. Tony DeMattia would save the day and clear the puck before crossing the goal line. Dylan English would get his second goal of the night with the assists from Jake Garrow and Nash Riipi.
Calumet looked to battle back being down 3-1 with under half the period left to play. Marquette on the other hand stayed on the gas after scoring the insurance goal. The Redmen continued to shoot their shots with multiple pinging off the crossbars. Copper Kings had another power play opportunity, but failed to cash it into a goal.
FINAL: Marquette 3 (39 SOG) – Calumet 1 (11 SOG)
The Marquette Redmen take the ice again this week on Friday evening for the start of a weekend slate of games. They play Bay Reps at Lakeview Arena with a 7pm face off, and again on Saturday with a 1pm face off. Join us live with the action here on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 – 99.9!
