News File Photo Alpena senior co-captain Anden Marceau celebrates a goal during Alpena’s 2022-23 season opener in November. In the midst of a highly successful Alpena season, Marceau has been a steady leader for the team and is close to reaching 100 career goals and 200 career points. Marceau and the Wildcats begin their quest for a third straight regional title tonight at home against Traverse City Central.

ALPENA — In a career full of big goals and big moments, Anden Marceau hopes to share a few more of both with his teammates before his Alpena High School career ends.

Marceau and the Wildcats (22-3) begin their quest for a third consecutive regional championship tonight at 6 p.m. at Northern Lights Arena in a Division 2 regional semifinal.

They’ll face Traverse City Central for the third time this season and second time in eight days after beating the Trojans for the Big North Conference title last Friday.

Tonight’s winner plays Marquette for the regional championship in Alpena on Wednesday.

Leading the charge for Alpena is Marceau, a senior co-captain and four-year player who’s been an offensive wizard for the Wildcats during his decorated career.

In 23 games this season, Marceau leads Alpena with 28 goals and 38 helpers for 66 points. In his career, he has 94 goals, 88 assists and 182 points. Those totals put him within striking distance of 100 career goals and 200 career points — marks that only a select few Alpena players have reached.

The goals and points have come easy for Marceau — even as a freshman — but those points also reflect the personal growth Marceau has gone through in four seasons as a Wildcat.

“When I first came in, he a was little, you know, still a little giddy kid, I think, and just kind of having a lot of fun, which there’s nothing wrong with that, but maturity level has just grown so much,” Alpena coach Ben Henry said. “He respects everybody a lot more, especially his teammates a lot more…he’s been a great kid and it’s just cool to see a kid like that grow and develop into a young man. It’s been special for sure.”

By his own admission, Marceau was more hot-headed and focused on goal scoring as a younger player. Now as an upperclassman and team leader, Marceau has embraced his role as a team leader and co-captain — one who leads on the ice and in the community.

“I just wanted to fight and score goals and now I think I became more of a team guy and care about winning more, moving the puck and everything else about the team and not just getting penalties,” Marceau said. “I’m worried more about winning games.”

When it came time to choose captains this season, Marceau was an obvious choice, but Henry told him he had to earn it.

“I said I have expectations for you to be a captain your senior year, but he has to earn it,” Henry said. “Over the summer, I told him he needs to still get better at certain things and he did those things. He works hard and in practice he’s always the first one in line. He’s always battling and always wants to get better.”

It’s a role that Marceau has wholeheartedly embraced, following in the footsteps of several family members, including his dad who have served as Alpena captains.

“It’s really cool that I can be a captain and some of my family members have been captains on the team, so it’s really cool to be a captain for the Green and White,” Marceau said.

After turning heads as a freshman with 18 goals, Marceau showcased his talent in the postseason as a sophomore. In a regional semifinal against Sault Ste. Marie, he netted the game-winner with 48 seconds left to send Alpena to the regional final. Two days later, he netted two goals in an easy regional title win.

Last season, he collected 11 points in three playoff games.

Paired with fellow playmakers Harrison Kaszubowski and Reid Meinhardt on Alpena’s top line this season, Marceau has been a scoring machine. In 23 games, he’s collected four hat tricks and recorded three points or better in 13 games.

Marceau’s scoring prowess has helped Alpena win a lot of games, but it also caught the attention of scouts, who wanted Marceau to play at the next level.

The next phase of Marceau’s hockey career will take him to the NA3HL after he recently signed with the Peoria Mustangs. The NA3HL is a Tier III Junior hockey league made up of nearly three dozen teams.

In recent years, former Wildcats Rhett Limback and Cooper Black as well as Alpena native Fletcher Bolda have all played with NA3HL teams.

“It’s great,” Marceau said. “It’s cool that I can keep playing hockey because I really love hockey, so it’s going to be cool to keep playing hockey at a higher level. I hope I can maybe one day make it to an even higher level; maybe get an NCAA Division 1 offer.”

But before then, he wants to make another run at a state championship with a group that will finish as one of the most accomplished teams in program history. The group includes many of Marceau’s longtime teammates who have shared in regional championships each of the last two seasons.

The Wildcats have surpassed perhaps even their own expectations this season, racking up one impressive win after another with standout performances all over the ice. Now all that remains is a chance to further that success and make a run at Alpena’s first state championship since 1993.

“Yeah, it’s cool because we don’t yell at each other,” Marceau said. “We all want to work hard in practice every day. We all fit and we’re like a family this year.”