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Reversal of fortunes

Alpena avenges tough loss, topples Cheboygan at home

News Photo by James Andersen Alpena's Lars MacArthur fights for control of the puck against Cheboygan's Max Paull during the first period of a hockey game on Tuesday at Northern Lights Arena.

Last month the Alpena High hockey team walked out of Cheboygan Ice Rink/Pavillon with a 3-2 loss, frustrated by its lack of goals to show for its offensive efforts.

What a difference a month makes.

With home ice advantage, the Wildcats turned the tables on the Chiefs on Tuesday at Northern Lights Arena and skated away with plenty of shots and plenty of goals in a 5-2 win.

Five different Alpena players scored and the Wildcats (16-7-2) overcame a second period rally by the Chiefs to win the game.

The win not only avenged a tough defeat, but it gives the Wildcats a boost of confidence ahead of postseason play next week. The two teams will face each other again on Tuesday in Sault Ste. Marie.

“Definitely (it’s good to win) and we’re going to play them in the playoffs, so you want a good showing here,” Alpena coach Pete Doubek said. “You don’t want them to have confidence, so it was good that we started out strong. (In the) second period I think we could’ve picked it up a little bit in the second period, but we had a lot of shots. We just didn’t score.”

Brendan Dacey, Cam Cosbitt and Shane Hamp (power play) scored for Alpena in the first period and Evan LeTourneau and Nick Esch (power play) lit the lamp for Alpena in the final frame.

Max Paull and Zach Stempky scored for Cheboygan.

From the opening drop, Alpena took the fight to the Chiefs and kept Cheboygan’s netminder busy. The Wildcats outshot Cheboygan 37-15 for the game and 10-6 in the third period.

“Actually I thought that they were really hard. I’m very happy with their work ethic tonight. We’ve only got 13 skaters; that’s all we’ve got,” Cheboygan coach Craig Coxe said. “Alpena’s a good team, they’ve got a lot of speed, three solid lines and good goaltending.”

With Alpena clinging to a 3-2 lead after two frames, LeTourneau put the Wildcats up by a pair when he intercepted the puck on a clearing attempt and scored.

Esch connected on the power play with 4:19 left, scoring from the right circle.

Cheboygan had a few scoring chances in the third period, including a shorthanded attempt late, but couldn’t consistently challenge Alpena netminder Dakota Meyer, who finished with 13 saves.

The Chiefs were down 3-0 after one frame, but certainly not out. With 9:59 left in second period, Paull scored from just beyond the right circle and less than two minutes later Stempky shook off defenders at center ice and buried a breakaway chance.

“Even when we were down 3-0 they never quit. They just kept coming and coming and I’m very proud of them,” Coxe said. “They didn’t quit and every coach, that’s what we want.”

Dacey got Alpena off to a quick start in the first period, scoring from just beyond the blue line to give Alpena a 1-0 lead. Dacey’s goal held up until later in the frame when Cosbitt scored off a faceoff with 4:44 left and Hamp scored with 3:13 left.

Owen Limback had two assists for Alpena and Cosbitt, LeTourneau, Esch, and Colby Plowman each had one.

Alpena is off until next Tuesday’s game and Doubek is hopeful that two wins to end the regular season will be a good confidence booster ahead of that game.

“Hopefully we’re feeling confident, but not (overconfident). We’ve had a rollercoaster this year. This team I think plays better when we’re not super confident,” Doubek said. “Actually when we go into the unknown is when we play the best.”

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