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2018 Gibson Cup starts Friday in Houghton
2018-03-27
The 2018 Gibson Cup Series will take place March 30, 31 and, if needed, April 3 between hockey’s oldest rivals – the Portage Lake Pioneers and Calumet Wolverines. Games 1 and 3 will be at Dee Stadium, while game 2 will be at the Calumet Colosseum.
All three games will be broadcasted live on K-Bear 102.3 FM. Below are brief notes on both teams.
Pioneers start slow, but finish 2017-18 season strong
The Portage Lake Pioneers will be looking for their 10th straight and 26th overall Gibson Cup championship in 2018, and it comes on the heals of what looked to be a tough season. The Pioneers were 1-10-0 to start the season, but they bounced back late with five wins in their final seven Great Lakes Hockey League contest. The hot finish continued in the GLHL Tournament as they nearly pulled off the upset against the No. 4-seeded Mosinee papermakers before falling in a heartbreaking late-game goal. Cody Sivonen led the Pioneers with 34 points in 16 games, while Aaron Sturos and Charlie Turner each put up more than 20 points. Phil Mattila was the team’s leading goaltender with a 3-5-0 record and .850 save percentage.
Wolverines win GLHL regular season
The Calumet Wolverines had their best season since 2002 as they tore through the GLHL to earn the league championship with a 15-3-0 record. The team also went 4-0 in exhibition play, and earned a second place finish in the GLHL Tournament. Josh Harju was named GLHL Defenseman of the Year, while Logan Rastello led the league in points with 58 points. First-year forwards Rory Anderson and Ed Beiring tore through the GLHL with more than 40 points each, while goaltender Ryan Patrick had a resurgent season with a 7-1 record, .890 save percentage and 3.47 goals against average.