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MARQUETTE — The Marquette Senior High School hockey team gave its soon-to-be-graduates a thrilling sendoff on Senior Night with a 3-2 overtime victory over visiting Hancock at Lakeview Arena on Tuesday night.

A clutch goal by the Sentinels’ Brody Sheldon ended the game and also a five-game losing streak to give Marquette a much-needed boost heading into the MHSAA postseason.

“All we were concentrating on was trying to get some confidence going into the playoffs,” MSHS head coach Doug Garrow said. “So you know, when you’re dealing with high school-age kids, confidence is a fragile thing, and it’s nice to see now, in their mind, the last thing they remember, the last game they played, was a win, and I think that’s going to mean a lot going into the playoffs.”

Marquette’s Lucas Belkowski, center, celebrates in the third period after tying the score 2-2 in a high school hockey game played against Hancock at Lakeview Arena in Marquette on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

Both teams came into the game looking to bounce back from recent one-goal losses. Marquette (12-12, 5-7 conference) had fallen to Calumet 2-1 on Parents’ Night, while Hancock (8-15, 4-2 conference) was coming off a 3-2 setback to Houghton.

The Bulldogs struck first on Tuesday, capitalizing on an early power play after the Sentinels’ Owen Renfors took an interference penalty. Tevin Stukel sent a shot from the right point past Marquette goalie Cole Kelly to give Hancock a 1-0 lead.

The Sentinels found themselves back on the penalty kill later in the period but held strong, keeping the game within reach. Despite Hancock controlling possession for much of the opening period, Marquette outshot the Bulldogs 10-9 by the end of the period.

The Sentinels continued to battle in the second, killing off another early penalty before shifting the momentum in their favor. Hancock’s Brady Axford took a roughing penalty, giving Marquette a prime opportunity. Stukel nearly added to the Bulldogs’ lead with a shorthanded breakaway, but Kelly came up with a key save.

Marquette finally broke through on the power play when Skyler Blackburn found a loose puck in front and buried it to tie the game 1-1, assisted by Easton Bal. The Sentinels continued pressing, drawing another power play late in the period, but the Bulldogs’ penalty kill held firm. By the second intermission, MSHS held a 21-17 shots advantage with the score deadlocked 1-1.

Hancock started the third period on a power play and wasted no time regaining the lead. Stukel struck again just minutes into the frame, capitalizing on a loose puck to make it 2-1 Bulldogs.

The Sentinels pushed back, nearly tying the game in a chaotic goalmouth scramble. Their persistence paid off when Lucas Belkowski rifled a shot past Bulldogs goaltender Adam Mikkola to tie it 2-2 with just over 10 minutes remaining. Evan Mattila and Tyler Matulewicz picked up assists.

With both teams battling for the game winner, Marquette found itself on the power play late after Stukel was called for roughing. The Bulldogs’ penalty kill came up strong once again, and as the clock wound down, Renfors took a costly penalty with just 45 seconds left, forcing the Sentinels to finish regulation shorthanded.

After successfully killing the penalty to start overtime, the Sentinels found their golden opportunity. Sheldon broke into the zone and made a sweet power move past Mikkola, flipping a forehand-backhand shot into the net to send MSHS players pouring onto the ice in celebration.

Garrow emphasized the importance of closing the regular season with a win, especially on Senior Night.

“So it’s always nice to send the seniors off on a winning note,” the veteran coach said. “And some of these guys have played with me for three years now, so I really … we as a team wanted to let those guys go off on a winning note.

“And that was the message … hey, it’s Senior Night. Let’s get these guys a win in their last home game at Lakeview Arena and make it memorable.”

The Sentinels have more than a full week off before they hit the road for the MHSAA Division 2 regionals, traveling to downstate Midland to face Midland Dow at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Caden Sierra can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 551. His email address is csierra@nmu.edu.