The Goodrich and Romeo hockey team had plenty of opportunities to get acquainted within a week’s time.
The two teams played a home-and-home series in the early part of February, with the home team triumphing each time. The Bulldogs took the first game 7-6 on Feb. 4, while the Martians triumphed in the rematch, 4-1, on Feb. 7 at Ice Mountain Sports Complex in Burton.
With the win in the rematch, the Martians improved their season record to 12-4-2.
In the latter game, the Martians scored first with 9:23 left in the period, as Ryan Mortimer connected on assists from Brian Van Kuren and Matt Hill.
The Bulldogs answered with 1:36 left in the period, as Brad Karas scored their lone goal of the game.
However, the Martians took firm command of the game with two goals in the second period. Van Kuren scored with 11:17 left in the second on an assist from Lance Keene.
Keene then scored an unassisted goal with 8:28 left in the second, and then capped the game’s scoring with 11:13 left in the third on an assist from Hill.
A wild and wooly third period left the Martians on the wrong end of the first contest between the two teams at the Polar Palace in Lapeer.
The two teams combined for eight goals in the third, with Romeo’s Corey Gustavus scoring the game-winner with 6:08 left in the period. About two minutes earlier, Mortimer scored an unassisted goal to tie the contest at six.
Goodrich and Romeo also combined for 11 penalties in the third period, six by the Martians.
Keene notched a hat trick for the Martians, while Hill tallied two goals and an assist, and Mortimer added a goal and two assists.
The host Bulldogs scored the only goal of the first period with 2:57 remaining, as Mike Luehmarm scored on assists from Chris Wendt and Mike Ferrante.
Goodrich answered at the onset of the second period, as Keene scored on assists from Scott Hollingsworth and Mortimer. However. Romeo scored two more goals in the second, one each by Brent Jansen and Jeff Soulliere, to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
With 1:10 left in the second, the Martians cut the Bulldogs? margin to one, as Keene scored his second goal of the game on assists by Nick Meyers and Mortimer.
The teams then began trading goals in the third period. Before Mortimer and Gustavus traded goals, Hill scored two goals and Keene scored his third of the game, while Romeo responded with goals by Chris Wendt, Bill Roberts, and Soulliere.