Escanaba Hawks player Aiden Seidenstucker works on a breakaway against Munising on Jan. 18, 2025 at Hannahville Ice & Turf Complex. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

WELLS — Upper Peninsula youth hockey teams took to the ice this weekend in Escanaba as the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association held its regional tournament for 10U and 12U teams in District 8 at the Hannahville Ice & Turf Complex.

In the 10U division Newberry and Iron Mountain each won their opening games Friday to advance to district play. Negaunee defeated Esky 8-1 while Iron Mountain defeated Munising 3-0.

In the 12U division Negaunee and Iron Mountain punched their ticket to district action with opening-round victories. Negaunee defeated Manistique 6-2 and Iron Mountain beat Marquette 13-0. Escanaba qualified as the host team and did not have to compete in regional action.

The teams that did not qualify Friday, returned to the ice Saturday for a chance to punch their ticket to districts.

Saturday’s first game was between Escanaba and Munising.

Escanaba got on the board first as Aiden Seidenstucker scored off an assist by Kadeen Hansen to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Munising responded with a goal of their own as Mason St Amour scored an unassisted goal to tie the game at one.

With 10:01 to go in the second period, Kaleb Knuttila scored on the assist by Caden Matson to give Munising a 2-1 lead.

Late in the second period, the Hawks answered with a pair of goals by Austin Weber and Seidenstucker to put the Hawks in front 3-2.

“The kids never gave up and continued to battle,” Hawks coach Steve Weber said. “We had some situations this season where we got behind and it ended up hurting us mentally, so to see the kids stay focused and battle back was huge.”

With 12:04 to go in the third period, Munising responded with an unassisted goal by St Amour to tie the game at three.

With 11:54 to go in the game, Seidenstucker scored an unassisted goal for the hat trick and put the Hawks back in front at 4-3.

“It felt really good,” Seidenstucker said. “I really liked when the bench got all excited about it, and it really got us going.”

Munising responded again with an unassisted goal by Bently Bublitz with 10:00 left in the game to tie it again at four.

With 1:12 to go in the game, Samuel Anderson delivered an unassisted goal that proved to be the game winner for the Hawks.

“It felt great to score that goal,” Anderson said. “It’s really exciting during tournaments cause you get to go out and play hockey with your friends and have fun.”

The second game of the day was the 12U matchup between Marquette and Manistique.

Manistique came out of the game hot as Keegan Maki scored the first three goals for a hat trick and a 3-0.

“The hat-trick was cool,” Maki said. “It wasn’t the outcome we were looking for but I have been practicing stick-handling with my cousin on our pond so I’m excited for next season at the Bantam level.”

With 5:15 to go in the first period, Daniel Rahilly added a goal to extend the Manistique lead to 4-0.

Marquette scored three goals in the second period as Danny Slade, Leo Starkey and Benjamin Paananen each had goals to cut the Manistique lead to 5-3 going into the third period.

With 1:37 to go in the third period, Cam Reed delivered a goal to tie the game and with 4:42 to go in overtime, Reed delivered the game winner to put Marquette into district play.”

“It felt awesome to get that goal,” Reed said. “Everyone was kind off down after falling behind 4-0. Coaches told us to stay in it and we got some goals in the second and third periods to tie the game and really started playing well as a team.”

Marquette scored six of the last seven goals against a Manistique team that seemed to run out of gas.

“We just ran out of gas halfway through the second period,” Manistique coach Ben Rahilly said. “They dominated us late in the game. They did a good job of passing the puck and we struggled defending the pass but credit to Marquette,

they are a skilled team.”

The third game was between Marquette and Escanaba.

Seidenstucker scored the first goal of the game with 11:38 to go in the first period. Marquette responded with a goal by Nolan Morains to tie the game at one.

In the second period Owen Stevens scored the first of his two goals in the period, and with 11:25 to go in the second Marquette led 2-1.

With 12:05 to go in the third period, Stevens picked up the hat trick as he scored on the assist by Nolan Zdunek to lift Marquette into district action.

The tournament was filled with mixed emotion from the Hawks but Carter Lovell who moved up from the mite division had this to say about the tournament experience.

“It was fun to get to play hockey with my friends and have fun, and the work we did will help us get ready for next season.

The final game had Marquette dominate Munising as Zdunek and Stevens each had a hat trick in their 12-3 victory.