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Marquette’s Joe Phillips joins Team Copper Country playing in Midget youth hockey state finals

MARQUETTE — Team Copper Country, which includes a former player from Marquette Senior High School, is playing for a state youth hockey championship at Lakeview Arena starting today.

The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association’s Midget 18-under AA Tier 2 tournament starts late this afternoon at the Russell and Olson arenas of the Marquette complex.

Admission is free throughout the event.

Team Copper Country is comprised mostly of Houghton, Hancock and Calumet high school players, but also includes First Team all-state player Joe Phillips of MSHS and several Kingsford players, according to a team spokeswoman.

The team plays a split fall-spring season, disbanding when high school hockey is in season from November through last weekend.

Team CC is the defending national champion after it finished runner-up in the state tournament and won the big title in the nationals held in Lansing in 2017.

This year’s team would have another relatively short drive if it advances as the nationals will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from April 5-9.

The rest of the eight-team state tourney field is made up of southern Lower Peninsula teams, five from the greater Detroit area and two from Lansing.

Team CC opens Pool B play at 7 p.m. today against the Kensington Valley Rebels before completing the preliminary round with two more games Saturday — against Lansing Split Season at 10:30 a.m. and vs. the Lansing Spartans at 6 p.m. Each of its games will be played in the Russell Arena.

The top two finishers in each pool advance to the semifinals to be played at 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Sunday, with the championship set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Pool A includes Dearborn Belle Tire, the Detroit-area Michigan Ice Hawks, Troy Sting and Oakland Junior Grizzlies.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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