IRON MOUNTAIN — When it comes to hockey, Marquette sophomore Ethan Phillips is a real natural.

On Thursday, that meant a “natural” hat trick as he scored the Redmen’s final three goals of a 5-0 victory over Kingsford at the Mountain View Ice Arena in nearby Iron Mountain.

Phillips scored all three of his goals in the second period spaced just 4:47 apart, the final two coming on power plays.

Junior Owen Riipi assisted on both power play goals after he scored Marquette’s second goal in the latter stages of the first period. That was coming off him scoring his team’s only goals in a 2-0 blanking of Escanaba on Tuesday.

But MSHS head coach Doug Garrow was most enthused about his team’s defense.

“I thought we played an excellent game defensively by only allowing 13 shots, which included killing off three penalties and at the same time going two for five on our power play.

“So I guess you could say we won the special teams battle tonight.”

Senior goalie Brennan Hakkola made those 13 saves, including five in both the second and third periods.

“It was good to score 49 seconds into the game because it is always easier playing with a lead than from behind,” Garrow said.

That first-minute goal came off the stick of junior Jack Sides and was assisted by junior Brayden Grange.

Riipi’s goal came about 10 minutes later and was assisted by sophomore Rylan Ragusett.

Phillips scored at 3:01, 6:19 and 7:48 of the middle period, the first assisted by freshman Jackson Potulny and sophomore Colin Nemacheck and the latter two by Riipi and sophomore Joe DeMattia.

Marquette peppered Flivvers netminder Isiah Anderson with 31 saves as he made 26 saves, including 12 in the second period.

Next up for the Redmen is a battle at Calumet at 6 p.m. today.

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