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Kowalski put a shot on goal from the side of the net that failed to go in, but he gathered up his own rebound and beat the Mid Michigan goalie for the game winner.

"It was a hairy game," Reps coach Rex Luxton said. "We would get up on them and they would come right back. We would get up on them and they would come right back. It came down to the last three minutes of the game."

The win saw the Reps get out to a 1-0 start in the Northern Michigan Hockey League schedule.

The Reps took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Andrew Zelinski (TCSF) from Jed Dean (Elk Rapids) and Dan Fisher (TCSF) from Dan Tinkle (Kalkaska).

In the second period, the Storm countered with two straight goals to tie the game at the 10-minute mark before the Reps got scores from Matt Zagers (ER) and Tinkle. Fisher and Kowalski assisted on the Zagers goal and Fisher got the helper on the Tinkle marker.

The Storm tied the contest once again with two goals in the final 15 minutes to send the game into overtime and set the stage for Kowalski's solo effort. The Reps out-shot the Storm 30-25. Elk Rapids' Nick Rausch earned the win in goal.

Reps 3, Midland 2
Fisher scored a powerplay goal on an assist from Zagers at 2:12 of overtime to give the Reps a 3-2 win on the road over Midland on Friday, Jan. 5.

Ryan Farley (TCSF) opened the Reps' scoring at 7:38 of the first period with the assist going to Dean. Midland's Kevin Alcott pulled Midland even four minutes later, and the game was tied 1-1 at the end of the first.

Zagers put the Reps ahead with a power-play goal at 1:59 of the second period on an assist from Tinkle. Alcott scored his second goal three minutes and 13 seconds into the second to bring Midland even once again.

Andrew Mills (ER) made 35 saves in the Reps goal. Midland out-shot the Reps 37-25 The Reps (7-6-1) will be at Centre Ice for the next two games against Manistee on Saturday, Jan. 13, and Traverse City West on Wednesday, Jan. 17.