(Ron Deuter photo) Kingsford sophomore Jacob Waara dumps the puck into the offensive zone as the Flivvers complete a line change during the third period against Hancock on Tuesday evening.

HANCOCK – Outhustled and outmuscled from the get-go, Kingsford suffered a 3-0 loss at Hancock Tuesday evening in Great Lakes Hockey Conference action at the Houghton County Ice Arena.

The Bulldogs (6-6-1) outshot the Flivvers 35-11, scoring twice on the power play to take command of the game.

“Alex (Hemgren) was good between the pipes,” Flivvers head coach Greg Wadge said. “Structurally we didn’t play very well. We were timid, very timid. They were way hungrier than we were. They were more physical than we were. Our defensive zone coverage was not good. We turned the puck over on the half wall again. They just outcompeted us.”

Sophomore Luciano Paoli staked Hancock to a 1-0 lead late in the first in what was the most even of the three periods. Kingsford had six shots in the first frame and were limited to just five the rest of the way. Three Flivver penalties in the second period allowed the Bulldogs to cash in with goals by junior Brady Axford at 8:01 and sophomore Connor Helminen at 2:02.

In between those scores the Flivvers threatened to make it a one-goal affair with an odd-man rush. Junior Jonah Donier got in behind the defense on right wing and fired one from the circle off the post for what ended up as the Flivvers’ best scoring chance of the game.

Kingsford had three opportunities on the power play, including two in the final period, but failed to produce any sustained pressure on Bulldog senior netminder Brian Ponnikas.

Hemgren, finishing with 32 saves, kept the Bulldogs off the board in the final stanza with 11 stops, but Kingsford just couldn’t find its flow to mount any sort of attack. Hemgren’s record as a starter dropped to even at 3-3.

The Flivvers return home for a pair of contests next week. Now 8-6-0 on the season, Kingsford hosts Escanaba on Tuesday and then gets a rematch with the Bulldogs when they visit Mountain View Ice Arena on Thursday, Jan. 15.