Northern Michigan United 18U hockey captures state title

GAYLORD – Three years ago, the Northern Michigan United 18-Under travel hockey team was just being formed.

Over the last few years, the team – which consists of players from all over Northern Michigan, and even in the Upper Peninsula – has built tremendous chemistry on the ice and developed into a top-caliber squad.

On Sunday, Oct. 30, NM United had their most successful moment yet when they captured a state championship after a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over Grand Rapids West Michigan Varsity at Optimist Ice Arena in Jackson.

The dramatic win capped off an unbeaten state tournament for NM United, who are based out of Gaylord.

“It’s a large area, Northern Michigan, and this program was meant to cover and take players from the whole area, so we have some of the best players in Northern Michigan from their respective high school teams,” said NM United general manager Kevin Hopp. “We have several players from Traverse City all the way down to Alpena, Tawas, and we even have one from the (Upper Peninsula). Downstate, you can go to a lot of places and play hockey, but for us here in Northern Michigan, when we pull a team together like this, we have a lot of great hockey players on our team.

“That obviously helps us compete with anybody in the state of Michigan, and just the fact these boys all know each other. There’s a lot of chemistry that’s already there, so a lot of times that takes an entire season to do that for a hockey team, but we’re just pretty fortunate that these boys know each other and we’ve got some skilled hockey players in Northern Michigan.

“They’re winning hockey games, but they’ve made friendships over the years that are going to last a lifetime."

Helping NM United capture the title were a couple of Cheboygan Area High School varsity players, including senior Luke Karsten, who's been a standout for the Chiefs in recent seasons.

Hopp praised the work ethic of Karsten, one of the best all-around players on the squad.

“I’ve been watching Luke skate since he was little, his mom (Amy) would bring him down here and skate in Gaylord, but what’s great about Luke is he’s just a workhorse,” Hopp said. “Obviously he’s got a lot of skill and handles the puck well, but what I really love about Luke is that he’s just got a fire and an intensity about him that a lot of the other kids don’t have. You can put him out here and he’s going to give you 110 percent all the time. He never lets up, he’s strong on the forecheck, he handles the puck well and plays great (defense).

“Not only is he skilled hockey player, but he’s a great kid with a positive attitude.”

Also on the team is Oliver Walvaag, a Norwegian foreign-exchange student who will play for the Chiefs this winter.

“We just learned about him this fall as well so he came over from Norway and he played hockey over there, and then we happened to have a roster opening, and obviously he came over here to play hockey so there were some families up there (in Cheboygan) that were aware of that and asked if we had some availability on the team, and he came down for the tryout,” Hopp said of Walvaag. “Oliver, he fits right in. You would never know that he’s over here as a foreign-exchange student. Just a very outgoing kid and a good hockey player, and he’s a lot like Luke (Karsten) in the fact that he’s just a workhorse. He just gets after it when he has an opportunity to get out on the ice.

“Another great kid that fit in right from the get go for us.”

Thanks to winning the 18U title, the NM United team will compete in a national tournament in Maple Grove, MN., in March, 2023.

After proving they could beat the best in the state, the NM United players, coaches and everybody else involved are looking forward to the rare opportunity.

“There’s going to be some of the best teams from all different parts of the country,” Hopp said. “Everybody’s excited because this is something you obviously work for for a long time. To be able to win the state championship and go there, it’s just a big deal for hockey in Northern Michigan. Most of the time it’s always been a downstate team going. St. Clair Shores area, stuff like that, so for us to be able to pull this off and get that opportunity for the boys, I think everyone’s excited to be able to go over there and play. It’s not too far away. We’ve competed with some teams in some tournaments that are some of the best in the country, so this will be a real challenge for the boys."

The tournament wrapped up a strong fall campaign for NM United, who finished with a 18-3-2 record.

With a championship won, Hopp is thrilled the team has established itself as a travel hockey state power.

“It’s huge because when people in the state of Michigan think about hockey, you have all these opportunities for kids in the Grand Rapids area and Detroit area, Saginaw, Bay City and Midland, but Northern Michigan – not just in hockey, but in a lot of sports – I don’t want to say we’re left out of the picture, but you don’t generally think of Northern Michigan as a sports area, so I think with the team being able to do this and pull this off was big,” Hopp said. “It’s going to bring some attention to us, and it’ll obviously bring some attention to the players because we do have some quality players up here that deserve that recognition."

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Northern Michigan United 18U hockey captures state title