HOUGHTON — It was a windy Friday afternoon at Alumni Field in Houghton. However, it could not slow down senior Ethan Heckle and the Houghton Gremlins (fourth seed) soccer team from posting a 4-0 shutout against the Boyne City Ramblers (fifth seed) in a Division 3 District 33 quarterfinal game.

The Ramblers won the coin toss and aptly chose to go with the wind at their backs to open the first half. However, it was the Gremlins who proved that the wind was not going to be an issue as they scored first.

At the 35:30 mark, forward Heckel put in a loose ball that was bouncing around the box. Beto Marin was credited with the assist.

“To go up 1-0 with that early goal against the wind was nice,” said Gremlins coach Mark Lounibos. “The second goal before halftime was key.”

Heckel’s second goal

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