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The Hermantown girls soccer team, led by the renowned head coach Nate Hanson, eagerly anticipates next Thursday's 2024 season and home opener against North Branch.
“This is a season where the girls have a chance to create their own identity,” Hanson said before practice Friday.
The Hawks graduated nine seniors from last year’s team, which lost to host Cloquet 1-0 in a Section 7AA semifinal and finished 5-8-5 overall.
Back to lead this year’s team is junior captain Brooke Wiese, one of the area’s brightest young defenders.
“Brooke will once again be one of our leaders solidifying the defense as one of our centerbacks,” said Hanson. “After playing in almost every minute of every game last season, a lot of the girls will look to her with her experience and leadership as she helps us build from the back.”
Another elite player to watch is Taylee Manion, who exploded for six goals last season as an eighth-grader.
“We are excited to have become more solidified in our attack and see what kind of trouble she can bring to opposing defenses,” Hanson said of Manion, an emerging college prospect.
One newcomer to keep an eye out for this year is Vienna Kolenda.
“Vienna is coming off an injury that kept her sidelined last year and she is not taking anything for granted,” said Hanson. “She’s worked her way up to the varsity squad and her work rate in practices and scrimmages has been second to none. She is going to win a lot of one-on-one battles with her strength and cause a lot of problems in the middle of the field for the opposition.”
Cloquet will again be the team with the target on its back this season.
“Every year they put out quality teams that give our section trouble,” said Hanson. “Grand Rapids is also a team that has been on an upward trend and will play everyone in the section tough. And, of course, Denfeld and North Branch are always of high quality as well.
“That’s my favorite part about Section 7AA – we always have tough games and quality opponents, and at the end of the season, it doesn’t matter if you’re the number one seed because there are always four or five teams in the mix that can make a run at state.”
2024 Hawks Schedule
Thursday – North Branch, 5 p.m.
Friday – at Zimmerman, 5 p.m.
Aug. 27 – at Duluth Marshall, 4 p.m.
Aug. 29 – at Proctor, 1 p.m.
Sept. 5 – Hibbing, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 – at Cloquet, 4 p.m.
Sept. 10 – at Duluth Denfeld, 7:30 p.m.
Sept.12 – at Esko, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 – Benile-St. Margaret’s, 3 p.m.
Sept. 17 – Grand Rapids, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 19 – at Two Harbors, 6 p.m.
Sept. 21 – Duluth Denfeld, 1 p.m.
Sept. 24 – Duluth Marshall, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 – Cloquet, 11 a.m.
Oct. 1 – Proctor, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 – Duluth East, 6 p.m.
Oct. 8 – Section Quarterfinal, 6 p.m.
Oct. 10 – Section Semifinal, 6 p.m.
Oct. 15 – Section Final, 6 p.m.
Note: Home games and matches listed in boldface.
