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Hermantown’s fall sports schedule moves into one of its busiest stretches of September this week, highlighted by the football team’s return to Centricity Stadium, three matches apiece for both soccer teams and important road tests for the Hawks volleyball team.
The headline event comes Friday night.
Hermantown (2-0) hosts Duluth East (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Centricity Stadium, where the Hawks will attempt to continue a dominating start to the football season. Hermantown followed a 48-13 season-opening victory at Duluth Denfeld with a 50-8 victory at Proctor on Friday night, giving the Hawks 98 points through two games.
Senior running back Martin Sleen remains the centerpiece of a Hermantown offense that has quickly established itself among the strongest in northeastern Minnesota. Quarterback Sawyer Senst is close to returning to the lineup following knee surgery.
Duluth East comes to Hermantown after a 51-0 loss at Brainerd on Friday. The matchup begins a significant home stretch for the Hawks, who will also host Cloquet on Sept. 25 and Esko on Oct. 9 before the regular season moves deeper into October.
The boys soccer team faces perhaps the busiest week.
Hermantown travels to Duluth Denfeld for a 6:30 p.m. match Tuesday at Walt Hunting Stadium, returns home to face Proctor at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and travels to Superior on Saturday.
The Hawks opened the season with four consecutive victories before Cloquet handed them their first loss, 1-0, Thursday. Hermantown had outscored Holy Family, Duluth Marshall, Proctor and Hibbing 15-2 during its 4-0 start. Senior Quinn Raukar scored three goals in the 4-0 victory over Hibbing, while Parker Clennon assisted on three goals. Trevor Arnston also scored against Hibbing and assisted on Raukar’s third goal.
That makes this week important for a Hermantown team with legitimate postseason expectations. The Hawks have demonstrated they can score in bunches, but the Cloquet loss was an early reminder that the margin becomes considerably smaller against stronger regional opponents. Denfeld, Proctor and Superior will give Hermantown three more opportunities to sharpen itself before another important meeting with Duluth Marshall on Sept. 21.
Hermantown’s girls soccer team also faces three matches in five days.
The Hawks host Duluth Denfeld at 6 p.m. Tuesday, travel to Esko for a 7 p.m. Lake Superior Conference match Thursday and return to Centricity Stadium to face Benilde-St. Margaret’s at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Hermantown enters the stretch with its attack producing from throughout the lineup. The Hawks overwhelmed Hibbing 9-0 on Thursday as Bryden Giesen and Vienna Kolenda scored twice apiece. Kaitlyn Patterson, Kaija Markovich, Harper Nelson, Kaitlyn Glanville and Aveyah Shykes also scored, while Kolenda finished with three assists and McKenna Johnson added two.
Hermantown then battled Cloquet to a 2-2 tie Saturday. Giesen scored in the 13th minute off a Kolenda assist and Markovich scored in the 51st minute. The Hawks’ ability to generate scoring from several players will be tested particularly Saturday against Benilde-St. Margaret’s, a matchup that should provide another useful measurement against high-level competition.
Volleyball begins a demanding road stretch Tuesday.
Hermantown plays at Greenway at 7 p.m. Tuesday and at Hibbing at 7 p.m. Thursday before competing in the Duluth East Invitational beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The Hawks are coming off a 3-1 victory over Proctor in which they responded after losing the opening set 27-25. Hermantown survived a 31-29 second set before winning the final two 25-21 and 25-18. Kylee Stokke finished with 45 assists and three aces, Audra Schott had 15 kills and Lilah Conley contributed 12 kills and 28 digs.
Those three players have become the foundation of a Hermantown lineup that will learn considerably more about itself during this week’s road-heavy schedule. Three competition dates in five days will test depth as much as front-line talent.
Girls tennis has two home matches scheduled, beginning with Stella Maris Academy at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday and continuing against Duluth Marshall at 4:15 p.m. Thursday.
Senior Alee DeVlieger has anchored the singles lineup, while Jillian Ritsche and Chloe Gustafson have provided an experienced No. 1 doubles combination. Nevie Homich, Abby Grzbowski and Clara Patullo have also contributed throughout an encouraging early season. Hermantown defeated Duluth Denfeld 6-1 earlier this month, winning three singles matches and sweeping doubles.
Hermantown’s girls cross-country team also continues to establish itself as one of the strongest teams in the region. Eighth-grader Nora Lucarelli won the Titan Invitational last week in 19 minutes, 4.2 seconds, nearly a minute ahead of the runner-up, and Hermantown finished third as a team. Lucarelli also won the earlier Rock Ridge Invitational as Hermantown captured the girls team championship.
