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The Nos. 1 and 2 ranked teams in Minnesota Class 1A high school boys' hockey, Hermantown and Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, will meet at 7 p.m. today at historic Hermantown Hockey Arena.
The Hawks (13-5-3) are 8-0-2 at home this season with signature victories at Hermantown Hockey Arena over Maple Grove 3-0, St. Cloud Cathedral 6-0 and Shakopee 3-2 in overtime.
The Lumberjacks are 16-4-0 overall.
Hermantown (2-1-2) and Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (3-2-0) are tied for second-place in the Lake Superior Conference with six points each. League leader Class 2A Rock Ridge is 6-0-0 with 12 points and major league road wins over the Hawks 1-0 and the Lumberjacks 5-1.
Hermantown has won six of its last seven games.
The Hawks and C-E-C could likely meet again in the Section 7A tournament later this season.
“We are looking forward to Thursday night, obviously, and the game has added significance within the conference and the Section 7A number one seed on the line,” said legendary Hermantown coach Patrick Andrews. “It promises to be a great high school hockey game.”
Hermantown is led by senior power forward and team scoring leader River Freeman (22 goals, 31 points), senior defenseman Henry Peterson (20 points) and junior goaltender Bryce Francisco (11-3-3, 1.51 gaa, .949 svs%). Peterson is a St. Thomas commit and Francisco arguably is the top goaltender in the state.
Meanwhile, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton features a trio of double-digit goal scorers in Grady Knutson (24), Niko Gentilini (14) and Bobby Thornton (11) – all seniors. Senior Karson Young (27 points, including six goals) is one of CEC’s best all-time defensemen.
Andrews said both teams feature next-level talent, including the powerful Thronton versus Freeman lines, blue-chip defenseman (Young versus Peterson) and two of the best goalies in the state (Illonarado versus Francisco) all competing on the same ice.
“I assume the arena will be packed – it should be a lot of fun when you have a Nos. 1 versus 2 matchup and the hype and excitement ramp up,” said Andrews. “I look for a fast-paced game, with both top lines getting their looks. The game will likely come down to special teams and depth.”
Hermantown will also host Moorhead (17-1-0) in a prime-time matchup between top-ranked 1A and 2A teams at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Following the Cloquet game up with the best AA team in the state at home is exciting,” said Andrews. “Moorhead is extremely talented and fast – they will pose challenges all over the ice for us – but game is an opportunity to improve and challenge ourselves against the best. Just the way we like it.”
