Hermantown opened its hockey season with a 6-3 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall on Friday night. Ford Skytta scored 24 seconds after the opening faceoff, and the Hawks — ranked No. 2 in Class A — maintained control throughout against the No. 10 Raiders in St. Paul. Beau Christy led Hermantown with two goals and an assist, and goaltender Bryce Francisco finished with 25 saves in a performance that looked steady from start to finish in a difficult road environment.
Hibbing/Chisholm remained unbeaten with a 6-2 win over St. Cloud Cathedral, using a five-goal start to create all the separation it needed against the 11th-ranked Crusaders. Five different Bluejackets scored in building a 5-0 lead. Isaiah Hildenbrand added his second goal of the night in the final period after Cathedral briefly drew within three on back-to-back power-play goals. Cole and Tate Swanson each finished with three assists, and Gavin Lamphere made 18 saves as the Bluejackets, ranked No. 1 in Class A, held a 35-20 edge in shots.
Proctor earned a 3-0 win over Two Rivers at the TRIA Boys Hockey Classic, relying on disciplined defensive play in front of goaltender William Pocrnich. The Rails limited Two Rivers to 15 shots while generating 44 of their own. Rafe Giswold, Breckin Ross and Wes Paulson scored for Proctor, which improved to 2-1.
Wayzata posted a 2-0 win over Rock Ridge at Plymouth Ice Center, receiving 26 saves from goaltender Ryan Pellinger. Jackson Hendricks scored with 2:47 left in the second period to break a scoreless tie, and the Trojans secured the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
South St. Paul pulled away in the third period to defeat Greenway 6-2 in Coleraine. Bryce Nielsen and Logan Hammer scored for Greenway, which surrendered four goals in the final period. Goaltender Blayne Kelley made 34 saves in the loss.
On the girls side, Duluth earned a 4-1 win over Blaine at the GRG Thanksgiving Classic in Grand Rapids. Sasha Cole scored twice in the third period, and Nora Good added a power-play goal and two assists. Aaili Anttila stopped 23 shots for the Northern Stars, who took control early in the third period.
Grand Rapids/Greenway opened its home tournament with a 7-2 victory over White Bear Lake, scoring four times in the final seven minutes of the first period. Kylie DeBay scored four goals — including one on the power play and another shorthanded — to lead the Lightning. Teagan Christy made 18 saves as GRG carried the play for extended stretches.
