East, Hermantown, Virginia all make state

Duluth East's circle salute to DECC fans after 5-1 7A victory over Elk River.

Duluth East’s hockey team came up with its finest hour at the 11th hour, jumping off to a 5-0 lead through two periods en route to a 5-1 victory over Elk River in the Section 7AA championship game at the DECC, which secured a slot in the state tournament. Once at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, the Greyhounds will find some northern company, as Hermantown and Virginia-Mountain Iron-Buhl will join them, playing in the companion Class A tournament.

All three are solid state tournament candidates. Duluth East will face Hill-Murray in the 9 p.m. Thursday finale to the first day of Class AA tournament action, while in the A tournament, Hermantown faces Virginia-Mountain Iron-Buhl in Wednesday’s first round. Obviously, they both can’t advance, but on the other hand, one is assured of reaching Friday afternoon’s semifinals, and could be a threat to claim the Class A trophy.

The three championships were determined on consecutive nights, starting with the 7A final at the DECC on Wednesday night.

Garrett Hendrickson eludes Hibbing's Chase Anderson.

Hibbing was hopeful, but Virginia’s Blue Devils were strong, and they were ready. Casey Myhre was both good and lucky thrashing around in goal to gain the shutout, and Jordan Krebsbach’s first-period goal stood tall. Garrett Hendrickson, son of coach Keith Hendrickson, skated up the right and scored midway through the second period to make it 2-0, and Trey Carlson converted a neat pass for the 3-0 lead before the second intermission.

You had to enjoy the student cheering sections, which exchanged heckles that managed to be creative, lively and in good (enough) taste to be more amusing than insulting. Most teams, on through college, are supported by fans who think if they yell the opposing goalie, or power play, “sucks,” then they’ve been clever. They could learn from these kids. The Hibbing students were all sitting on one side, near the corner, and they were mostly wearing jackets. Whether it was for Bluejackets or not, I can’t say. The Virginia gang was at the end of the arena, and they were all wearing white T-shirts. At one point, the Virginia kids chanted “You need jackets…you need jackets…” After a very short organizational pause, the Hibbing kids chanted back: “We’ve GOT jackets…we’ve GOT jackets…”

On Thursday night at the DECC, East faced No.1 seed Elk River. The Elks had beaten East during the season, 3-2 in overtime, which probably determined the top seed, ultimately. East has been a challenge for coach Mike Randolph all season. He wants them to pass, stressed passing throughout practices, and it never seemed to catch on. But after a season of being the most reluctant-to-pass East team in memory, on this night, East came up with a near-perfect game.

On the first shift, junior Zac Schendel raced in and delivered a puck-producing bodycheck, and East dominated from the outset, outshooting Elk River 13-7 and gaining a 1-0 lead when on Kevin Brazerol caught a neat pass from Dom Toninato and lifted a quick shot in from the right side. Second period, East was even better.

Phil Johnson celebrates East goal.

Andy Wellenski scored from the right point, and then, in the span of 2:01, Kyle Lutzka knocked in the rebound of a Schendel slap shot, Nolan Meyer scored by swiping a no-look end boards reverse pass, and Toninato scored on a 3-on-2 rush. The Greyhounds outshot Elk River 13-3 in the period, and it was a stunning 5-0 at the second intermission. Granted, East backed off and played carelessly in the third, but still won 5-1 in what might have been their best game — and certainly best teamwork game — of the season. How can anyone figure that it would take the whole season before the players, and maybe the parents, bought into what coach Randolph was trying to do.

“From Christmas on,” said Randolph, “I’ve been preparing for this game. I told the players that practiced might have gotten tiresome from the repitition, but the only way we’re going to get anywhere is to win the section, and the only way we’re going to do that is to play as a team.”

On Friday night, the scene shifted to Cloquet, for the Section 5A final between Hermantown’s top-seeded Hawks, and Denfeld’s gritty underdog Hunters. Whether it was a neighborhood battle or a family feud, these two teams came to fight it out for the 5A championship. The game would have been perfect at the DECC, and might have drawn 4,000 fans. Instead, it was played at Cloquet’s great arena, and was stuffed to overflow with about 2,500. Hermantown, one of the state’s best, played its game, but the constantly hustling Hunters threw their hearts and emotion into every shift.

Midway through the first period, Brendan Johnson came out from behind the net to score and give Denfeld a 1-0 lead. Adam Krause, Hermantown’s big standout center, tied it 1-1 in the second when his shot appeared to go in — or did it? There was the clank of metal, and the puck ended up over on the left sideboards. But the officials ruled it was a goal, and it was 1-1. When Charlie Comnick scored to open the third period, Hermantown’s 2-1 lead looked solid.

Kevin Danielson (13) had to get down to get Hermantown's 3-2 winner against Duluth Denfeld.

But Denfeld came back and Tyler Kaspari poked in Levi Talarico’s rebound to tie the game at 7:51. Kevin Danielson put an end to the scoring, but not the drama, when he got the Hawks back on top 3-2, with 3:46 to play. Denfeld pressed to the end, but couldn’t come up with the equalizer. Though outshot 48-20, Denfeld spent every ounce of effort and energy, and certainly, by no measure, could be called losers in the game. Denfeld freshman Zach Thompson made 45 saves. But it will be the high-flying Hawks who try to win a trophy at state.