Class A QF #2 seed 7A Hermantown (25-2-1) vs 3A Luverne (21-6-1)

[ClassAGuy]

BHS Class A Quarterfinal
#2 seed 7A Hermantown (25-2-1) vs 3A Luverne (21-6-1)

Section 7A Champions Hermantown Hawks
Head Coach: Pat Andrews 6th year
Record: 25-2-1
Road to State: W 15-1 North Shore, W 3-2 Hibbing, W 3-1 Rock Ridge
State Tournament History: 19th appearance- 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007 (State Title), 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (State Title), 2017 (State Title), 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 (State Title), 2023

Meet The Hawks: Head Coach Pat Andrews and the Defending Class A State Champions return to St. Paul for the 13th time in the last 14 years and for their 19th appearance overall. This year's version of the Hawks is a team that has grown throughout the year playing a road heavy AA schedule and comes into the St. Paul having been tested as they were pushed like never before in the 7A playoffs. The Hawks lineup features their program staple of good depth as Seniors #4 Wyatt Carlson (20-17-37 pts) & #17 Matthew Kauppinen (4-18-22 pts) & #19 Joshua Kauppinen (17-7-24 pts.) has been excellent all year. Add in the scoring threats of Senior #11 Kade Kohanski (16-15-31 pts.) and Junior #24 Dallas Vieau (21-32-53 pt.) and they have an emerging Sophomore #23 River Freeman (12-11-23 pts.) that gives the Hawks a very dangerous top six group of forwards for the opponents to match up with. Hermantown also has good scoring depth as Seniors #3 Samuel Swenson (8-16-24 pts.), #14 Aaron Evjen (8-10-18 pts.), #16 Mason Sundbom (6-8-14 pts) and Junior #7 Evan Gunderson (4-12-16 pts.) all have contributed well this winter and the Hawks who have played 4 lines at times this year. The Hawks blueline is led by Senior #22 George Peterson (12-30-42 pts.) who has been a game changer for them all season running their power play and is currently their 2nd leading scorer. Junior #9 Will Esterbrooks (5-20-25 pts) has been an excellent defenseman in his own right when those two are paired together they are a tough duo to get much done against. Junior #8 Drew Nelson (2-7-9 pts.), Senior #12 Nolan Baker 4-8-12 pts.) and Junior #13 Weston Bohlman (4-10-14 pts.) have helped strengthen the depth of d core. The depth theme is also true in the net for Hermantown as the Hawks have split their goaltenders this year Junior #32 Dane Callaway (14-1-0) record 1.66 GAA .922 SV% was the starter last year and has been good this winter but so has Senior #31 Garron Opsahl (11-1-1) 1.10 GAA .934 SV %. Hermantown took off after the return of Kohanski from injury which really seemed to ignite this team and they will be a very good bet to go back to the State Title game this year where they will look to go back to back.

Section 3A Champions Luverne Cardinals
Head Coach: Phil Paquette 7th year
Record: 21-6-1
Road to State: W 5-2 Windom, W 6-2 Mankato East, W 4-2 New Ulm
State Tournament History: 3rd appearance- 2014, 2017 & 2023

Meet The Cardinals: Head Coach Phil Paquette has done an outstanding job building a very good hockey program in his hometown down in Southwest Minnesota. Through his efforts and dedication he has turned Luverne into a State Tournament contender year after year in Section 3A and produced D1 level talent like Jaxon Nelson and Chaz Smedsrud under his leadership in the far southwest corner of the state. This year he brings in a young but red hot Cardinals team that really took off down the stretch of their season. The Cardinals went (17-2-0) in their last 19 games and avenged all their earlier losses on the year including knocking off #1 seed New Ulm in the 3A Final. They are led up front by Senior #11 Brock Behrend (38-21-59 pts.) who along with Junior #9 Owen Sudenga (17-30-47 pts.) & 9th Grader Maddux Domagala (12-10-22 pts.) make up the first line. They back that up with Senior #8 Brady Bork (17-14-31 pts.) and Juniors #19 Patrick Kroski (20-40-60 pt) & #11 Elliott Domagala (21-19-40 pts.) all of the Top 6 forwards have double digit goals and the Cardinals only played 2 lines throughout the winter which will be helped by TV timeouts at the Xcel. On backend they have Sophomore #13 Blaik Bork (11-25-36 pts.) who has double digit goals as well and Senior #2 Ethan Langseth (2-15-17 pts.) & Junior #23 Henry Hartquist (3-11-14 pts.) both have double digit points on the year. In net Junior #30 Tyler Arends (21-6-1) 2.24 GAA .908 SV% has been very solid playing every minute this winter. Luverne has excelled with the man advantage as their Powerplay unit is clicking at 32.4% and was a catalyst to their playoff run. The Cardinals have proven to be a team that will not be intimidated on the big stage as they pushed Hermantown in their previous state appearances, in 2014 and 2017, and they could be a thorn as a random draw team for whichever seeded team they face in the Class A Quarterfinals.

[Corn Cobb]

Head Coach Phil Paquette has done an outstanding job building a very good hockey program in his hometown down in Southwest Minnesota. Through his efforts and dedication he has turned Luverne into a State Tournament contender year after year in Section 3A and produced D1 level talent like Jaxon Nelson and Chaz Smedsrud under his leadership in the far southwest corner of the state.

Phil Paquette never coached Nelson or Smedsrud at the high school level.

[ClassAGuy]

Luverne for their 3rd ever appearance again draws Hermantown in the Quarterfinal Round. In 2014 the then unbeaten Cardinals made a name for themselves when they played the Hawks tough and had them scrambling to win. They took it a step further in 2017 when they took the then defending Class A Champs to overtime....

Can Luverne take it a step further and pull off the MN Miracle on Ice or will round three be the time when the Hawks depth and speed will be way too much for the short bench of the boys from 3A?

[raidergrad72]

I'm grinding my teeth over my decision but it's Hermantown 6-2

[Sparlimb]

Really too bad for Luverne to get Hermantown again. But I have to pick the upset here. Hermantown will be looking ahead. 4-3 Luverne...

[ClassAGuy]

Hawks score first #14 Aaron Evjen

1-0 Hawks 1st period

[ClassAGuy]

Hawks again #23 River Freeman scores

2-0 Hawks 1st period

[BlueLineSpecial]

Have to give the Xcel staff credit. I was at the Wild game last night, which went to OT/shootout. I walked out of there after 10PM. And they had to get everything ready for the state tourney in essentially less than 12 hours. I see the on-ice Jager logo is gone from the home-ice corner where I normally sit for Wild games. Probably a good move

Before the Wild players had even left the ice the crew was out there covering board adverts with new ones. Would be cool to see a time lapse of it all.

[ClassAGuy]

3-0 now Hawks score again

[ClassAGuy]

Hawks rolling all 4 lines and getting scoring from lines 3 and 4.

Could be a long afternoon for Luverne. Hawks are in an extra gear right now

[ClassAGuy]

(2) Hermantown 3
Luverne 0
End of 2nd period

Better period for Luverne and able to create some good chances as the period went along. Shots on goal even at 8-8 that period.

[ClassAGuy]

Hawks Wyatt Carlson scores to make it 4-0

Now all 4 lines have a goal in the game

Third period

[ClassAGuy]

#24 Dallas Vieau scores on the PP late 3rd period

Hawks lead 5-0

[ClassAGuy]

Now #22 George Peterson scores

6-0 late third period Hawks

[ClassAGuy]

BHS Class A Quarterfinal #1
(2) Hermantown 6
Luverne 0
Final

Hawks depth on display as they get goals from six different players and a goal from all four lines. Luverne fought hard but Hawks wore them down.

Hawks advances to the Class A Semifinals on Friday

[stateofhawkey]

Running time in the state tournament. Always love to see it At least it's not the 15-1 that happened on the girls side of things

[elliott70]

Hawks were too fast for Luverne.

[stateofhawkey]

Has anyone from 3A ever won the state tournament? Seems whoever comes out of that Section almost always gets the #1 or #2 team as a quarterfinal matchup and doesn't ever end up making it very far.

[ClassAGuy]

Has anyone from 3A ever won the state tournament? Seems whoever comes out of that Section almost always gets the #1 or #2 team as a quarterfinal matchup and doesn't ever end up making it very far.

Yes because back in the early days of Class A 3A was the STA & TG section

Since 2008 when the 3A was realigned to be more SW MN they have never won a first round game
Luverne in 2014 and Hutch in 2009 are the only 3A teams to win a game at state both did so in Consolaton

[bardown27]

Has anyone from 3A ever won the state tournament? Seems whoever comes out of that Section almost always gets the #1 or #2 team as a quarterfinal matchup and doesn't ever end up making it very far.

STA did in 2006