CEC Boys Win Heritage Classic Tournament

Wes Vork-NSO

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Dec 30

Wes Vork-NSO

DULUTH – The offensive explosion continued for the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team on Thursday afternoon with a 7-2 rout of Duluth Central in the championship game of the Heritage Hockey Classic in Duluth. Jack McFarlane and Karson Kuhlman each scored twice in leading the Jacks to the title.

The Lumberjacks led 1-0 after one period and exploded for four goals in the second period to blow the game open. CEC scored two additional goals in the third period including one which featured an assist by goaltender
John Scheuer. Scheuer stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced while Max Reinertson contributed with three assists in the win.

Coming of the previous night’s hat trick, Jack McFarlane got things started for the Jacks, scoring an unassisted goal at 12:05 of the first period. Although CEC outshot the Trojans 7-1, quality saves by Trojan netminder
Zach Thompson kept the game close and sent the teams to the locker room with CEC leading 1-0 after one period.

The second period proved to be a wild one for the Jacks. When it was over, goals by Kuhlman, Nolan Meyer, Joey Singpiel, and Mark Savage gave CEC a total of four goals in the center frame. Ben Wrazidio scored for Denfeld-Central, but the game was well in hand with the Jacks leading 5-1 after two periods.

CEC head Coach Dave Esse told Northland Sports Online after the game no one thing created the win. “All three lines played well for us tonight, “We need experience and all the guys are getting that from playing.
We have good senior leadership and our younger guys are playing well.” Our “D” played well and got the puck out of the zone.” Esse added.

In a mop up third period CEC did not lose focus or intensity and scored two more goals including a bizarre one which Lumberjacks goalie Scheuer was credited with an assist. While on the penalty kill, Scheuer cleared the puck to Reinertson behind his own net, Reinertson shot the puck the length of the ice. When the Trojans goalie went behind the net to play the puck, it took a bounce reminiscent of the 1984 Frozen Four in which the UMD Bulldogs lost to Bowling Green in four overtimes at Lake Placid. The puck came directly off the endboards and landed on the stick of a hustling Kuhlman for the tap-in. Also in the period, McFarlane picked up his second goal of the game and Ben Campbell scored for Denfeld-Central to create the 7-2 final.

McFarlane talked about the team’s good fortunes as of late, commenting to NSO after the game. “We are starting to come together as a team, all four lines have quality guys and we are pulling for each other. We’re working hard and everyone is doing their job.” “My line has Nolan and Karson on it, who are extremely good hockey players. I really benefit from that, it makes doing my job easy.” McFarlane added.

Kuhlman had two goals and two assists, McFarlane added a pair of goals and one assist, Savage recorded a goal and two assists and Reinertson contributed three assists in the win.

McFarlane and Nolan Meyer were named to the all-tournament team with McFarlane being named MVP.
CEC outscored their opponents 17-8 in the three tournament games to capture the Heritage Cup. Afterward Coach Esse had nothing but praise for the tournament. Telling NSO, “This is a great tournament, it is close, you get to sleep in your own bed and still play some of the best competition around.” Adding, “The staff here does a terrific job, they treat all of the teams well and put on a well run event.”

With the win, CEC is now 8-3 on the season. They will host Virginia-MIB on Tuesday evening at the Cloquet Area Rec Center.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com