Hawks Come Up Just Short In Overtime Finish 2nd In State

Wes Vork-NSO

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Mar 12

Wes Vork-NSO

St. Thomas Academy overcame a slow start and managed to eke out a 5-4 overtime victory over the Hermantown Hawks in the Minnesota State High School Class A Hockey Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks came out flying, but couldn’t hang on to a three goal lead as the Cadets rallied for the victory.

For the Hawks it was the same fate as a year ago when they lost by one goal in the championship game to Breck. After having the better chances near the end of regulation to break the 4-4 tie, the loss was doubly hard to take. “I think this is tougher.” Junior Jared Thomas commented after the game. Adding, “Our seniors were great this year and we just didn’t want it to end this way two years in a row.”

Hermantown Head Coach Bruce Plante agreed that the loss really hurt. “It’s tough to work your [tails] off and lose, I love our kids for doing it, you saw them battle out there. We were hoping for a little puck luck, but it didn’t happen.” Plante commented.

Hermantown looked impressive in the first period as they managed to stake themselves to a three-goal lead, but a late goal in the period appeared to give the Cadets life as they headed to the locker room trailing the Hawks 3-1.

Jared Thomas gave the Hawks the quick start they were looking for by rifling a shot into the net with Jake Zeleznikar assisting at the 3:57 mark of the first period. Hermantown wasted little time going up 2-0 when Andrew Mattson scored just :39 seconds later for the Hawks second goal with Thomas and Zeleznikar adding the assists. Things really looked good for the Hawks when Thomas added his second goal of the period at 7:08 as Garrett Skrbich and Mattson assisted and Hermantown led it 3-0. Unfortunately fortunes turned when Andrew Commers managed to find a loose puck and go in on Hermantown goalie Connor Lucas all alone for a short-handed goal with just :26 seconds remaining in the period and it was 3-1. Most importantly the Cadets managed to gain a small bit of momentum.

The Cadets stormed out in the second period and pulled to within 3-2 at 3:27 when Pete Krieger converted a pretty play from Commers and Wyatt Schmidt. Hermantown responded on a goal by Mattson who took a pass from Skrbich and slapped a shot into the net for a 4-2 lead at 12:07, but another late period goal, this time by A.J. Reid, at 14:57 gave them another shot of adrenaline before the period ended and it stood 4-3 at the end of two periods of play.

Commers tied the game for the Cadets at 4:43 of the third period with Matt Kroska and Taylor Fleming adding assists. Despite giving up the tying goal it seemed to inspire the gutty Hawks who played a strong period and they had numerous chances to score, but couldn’t get the puck past goalie David Zevnik. At one point, late in the period, it looked as if the Hawks had scored, but the officials had blown down the play as a wild scramble took place in front of the Cadets net. Hermantown also hit a pipe in the third period.

Early in overtime the Hawks gained a power play when the Cadets were called for a hold, but they were unable to convert and finally it was a slapper from the high slot by Fleming that ended the game at 6:34 of the extra session. After the Cadets were able to win the face off, they managed to get the puck to Fleming who managed to weave the puck through three defenders and bank it in off the pipe and past goalie Lucas into the lower corner of the net to end the game.

Skrbich summed it up well after the game. “It’s really tough, we played a good game, and as a captain I can’t ask for anything more out of our team. The puck didn’t bounce in, we had a couple of good chances and lost to a great team. You can’t ask for much more.”

Skrbich was correct, they couldn’t have asked for much more, other than possibly a bounce of the puck in the Hawks direction.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com