Hermantown Boys Advance on Comnicks Four Goals

Oct 30

Kerry Rodd-NSO

f there was any question as to whether the Hermantown Hawks soccer team deserved their #3 seeding in the state Class A soccer tournament those questions were answered with their 5-1 pounding of Mankato West. The Hawks were led by a spectacular effort from forward Charlie Comnick, who scored four goals in leading his team to victory.

Comnick, who is a former football player in the Hermantown program, made the move to soccer following a broken leg a few years ago. That move proved to be a huge gain for the soccer program as Comnick pumped in his 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st goals of the season in the rout of the Scarlets.

The scoring barrage for Comnick started when he first scored in the 26th minute and then thumped in another marker less than a minute later, making it 2-0 Hawks. Hermantown went ahead 3-0 just before halftime when Willis Kantonen, who had assisted on Comnick’s first goal, powered in a tally with under a minute to play in the half as the Hawks built a big lead entering intermission.

Kantonen again found Comnick just minutes into the second half for Comnick’s third goal of the game and the senior forward finished off his scoring midway through the second stanza with another goal from Kantonen, who spent the night much like a point guard in basketball feeding a big man in the middle for easy lay ups.

Mankato West finally found the back of the goal in the last moments of the game on a score by Matthew Jacobs to cut the lead to 5-1.

Hermantown allowed just two shots on goalie Andrew Samberg while pumping nine shots on Mankato West goalie Jace Leiferman.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com