DULUTH — Hibbing/Chisholm’s Benny Galli tipped a puck into the net late in the second period to put the Bluejackets in front of Hermantown in the Section 7A semifinal Saturday at Amsoil Arena.
Before the Hawks could catch their breath, Isaiah Hildenbrand and Cole Swanson found themselves out in front of the defense. They kept the puck floating back and forth between them as they came down the ice for a rare 2-on-0 against a defenseless Bryce Francisco.
Kyler Berg (19) of Hermantown passes the puck against Joey Gabardi (4) of Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
It was Hildenbrand who banged home the goal and Hibbing/Chisholm was suddenly up a pair heading to the third period, a lead they held for a 5-3 win and a spot in the Section 7A title game Wednesday.
“The whole way down I was thinking, ‘Just score,’” Hildenbrand said. “We started passing a little bit. It was great, the puck movement froze the goalie and I was able to score.”
For Hermantown, it’s the first time they haven’t appeared in a section title game since 2008 and only the second time they won’t win a section title since 2009. The Hawks lost the Section 7A title to Greenway in 2019, but before that the last time they didn’t win a section was when they fell to St. Cloud Cathedral in 2009, when they played in Section 5A.
Charlie Marchand put the Hawks up a goal 4 minutes into the game, but Tate Swanson tied the game at the 8:54 mark with a power play goal.
Hermantown players celebrate a first-period goal against Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
After Tate Swanson put the Bluejackets up a goal early in the second, Hermantown had nearly 90 seconds of 5-on-3 play. The Bluejackets killed the two-man advantage, but they finally allowed a goal to Gabe Swenson with 9 seconds of 5-on-4 play remaining.
Nearly five minutes later Galli struck, and in a flash, the Hawks were down two, and the Bluejackets’ Cole Swanson made it three with a little under 12 minutes remaining.
Freeman had a breakaway score of his own, but a too many men on the ice penalty put Hibbing/Chisholm back on the power play with less than three minutes to play and the Bluejackets were able to resist the Hermantown extra attacker.
For Hibbing/Chisholm, it’s been a roller coaster of a season. Ranked in the top five of Class A most of the season, the Bluejackets struggled early on but got on the same page late with a 5-2 win over Cloquet-Esko-Carlton in the regular season finale.
Hermantown goaltender Bryce Francisco (35) makes a save against Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
“It’s been a lot of ups and downs, but good teams — state teams — always find a way to get going at the right time,” Hildenbrand said. “Greenway in 2019, they were a 3 seed like us. They got hot at the right moment and I think that’s what we’re doing right now.”
The season ended in disappointment for Hermantown, but coach Pat Andrews was proud of his team and the way they responded when they were down in the third.
“It was a hard season,” he said. “I thought our group had a lot of adversity, but I thought we grew from a lot of of it and we got better. I know these kids got better. It’s not the result that anybody wants, obviously, but it’s great for the section. It’s good for the section, it’s good for northern Minnesota hockey.”
Hibbing/Chisholm will play Cloquet-Esko-Carlton for the Section 7A championship Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Lumberjacks defeated Proctor 7-2 to advance.
Hibbing/Chisholm 1-3-1—5
Hermantown 1-1-1—3
First period — 1. H, Charlie Marchand (River Freeman, Ford Skytta), 4:13; 2. HC, Tate Swanson (Ethan Sundvall, Cole Swanson), 8:54 (pp).
Second period — 3. HC, T. Swanson (Isaiah Hildenbrand, C. Swanson), 4:15; 4. H, Gabe Swenson (Freeman, Mick Martalock), 8:00 (pp); 5. HC, Benny Galli (Jace Kampsula, Sundvall), 12:55; 6. HC, Hildenbrand (C. Swanson, T. Swanson), 13:48.
Third period — 7. HC, C. Swanson, 5:36; 8. Freeman (Skytta, Marchand), 8:28;
Saves — Rex Walli, HC, 27; Bryce Francisco, H, 22.
River Freeman (23) of Hermantown skates with the puck against Raidyn Scott (25) of Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Jaxsen Ericksen (12) of Hermantown emerges from the Hibbing/Chisholm bench after a check sent him over the boards during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Tyler Raatsi (17) of Hibbing/Chisholm and Cam Lukovsky (44) of Hermantown fight for the puck during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Bradford Skytta (18) of Hermantown passes the puck against Ethan Sundvall (6) of Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Whitaker Rewertz (40) of Hibbing/Chisholm skates with the puck against Cam Lukovsky (44) of Hermantown during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hermantown players celebrate a first-period goal against Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Isaiah Hildenbrand (5) of Hibbing/Chisholm scores a goal against Hermantown goaltender Bryce Francisco (35) during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Isaiah Hildenbrand (5) and Jackson Strukel (28) of Hibbing/Chisholm celebrate a second-period goal against Hermantown during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hibbing/Chisholm players celebrate a second-period goal against Hermantown during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Isaiah Hildenbrand (5) and Jackson Strukel (28) of Hibbing/Chisholm celebrate a second-period goal against Hermantown during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hermantown players react after losing to Hibbing/Chisholm during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hibbing/Chisholm players celebrate a victory over Hermantown with goaltender Rex Walli (30) during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hibbing/Chisholm players celebrate a victory over Hermantown with goaltender Rex Walli (30) during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hibbing/Chisholm players celebrate with their classmates in the student section after beating Hermantown during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Hibbing/Chisholm goaltender Rex Walli (30) makes a save against Kole Lendzyk (13) of Hermantown during the Section 7A semifinals on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Jamey Malcomb has a been high school sports reporter for the Duluth News Tribune since October 2021. He spent the previous six years covering news and sports for the Lake County News-Chronicle in Two Harbors and the Cloquet Pine Journal. He graduated from the George Washington University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in history and literature and also holds a master’s degree in secondary English education from George Mason University.