Rivalry Night: Duluth East and Grand Rapids Top Performers

After being featured at the Winter Classic on New Years Day, longtime Section 7AA Rivals Duluth East and Grand Rapids clashed at the IRA Civic Center on Thursday night. With the band rocking the house and a near full capacity, the energy and atmosphere of this rivalry did not disappoint. The Greyhounds did hang with the Thunderhawks at times during the game, especially early, but in the end it was Grand Rapids night as they flew to a 6-2 victory. Final shots on goal were also in favor of Grand Rapids, 32-19. With the victory, the Thunderhawks win the regular season series, 2-0. Next I will name Top Performers from the game and season for both teams:

3 Stars of the Game:

3. Jun. #5 Cole Christian – F/Duluth East  

Cole Christian is one of those players that will put the puck in the back of the net and also give it his all every game. Cole notched an assist in the game and was flying all over the ice with numerous opportunities. Being the Duluth East leading point getter as a Junior (7-10-17), keep an eye on #5 through this season and into 2022-2023.

2. Sen. #17 Garrett Drotts Garrett Drotts 5'6" | Forward Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN – F/Grand Rapids – Prep Hockey #65 ’22’s

Garrett Drotts Garrett Drotts 5'6" | Forward Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN is a player that rapidly emerged as a top forward on this Grand Rapids team during his Junior season. Now in his Senior year and playing on that potent top line with DelGreco and Nelson, Drotts is off to a dynamite start with a stat line of 12-24-26. #17 got the scoring going for the Thunderhawks on Thursday night and finished with 3 points earning the #2 Star.

#1. Sen. #7 Kaden Nelson Kaden Nelson 5'11" | Forward Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN – F/Grand Rapids – Prep Hockey #25 ’22’s

Kaden Nelson Kaden Nelson 5'11" | Forward Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN did not back down against his former team on Thursday night, tallying 2 goals and 2 assists in the contest. Nelson is great in many aspects of the game, including being an outstanding skater and also not being afraid to throw a few checks here and there. Most importantly, #7 can find the back of the net with 13 goals on the season and 14 helpers as well. He has proven to be a solid addition for this Thunderhawks club and will continue to be valuable as they inch closer towards section playoffs.

 

Season Top Performers:

Sen. #10 Joey DelGreco Joey DelGreco 5'10" | Forward Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN F/Grand Rapids – Prep Hockey #9 ’22’s

Likely being a Mr. Hockey Finalist, Joey DelGreco Joey DelGreco 5'10" | Forward Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN has proven himself to be a top player in the state at the halfway point of the season. Joey leads his team in points with a whopping 33 in 13 games and is tied at #10 in the entire state. To his standards, DelGreco had a quiet night vs the Greyhounds tallying 1 assist, but still contributed a ton in his teams 6-2 victory. Joey will continue to be a fun player to watch as the Thunderhawks make that state tournament push. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a Waterloo jersey in the USHL next season as he was drafted by them in 2019.

Sen. #8 Easton Young D/Grand Rapids – Prep Hockey #33 22’s

After losing 2021 Mr. Hockey and Reed Larson award winner Jack Peart, Grand Rapids Head Coach Wade Chiodo knew there would be a big void to fill on the blueline after his departure. Senior Easton Young has done just that filling that vacant void and being a rock on that blueline for Grand Rapids. After a slow start when it came to getting on the scoresheet, Easton has found his rhythm. Young contributed 1 goal and 1 assist on Thursday night and leads all defenders on his team with 20 points on the season. Along with DelGreco, Easton is another Grand Rapids player who was drafted to the USHL in 2019, with his rights belonging to Muskegon in Michigan.

Sen. #15 Ren Morque Ren Morque 5'10" | Defense Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN D/Grand Rapids – Prep Hockey #85 ’22’s

Ren Morque Ren Morque 5'10" | Defense Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN might just be my favorite player to watch on Grand Rapids. As a strong skater with a heavy shot and a physical style of play, Morque has a skillset like none other. Ren is another player who was considered as a Star of the Game from Thursday night, netting a goal and adding two assists. On the season, Morque has a stat line of 2-11-13. Along with Young, he has helped stabilize that blueline for Grand Rapids after the departure of Jack Peart. During the offseason, Ren signed with the Minnesota Wilderness of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and I would expect to see him in the green and red possibly after the high school season in the spring or next fall.

Sen. #4 Lars Berg F/Duluth East

Berg has 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points on the season and is the only Greyhound, besides Christian, with double digit points. Lars is a Senior captain on this young Duluth East team and a player that Coach Pitsocia will rely on heavily to bring that much needed senior leadership. Berg’s biggest flaw is discipline and staying out of the box, which is something he’ll need to work on as the season progresses. Overall, #4 continues to be a valuable piece on this team and look for him to step up as the Greyhounds make that playoff push through January and February.

Jun. #25 Grant Winkler D/Duluth East

Junior Grant Winkler is in his 4th season on the blueline for Duluth East, starting when he was only in 8th Grade. Winkler continues to be a solid defensemen on this team and also provides some occasional offense as well. Grant has 2 goals and 7 assists on the season for a total of 9 points so far. Winkler along with Christian are two Juniors on Duluth East that we will continue to keep an eye on throughout this season and into next.

 

Final Thoughts:

On paper, Grand Rapids is top to bottom more talented than Duluth East at this point in the season. With Duluth East being a fairly young team still, they will get better as they continue to adapt and learn 1st Year Head Coach Steve Pitoscia’s systems and culture. Section 7AA will be very interesting this season as Andover and Grand Rapids will most likely be the top two and teams like Blaine, Duluth East, and Forest Lake being capable of being sleepers and knocking off one of the top teams on any given night.