Stars, Studs, and Sleepers: Hermantown
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A star is the go to guy on the team, more times than not their best all around player. A stud usually supports the star, and has plenty of fine tuned skills in their own right. A sleeper is a…
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Continue ReadingA star is the go to guy on the team, more times than not their best all around player. A stud usually supports the star, and has plenty of fine tuned skills in their own right. A sleeper is a guy you might not hear the student section fawning over, but his coaches and teammates are well aware of how much he contributes. In this new series here at Prep Hockey, I’ll be predicting each team’s star, stud, and sleeper heading into the 2023-2024 season, and today, the Hermantown Hawks will be under the microscope. A team that has placed first and third in state over these last two years, the Hawks have loads of talent on offense, defense, and in the net. A team this well rounded is always a sight to see, so let’s get right into it.
The Star: Dallas Vieau Dallas Vieau 5'11" | Forward Hermantown | 2024 State MN , Forward
The clear cut star of this team, especially now that the Class of 2023 is graduated, Dallas Vieau Dallas Vieau 5'11" | Forward Hermantown | 2024 State MN is set to inherit a fractured, but still whole Hawk squad. During the 2022-2023 season, Vieau posted 50 points on 23 goals and 27 assists, all en route to helping his team claim third place in the Class A state tournament. Before that, he had a 29 point season as a sophomore and brought Hermantown a state title at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Clearly, Vieau’s success has already spanned far beyond just personal accolades. On the ice, he earns his goals by attacking the weak side of the goalie, waiting for a pass from his offensively masterful defensemen to flick the puck into the back of the net with ease. The support Vieau got from his defense did not go unnoticed, and he would always make sure to give them their fair share of scoring opportunities as well. This unpredictable onslaught was a big reason the Hawks were such an offensive juggernaut last year, and despite losing one of the highest scoring defenseman in the state to graduation, they will still be returning a key piece in Vieau. The Penn State commit has one more season left as a Hawk, and it is set to be a good one.
The Stud: Dane Callaway Dane Callaway 5'9" | Goalie Hermantown | 2024 State MN , Goalie
I’ve covered Dane Callaway Dane Callaway 5'9" | Goalie Hermantown | 2024 State MN before in my Goalie Guide for the Lake Superior Conference, and I can say with confidence that this guy was and still is the stud of this team. Callaway is the returning goalie for the Hawks who is set to have his workload increase now that Garron Opsahl has graduated. When these two were working in tandem, it was a sight to see. Together, they combined to save 545 shots, posted a save percentage well north of .900, and most importantly, had a 27-3-1 record in the net. Without Opsahl though, Callaway will have to step up and ideally improve upon these numbers under a bit more pressure, with a bit less rest too. Will this be too much for the rising senior? Maybe, but Callaway is no stranger to pressure. He has gone against some of the toughest competition Class A has to offer in front of thousands of spectators at the Xcel Energy Center. I’m certain that compared to this, a little more playing time is nothing he can’t handle. Callaway will enter his senior season as the main man in the net, and will look to continue playing top notch hockey for his squad.
The Sleeper: Drew Nelson, Defenseman
Drew Nelson has big shoes to fill, but the rising senior has probably grown sick of hearing that already. Set to champion the defense after their star George Peterson graduated this past season, Nelson is stepping into a situation where he is one of the few remaining defensemen on the team who had any sort of scoring role on the offensive end. In 29 games for the Hawks, Nelson had four goals and seven assists, good for 11 points on the year. His stat line is nothing eye popping, but the last performance of his junior campaign sure was. Facing Orono in the third place game, the usually high scoring Hawks couldn’t seem to string anything together. Then out of nowhere, Drew Nelson took over, scoring both of his team’s goals along the way to a 2-0 victory and a third place finish in state. The fact that he played so well on that stage when the rest of his team was struggling says a lot about both his leadership and grit. These attributes will certainly come in handy for the 2023-2024 season, which will be Nelson’s final season in a blue and gold jersey. If my predictions are correct, it should also be his best year wearing the Hawk emblem, as Nelson’s offensive role is set to significantly increase.
The Bottom Line: The Hawks are coming off a third place finish in Class A State Tournament, a game in which they shut out Orono to claim the honor. Although the 27-3-1 team was certainly hoping for a title in 2022-2023, they clearly still have a lot to build around this coming season. They are losing a handful of talented seniors, including All-State defenseman George Peterson, but this team should be set to replicate last year’s success.