The Three Key Door for Hermantown
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Every team in the state, whether it is a defending state champion or a struggling squad, starts their season out with a door that stands between them and success. Nonetheless, every team is just as capable of unlocking their potential…
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Continue ReadingEvery team in the state, whether it is a defending state champion or a struggling squad, starts their season out with a door that stands between them and success. Nonetheless, every team is just as capable of unlocking their potential through an interwoven combination of skill, strategy, leadership, and coaching. In this new series kicking up here for Prep Hockey, I will be taking a look at the three keys each and every team in the state needs to open up the door that stands between them and a great year by their unique standards. Hermantown, the Class A third place finishers last year, will step into the spotlight for today’s issue.
Key #1: Starting off Strong
Hermantown’s 2022-2023 season started on December 2nd against Cretin-Derham Hall, a Class AA team the Hawks ended up beating 6-3. Flash forward five weeks and 11 games later, and the Hawks finally dropped their first game of the year against Warroad. Their 10-0-1 start last season set the tone for how they were going to operate, especially considering their first win was against a solid Class AA squad like Cretin. However, the craziest part about this stat is that the Hawks would go on another unbeaten streak later that season, this one lasting 14 games until their eventual defeat in the state semifinals against Mahtomedi. Stringing together two separate double digit unbeaten streaks in a 30 game season is unbelievable, and Hermantown’s 27-3-1 record was on par with many of the school’s all time great teams. If Hermantown wants to push past a third place finish from last season, they will need to start this coming season off with a bang.
Key #2: Produce Offensively Against Top Talent
The Hermantown Hawks are no strangers to having a lethal offense. Last season, they scored nearly six goals per game against their opponents, and their roster on the offensive end was chalked full of D1 commits that could simply overwhelm and outpace 95 percent of defensive units across the state. However, after a strong start in the postseason with a 15-1 victory over North Shore, the Hawk offense began to falter. First, it was a narrow 3-2 victory against a Hibbing/Chisholm team that almost pulled off one of the season’s biggest upsets. Then, the Hawks were stonewalled by Rock Ridge goalie Ryan Rothfork Ryan Rothfork 5'9" | Goalie Rock Ridge | 2024 State MN , who saved 40 of the 42 shots that came his way. Once again, Hermantown barely hung on to win this game, and they advanced to the state tournament. After recovering nicely with a dominating 6-0 win over Luverne, Hermantown’s offensive woes culminated in a 1-2 loss against Mahtomedi where the Hawk attack was thoroughly subdued. Simply put, the Hawks are at their best when they are dominating teams offensively, and if they want to make it far in the postseason this year, they need to be firing on all cylinders versus everyone. Leading the charge for this tall order will be Dallas Vieau Dallas Vieau 5'11" | Forward Hermantown | 2024 State MN , a Penn State hockey commit whose 50 points led the team last season.
Key #3: Adjust Dane Callaway Dane Callaway 5'9" | Goalie Hermantown | 2024 State MN to Full Time Goalie Duties
Despite splitting his junior campaign with Garron Opsahl last year, Dane Callaway Dane Callaway 5'9" | Goalie Hermantown | 2024 State MN was still able to carve out a name for himself among the elite Class of 2024 goaltenders. Through the 17 games he played in, Callaway posted a 15-2 record, allowed only 1.58 goals per game, and put two cherries on top of this impressive stat line with a .921 save percentage and three shutouts. He won at a rate higher than the vast majority of goalies across the state, and the impressive stats he put up to boot show his readiness to take over and be the guy for Hermantown this coming season. The biggest hurdle for Callaway will be staying healthy and playing at a high level in spite of the expected increase in playing time. Opsahl shouldered nearly half of the load last season, and now that he is graduated, Callaway will likely be between the pipes for most of, if not all of the Hawks’ 30+ game season. This will take some effort and grit on both sides, but I truly think this team is at its best when Callaway is in the net. That being said, the Hawks should look to keep him between the pipes as much as possible.
What Lies Beyond the Door: Everyone knows Hermantown is a state champion caliber team, year in and year out. This team hasn’t posted double digit losses since the 2007-2008 season, and even then, the team still went 17-10, a record that many other programs would consider a successful year. This is a good ole fashioned Minnesota hockey dynasty, and I don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon. Add on the fact that they are hanging onto arguably their best player from last season, and I bet anything short of a state title trophy would be a disappointment for the 2023-2024 Hawks squad. A sky high expectation, sure, but out in Hermantown, that seems to be the norm when it comes to their high school hockey.