Hermantown once again chose the hard road.
The Hawks entered the season playing one of the most demanding regular-season schedules in Minnesota high school hockey, with the clear intent of being at their best when the Section 7A tournament begins. With seven games remaining in the regular season, Hermantown has positioned itself exactly where it prefers to be — tested, balanced and still sharpening.
Now, the results are beginning to align with the reputation.
Through 18 games, Hermantown sits at 13-2-3, averaging 4.67 goals per game while allowing 2.72, a profile built against top-tier competition. The Hawks’ 14.9 percent power play and 86.2 percent penalty kill reflect competence rather than dependence, reinforcing a team identity rooted in structure and depth.
That approach has steadily separated Hermantown in both Section 7A and the Class A landscape.
Last week’s 2-1 home victory over Hibbing/Chisholm served as the clearest data point yet. At the time, Hibbing/Chisholm was ranked No. 1 in Class A, with Hermantown at No. 2.
It looked like a section final preview. It also looked like a ranking correction.
Hermantown’s body of work now supports a move to No. 1 in Class A, especially when viewed through schedule strength. The Hawks opened the season on the road against Cretin-Derham Hall and Hill-Murray, then continued to test themselves against Mahtomedi, Maple Grove, White Bear Lake, Eden Prairie and others built to punish mistakes. There has been little margin for comfort.
The highs have reflected that challenge.
Hermantown has shown it can score in volume when games open up and stay patient when they don’t. December brought extended offensive stretches without sacrificing defensive structure. Wins over Cretin-Derham Hall, Maple Grove and Hibbing/Chisholm anchor a résumé that compares favorably to any Class A contender.
The low points have been instructive, not alarming.
An early January loss at Proctor and an overtime setback at Shakopee exposed areas that needed tightening. Ties against Duluth Marshall and Warroad reinforced how quickly margins vanish when structure slips. Hermantown has responded not with urgency, but with adjustment — a distinction that matters as February approaches.
Offensively, the Hawks are defined by balance. Micklain Martalock leads the team with 27 points, followed closely by Beau Christy with 24, while Kole Lendzyk, Ford Skytta, Bode Madill and Paxson Madill add consistent secondary production. Hermantown does not lean on a single line to tilt games.
Gabe Swenson leads all defensemen with 15 points, with Kyler Berg adding nine.
In goal, Bryce Francisco has provided stability, posting a 2.64 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, giving the Hawks confidence to play patient hockey in tight games.
If the bracket plays to form, Section 7A is again shaping up as a two-team race. Hermantown is positioned to enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed, with Hibbing/Chisholm at No. 2, setting up a potential final that would decide the section’s lone state berth.
Beyond those two, the field thins quickly. That reality places added emphasis on preparation rather than seeding — and on being able to manage a familiar opponent in a high-pressure setting. Hermantown’s regular-season path appears built precisely for that moment.
The Hawks' schedule ahead — Superior, Mahtomedi, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Holy Angels and Grand Rapids — offers more opportunities to refine rather than prove. Hermantown is not chasing rankings. It is preparing for a bracket.
If form holds, the Hawks will enter Section 7A as the favorite. What feels clearer now is why.
Hermantown has not tried to peak early. It has tried to be honest about what it needs to improve. With February approaching, the Hawks look less like a team hoping the path opens and more like one setting the standard.
In Class A, that is usually how No. 1 teams emerge.