Hermantown sports teams are expected to resume regular-season action this week following an unexpected three-day pause from games and practices due to a major snow event late last week.
The Hawks boys hockey and girls basketball teams will be on the road Tuesday night against Denfeld and Cloquet, respectively. The Proctor-Hermantown Mirage will also be in action Tuesday evening, playing host to Cloquet in Proctor.
Hermantown’s boys basketball, girls basketball and boys hockey teams all are scheduled to play road games Thursday: boys basketball at North Branch, girls basketball at Cambridge-Isanti and boys hockey at Orono.
On Friday, the Hawks boys and girls alpine ski team will participate in an invitational at Giants Ridge.
Meantime, every Hermantown sports team will be in action during the holiday break. Here’s a peek at their schedules games, along with an update of their performances to date:
Boys basketball – The Hawks (3-0, not including Thursday’s game at North Branch) will participate in a four-team tournament on Dec. 29-30 in Delano. Hermantown has defeated Cloquet 90-55, Denfeld 78-70 and Minneapolis Edison 80-75. The Hawks early-season and likely season MVP is senior guard Blake Schmitz, and junior power forward Abe Soumis has been a force as a top secondary scorer and defensive stopper.
Girls basketball – The Hawks will compete in a four-team tourney in Esko on Dec. 27-28. Hermantown (1-6) is coming off an 82-55 loss to Duluth Marshall.
Boys hockey – The Hawks (3-0-1) will play their 2022-23 home opener against Delano on Dec. 28, visit East Grand Forks on Dec. 29 and play host to Shakopee on Dec. 31. Senior defenseman George Peterson leads Hermantown with seven points (1 goal), followed by junior power forward Dallas Vieau (4-2-6) and junior forward Joshua Kauppinen (5-0-5). Senior Garron Opsahl and junior Dane Callaway have been spectacular in goal, with Opsahl starting the season 2-0-1.
Girls hockey – The defending Minnesota Class 1A state champion Mirage (5-2-2) will face the Duluth Northern Stars on Dec. 31 and will play host to Moose Lake on Jan. 3. Junior forward Hannah Graves leads the team in scoring with 15 points, and senior forward Reese Heitzman has scored a team-high eight goals (13 points).
SPORTS TIDBITS
Max Plante of Hermantown scored two goals to power the U.S. Under-17 hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Switzerland on Saturday at EZO Eissportzentrum Oberthurgau in Romanshorn, Switzerland.
Plante has five goals and 24 points in 27 games, which ranks as the fourth-highest points total on the U.S. squad.
Max’s older brother, Zam, has scored three goals and 12 points in 11 games for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, since returning from an upper body injury. The first line left winger had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over Madison on Saturday night.