Sixth-year Hermantown hockey coach Patrick Andrews on his Hawks, who edged Rock Ridge 3-1 in the Section 7A final Wednesday night in Duluth: "I was super proud of the guys for sticking with it. Rock Ridge came out hard and was physical. We had to battle through it, and we started moving our feet and getting shots at the net in the second period.
"Winning our fourth straight 7A title is hugely special, for so many reasons. Anytime you win a section final it's huge, because winning it is more nerve-wracking than playing at state with everything on the line. We lost a bunch of seniors and kids who left early from last year's team. The thing that impresses me the most about this group is how hard they compete, and how they always find a way to get it it done. It's mind-boggling to think of all the talented players we lost and we've lost just two games all season. This is a team in every sense of the word. Everyone contributes, guys one through twenty, and it was actually our third and fourth lines that switched the momentum in our favor last night. I would take this group into battle against any team we've had, past or present. It's truly a joy to come to the rink every day."
Editor's Note: Aaron Evjen, Dallas Vieau and River Freeman scored goals and goaltender Dane Callaway had 23 saves against Rock Ridge. Hermantown out-shot the Wolverines 42-24. The Class A No. 2-ranked Hawks (25-2-1) will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in a Minnesota state quarterfinal Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
► Fargo Force General Manager Cary Eades on acquiring forward Zam Plante from Chicago at the USHL trading deadline: "We are thrilled to add a very skilled and highly competitive player to our forward group. We have watched his game develop over many years and we've always been impressed with his playmaking ability at critical times of the game, to go along with his high compete level. He definitely is another weapon for our team at the forward position and by adding him we feel it gives us a better chance of staying on top of the regular season standings, and more importantly, hopefully what will be a long Clark Cup playoff run into April and May."