Class 1A/top-rated Hermantown clipped 2A/No. 7 Cretin-Derham Hall 2-1 and skated to a 3-3 overtime tie against 2A/No. 5 Hill-Murray in a high school boys hockey season-opening road back-to-back this weekend.
The Hawks, skating with six sophomores who gained their first varsity experience since moving up from bantams, surrendered a 3-0 first period lead against the Pioneers at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood Saturday afternoon.
Hermantown sophomore AJ Francisco, centering the top line, had a goal and three assists in his varsity debuts, and senior goaltender Dane Callaway stopped 68 of 72 shots (.944 saves percentage, 1.85 goals-against average) in the openers.
Senior defenseman Will Esterbooks added a goal and three assists and junior forward River Freeman collected a pair of goals for the heavy Section 7A favorites.
"We had a great weekend in the cities to start the season," said Hawks coach Patrick Andrews. "CDH and HM are both talented and highly competitive programs offering unique challenges. I was impressed by our ability to meet those challenges so early in the season.
"Both games were fast, tight-checking with bursts of offensive prowess. Friday night we went down early to CDH. Still, we battled back in the second period and got a power play goal off a tremendously beautiful play with all five guys, Francisco, Esterbrooks, Nelson, Kauppinen, and Freeman touching the puck, with River Freeman slamming a one-timer into an open net. The game-winner by Ford Skytta was a gritty hardworking play started by a blocked shot in our end by AJ Francisco, then Andrew Johnson Jr tracked down the puck in a foot race with the CDH defender, Jr. then found Ford Skytta streaking to the net who buried the puck to give the us the lead which we held onto through the last seven minutes thanks in large part to Dane Callaway."
Saturday was a completely different style of game, Andews said.
"We jumped out to a three-goal lead courtesy of the power play again with Esterbrooks drilling a one-timer," Andrews said of his club's strong start against the Pioneers. "River Freeman then added to the lead with a beautiful give-and-go with Esterbrooks. We finished off the first period with AJ Francisco getting his first varsity goal on a tip-in from a point shot by Will Esterbrooks. After a hot start, our youth and inexperience showed a bit as we gave up the next three goals over the course of a period and a half resulting in a hard-fought tie with a top-five program.
"Overall, I was very impressed and happy with our weekend. We have a lot of guys with little to no varsity hockey experience. However, as coach, all you can ask is for your players to be coachable, disciplined and competitive. The boys were all of that and more. They were able to take coaching from the locker room and apply it to the ice, they kept their heads in a chippy competitive environment on Friday night and they showed tremendous compete gutting out a hard win and an even harder tie with tired bodies on Saturday afternoon."
Callaway was the star of the weekend, Andrews said.
"He played outstanding, giving us a chance to win with timely saves, and a lot of them," said Andrews of his senior goaltender. "Will Esterbrooks was also a stud, and as our captain he showed tremendous leadership not just on the scoresheet but also on the ice and in the locker room. AJ Francisco, a sophomore, showed why he is so highly regarded running the power play and making his presence felt with a goal and three assists. He and River Freeman seem to be building some early chemistry on our top line with River recording two goals over the weekend as well."
The Hawks (1-0-1) next face 2A/No. 18 Centennial (3-0-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday at historic Hermantown Arena.