Lumberjack Boys Hockey Beats Hermantown 7-5

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Other than the final outcome of Cloquet winning, this year's Cloquet/Hermantown hockey battle was the complete opposite of the 2009-10 overtime game that the Lumberjacks came out on top of 3-2 defensive battle at home.

The Lumberjacks built a big lead, then held on to beat Hermantown 7-5 in Hermantown, February 3, 2011. Karson Kuhlman scored twice in the first period, sandwiching a Hawks Jared Thomas goal, and Nolan Meyer finished the 'Jacks first period scoring to take a 3-1 lead to the first intermission.

Beau Michaud and Adam Hanson scored 1:12 apart (7:38-8:50) to give the 'Jacks a 5-1 lead that stood until Brian LeBlanc scored at 14:01 of the 2nd. Nolan Meyer added a second goal, just 44 seconds after the LeBlanc goal to rebuild the 4 goal Lumberjack lead.

Hermantown opened the third period scoring early at 1:35, when Grant Sega made the game 6-3. Kuhlman completed his hat trick at 7:35 of the period making the score 7-3. The 'Hawks Garrett Skrbich scored two goals, 56 seconds apart, getting behind the Cloquet defense at 13:38 and 14:34 of the period. Hermantown pulled goaltender Connor Lucas with 2 minutes left but couldn't get any closer, as the 'Jacks held on to win 7-5. Lucas stopped 25 of 32 Lumberjack shots, while John Scheuer stopped 19 of 24 Hermantown shots for the win.

Beau Michaud gets the puck past Connor Lucas

Karson Kuhlman

Cloquet Hockey Downs Hibbing

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The Lumberjacks got down early against Hibbing, giving up a goal by Joe Anderson, just 47 seconds into the game. At 7:05 of the period a Nick DeCenzo powerplay goal made it 2-0 Hibbing, and Cloquet called their time out to regroup. The 'Jacks stormed back, at 16:11 of the period, Nolan Meyer scored his first of the game, then Jared Anderson scored just 44 seconds later to tie the game at 2.

The second period was a stalemate, until Meyer scored his second of the game at 16:44 to give the Jacks the lead into the second intermission.

Hibbing tied the game just 1:30 into the third period, on a second goal by Joe Anderson. With Cloquet on the powerplay, Chaise Jokinen got feed from Mark Savage and let a shot go from the point, and Karson Kuhlman buried the rebound into the open net for the eventual game winner, as the 'Jacks saw the puck in their zone most of the last minute, but Max Reinertsen and Jokinen kept the puck and Hibbing skaters behind the net where they couldn't do much damage. John Scheuer got the win in net for the 'Jacks.

Jared Anderson jumps on a rebound to bury the puck for a goal

Beau Michaud wrist shot in tight on the Hibbing goal