Hermantown Upset By Alexandria in Class A Semifinals at 2018 Boys Hockey Tournament
Hermantown's hopes for a three-peat in winning the State Class A Boys Hockey Championship were dashed as Alexandria eliminated the Hawks with a 6-1 victory in the semifinals on Friday afternoon.
Top-seeded Hermantown got on the board first, with Justin Thomas scoring midway through the first period, but that would be the final time the Hawks would be able to find the back of the net. Through two periods, Alexandria managed a 2-1 lead; but Alexandria's Jack Powell opened the third period with another goal that would put Hermantown off balance, scrambling for answers through the remainder of the final frame.
A fourth Alexandria goal midway through the third period eventually forced Hermantown to empty their net in favor of an extra attacker, but the Cardinals took advantage with two empty-net goals to end the game with a score of 6-1. Half of Alexandria's goals came from senior Jack Powell, who completed a hat trick with an empty netter at the 14:32 mark in the third.
While Hermantown led 34-21 in shots on goal, Alexandria's Jackson Boline stonewalled the Hawks offense with 33 saves. Through two games at the tournament, Boline has only allowed one goal.
With Hermantown falling to Alexandria, this will be the first Class A Championship since 2009 where the Hawks didn't make an appearance. It will also open the door for a new state champion in Class A, as neither Alexandria nor Orono have ever made it to the championship game.
As for the Hawks, they move on to play for third place against Mahtomedi at the Xcel Energy Center at 9 am on Saturday morning.