Great expectations? A novel could be written about hockey in Hermantown and its residents’ refusal to accept even a single loss.
Hawks coach Pat Andrews was grocery shopping the day after a late-January setback against Maple Grove when he was confronted with more than a few requests for an explanation.
Explanations as in, “What happened, coach?”
Never mind that Maple Grove is one of the top teams in Class 2A (seeded No. 3 in the big-school tournament).
Expectations are simple if not lofty for the Hawks (26-2-0), who are making their 11th state tournament appearance in 12 years: state title-or-bust.
Hermantown is the No. 1 seed and No. 1-state ranked team in Class 1A, the only squad in the state with fewer than three losses and feature two Minnesota Duluth commits in forward Zam Plante and defenseman Ty Hanson, both juniors.