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Hockey Night: Hermantown outlasts Hibbing to avert upset

By Legacy Hockey staff, 02/28/23, 10:15AM CST

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Feb. 27: Aaron Evjen's goal with 15.8 seconds left lifts Hawks past Bluejackets, Rock Ridge routs Duluth Denfeld in Section 7A semifinals

Section 7A Semifinal

Hermantown 3, Hibbing/Chisholm 2

DULUTH - Senior forward Aaron Evjen whipped a shot into the upper left corner of the net with 15.8 seconds remaining as No. 1 seed Hermantown averted a major upset by beating No. 4 Hibbing/Chisholm 3-2 on Monday in a Section 7A semifinal at Amsoil Arena.

No. 10-1A Hibbing/Chisholm (16-9-1), which trailed 2-0 late in the second period, tied it at 2-2 on Christian Dickson's goal 4:25 into the third period.

Evjen scored on a 3-on-2 rush, taking a pass from Josh Kauppinen, settling a bouncing puck and then shooting over diving Bluejackets forward Beau Frider. The goal was Evjen's second of the game and seventh of the season.

No. 2-1A Hermantown, which had defeated Hibbing/Chisholm 6-0 on Jan. 17 in the teams' regular season meeting, advances to a section final for the 15th-straight season. The Bluejackets haven't reached a section title game since 2016.

Samuel Swenson and Evjen scored just more than three minutes apart in the second period as Hermantown built a 2-0 lead. Andrew Lehman answered for Hibbing/Chisholm with 8.8 seconds left in the second, converting on a 2-on-1 with Frider to cut the Hawks' lead to 2-1 entering the third.

Senior Brayden Boyer was brilliant in goal for the Bluejackets, making 41 saves. Dane Callaway had 14 stops for Hermantown, the defending state Class 1A champion.

Click for boxscore

Section 7A Semifinal

Rock Ridge 12, Duluth Denfeld 1

DULUTH - Kasey Lamppa scored three goals and Ryan Rothfork stopped 21 shots as No. 2 seed Rock Ridge steamrolled No. 3 seed Duluth Denfeld 12-1 in a Section 7A semifinal at Amsoil Arena.

No. 11-1A Duluth Denfeld (14-12-1) led 1-0 midway through the first and the score was 1-1 heading into the second. No. 8-1A Rock Ridge (18-8-1) dominated the final two periods, scoring five in the second and six in the third.

Lamppa, a junior forward, scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season in a span of 1:15 in the third period to put the Wolverines ahead 9-1. He also scored in the second period. 

Dylan Hedley had a pair of goals for Rock Ridge, which has won its two section playoff games by a combined total of 21-1.

Click for boxscore

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