Hermantown’s boys hockey season ended Saturday night under the bright lights of Amsoil Arena, a 4-1 loss to Cloquet-Esko-Carlton in the Class 1A, Section 7 semifinals closing the book on a 17-6-4 campaign that, for long stretches, suggested March might stretch deeper.
Instead, it stopped one game short of the section final.
The Hawks entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and showed their ceiling in a 14-0 quarterfinal dismantling of North Shore. But against the No. 3 Lumberjacks, Hermantown couldn’t generate enough sustained offense, and a season built on scoring depth ran into a disciplined defensive wall.
Now the focus shifts to what’s leaving — and what remains.
Eight seniors graduate from this roster: forwards Ty McDonald, Bode Madill and Ford Skytta; defensemen Kyler Berg, Cooper Kalkbrenner and Cayden Manion; and goaltenders Bryce Francisco and Liam Sundell.
Francisco carried the bulk of the workload in net, finishing 16-5-4 with a 2.71 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and two shutouts over 1,278 minutes. His steadiness allowed Hermantown to take chances offensively. That job now becomes the offseason’s most urgent question.
Up front, the Hawks lose production but not their foundation.
Junior Beau Christy led the team with 43 points — 26 goals and 17 assists — one of the most complete offensive seasons in the section. Classmate Micklain Martalock followed with 40 points, including 23 goals. Paxson Madill added 30 points as a sophomore. Kole Lendzyk and Bode Madill each produced 29. Gabe Swenson anchored the blue line with 20 assists.
That core returns.
Thirteen juniors move up to seniors next winter, including Christy, Martalock, Swenson, Noah Thurston, Lane Nichols and Ethan Aysta. Ten sophomores advance with meaningful varsity minutes already logged. Freshman defenseman Nikolai Zhukov is a rising superstar.
The Hawks opened the season 5-0-1 and surged to 13-2-2 by mid-January. They beat Cretin-Derham Hall, Maple Grove and Eden Prairie. They tied Hill-Murray, Warroad and Benilde-St. Margaret’s — all Class AA programs -- and proved they could skate with anyone.
Late January tightened the margins. Moorhead edged them 5-4. Holy Angels and Grand Rapids exposed defensive lapses that would matter in March.
That’s how seasons usually end — not with shock, but with exposure.
Hermantown finished 17-6-4. They scored in bunches. They tested themselves against bigger schools. They won the games they were supposed to win. They showed real top-end skill.
And now they enter an offseason defined by one question: who takes the crease?
Everything else is in place.
In Section 7A, that’s not a rebuild.
That’s a reload.