Hermantown junior Cole Koepke seems to get amped up when playing against league and section rival Duluth Marshall.

The 6-foot forward has four goals against the Hilltoppers this season, including two that helped the Hawks defeat Duluth Marshall 5-2 in a Lake Superior Conference matchup featuring Section 7 foes and the two top-ranked teams in Class 1A on Friday night at the Hawkdome in Hermantown.

Koepke scored the first and the last goals of the game for the Hawks, ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll.

"He was really flying tonight and doing the things he should do," Hermantown coach Bruce Plante said. "I guess it's just his team to play against."

Koepke couldn't have found a better team to excel against, especially knowing a big win over the No. 2-1A Hilltoppers (12-2-1, 1-1) would help the Hawks (14-2-0, 3-0) build an argument for the No. 1 overall seed in the section tournament.

"We were really looking forward to this game," Koepke said. "Us being No. 1 and them being No. 2 in state makes it a blast to play against them."

Koepke certainly has had fun facing Duluth Marshall, with a pair of two-goal performances against the Hilltoppers.

His other performance helped lead Hermantown to a 6-2 victory over Duluth Marshall in the semifinals of the Hilltopper Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30. The Hawks went on to win the tournament title with a 3-0 victory over East Grand Forks on Dec. 31. 

Koepke's multi-goal night matched a season-high and upped his point total to 20. It also increased his goal total to nine, which is third-best on the team.

Multi-goal games are nothing new to Koepke, who had two goals in an 8-0 victory over Cloquet-Esko-Carlton on Dec. 12. Koepke also had three goals to help lead his Forest team to a 7-1 victory over the Red team while participating at USA Hockey’s 2014 Boys Select 16 Development Camp in July.

Koepke did not have a multi-goal game playing with Team North in the Upper Midwest High School Hockey Elite League this season, but he finished with five goals and nine points, including a one-goal, two-assist performance in a 10-6 loss to Team Northwest on Sept. 7. 

Koepke ended his sophomore season with 18 goals and 32 points. He scored one goal and had one assist in Hermantown’s 6-3 victory over Luverne in the Class 1A state tournament quarterfinals last year. The Hawks finished second at state after losing to East Grand Forks 7-3 in the championship game.

Koepke, however, has not lost to Duluth Marshall in his two years on Hermantown’s varsity team, as the Hawks defeated the Hilltoppers 6-2 in both matchups last year, including in the section championship.

His goals in Friday night’s victory helped Hermantown extend its winning streak to 11 games.

"We're just playing our game," Koepke said. "Our lines are working great together and everyone is playing together as a team."

The Hawks showed how united they are against Duluth Marshall, as Hermantown kept great control over the puck and maintained a steady lead throughout the night. 

A second win over a rival does not make a season complete, and Hawks cannot let down with difficult games remaining on the schedule, including Saturday against Bemidji.

"We've been playing really well,” Plante said. "It's been a good season so far for us and we need to keep it rolling."

First Report

Cole Koepke must love playing Duluth Marshall. 

The Hermantown junior forward has four goals in two games against the Hilltoppers this season, including two that helped seal a 5-2 Hawks’ victory in a Lake Superior Conference matchup featuring the two top-ranked teams in Class A at the Hawkdome in Hermantown on Friday.

Koepke’s goals bookended the scoring for the Hawks (14-2, 3-0), ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll.

His first came less than 6 minutes into the first period to give Hermantown a 1-0 lead, and his second was the last of two Hawks’ goals scored 30 seconds apart with less than 4 minutes to play in the third period. The mini scoring flurry pushed Hermantown’s lead to 5-2 and shut the door on a possible comeback by No. 2-1A Duluth Marshall (12-2-1, 1-1).

Sophomore forward Jesse Jacques finished with a goal and an assist, while senior forward Kyle Amundson and junior forward James Lindberg had one goal apiece for Hermantown, which ran its winning streak to 11 games.

Senior forwards Nate Pionk and Ryan Kero each had two assists and junior goalie Luke Olson made 19 saves for the Hawks, who finished tied with the Hilltoppers in shots on goal at 21 apiece.

Senior forward Nate Johnson and freshman forward Levi Stauber each scored a goal for Duluth Marshall.

Koepke also scored two goals in Hermantown's 6-2 victory over Duluth Marshall in the semifinals of the Hilltopper Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30.

Spotlight Game Coverage