Duluth Marshall’s 4-0 win over Duluth East on Wednesday night at Amsoil Arena is the first for the Hilltoppers in more than 16 years. The last time the teams met was in 1999 and ended with a 6-3 Greyhounds' victory. 

For Duluth Marshall senior captain Peter Lenz, Tuesday's win was his first over Duluth East in his high school career.

Lenz also plays baseball and soccer and came up empty-handed against the Greyhounds last summer on the diamond and this fall on the pitch.

That’s what made this upset win so sweet, and of course the two goals he tallied.

His first came early in the first period while his second, an empty-netter scored from his own defensive end late in the third, gave him a sense the Hilltoppers had sealed the win.

“It was just relief," he said. "A 2-0 lead, they could have come back and put a couple goals in. But once we had three, I knew we won.”

Earlier this season, Lenz wasn’t sure he would be able to take the ice against Duluth East after being sidelined for the first four games, a consequence of getting too many red cards while playing soccer this fall.  

The Hilltoppers lost those games without Lenz, who felt unsure and anxious about where this season was headed as he watched his teammates struggle.

“(After) I missed those four games, I really didn’t know what to expect for the rest of the year,” Lenz said. “I didn’t know if our team was going to be able to come back after those four games where we didn’t play out best.”

He returned to the lineup in early December and entered the Duluth East game not only looking to defeat the Greyhounds for the first time but also his friends. 

“We grew up playing with them,” Lenz said of the Duluth East skaters. “I played with them most of my whole career up until high school. We just wanted to beat those guys.”

Lenz did his part, including giving the Duluth Marshall an early lead.

“It was critical that we scored first,” Hilltoppers coach Brendan Flaherty said. 

In his 20th season leading the program, Flaherty called the win “one of the grittiest performances I’ve seen out of a ‘Topper team in years.”

After playing with — but not against — many of the Greyhounds for nearly his entire life, Lenz sees this rivalry as reignited.

“I think it’s probably one of the biggest ones we have now,” Lenz said. 

He also sees the momentous win as a turning point in what has been a disappointing season so far for Duluth Marshall.

“We got off to a slow start, but I think we’re rolling now,” he added.


Duluth East's Ash Altmann eyes up his shot early in the first period against Marshall at Amsoil Arena. Photo By Matthew Moses

First Report

Duluth Marshall senior captain Peter Lenz’s first-period goal surprised Duluth East. His third-period empty-net goal shocked them.

In the Hilltoppers' first meeting with the Greyhounds in 16 years, Duuth Marshall's seniors paved the way to a 4-0 victory Wednesday night at Amsoil Arena.

Duluth Marshall's Makaio Goods stopped all 30 shots to earn a shutout. On the other end, Duluth East’s Kirk Meierhoff made 17 saves.

After first-period goals from Lenz and fellow senior captain Lane Krenzen gave the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead, the Greyhounds came out and played an aggressive second period.

Despite outshooting Duluth Marshall 13-2 in the second period, Duluth East unable to get on the scoreboard. Greyhounds seniors Luke Dow and Ash Altman had the best looks, but neither were able to get anything past Goods.

Lenz’s empty-net goal with two minutes remaining sealed the upset win, just the Hilltoppers' second since they made the jump from Class 1A to Class 2A this season. 

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