Duluth Marshall’s scoring depth was on display in a Lake Superior Conference game with rival Duluth Denfeld at the Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth on Thursday night.

The Hilltoppers defeated the Hunters 4-2, winning the back-and-forth battle between two of the top teams in Class 1A thanks to a goal from Levi Stauber, who scored his fifth of the season.

Stauber’s contribution was an example of solid play coming from deep down the Hilltoppers’ roster. 

Marshall coach Brendan Flaherty said he’s pleased with the way his team has been playing together, especially his third line. 

“We do have good balance this year,” he said. “We have two really good lines, and our third line has really emerged. We’ve got two freshman and a converted defenseman, who is a junior, and they’re getting better every game. It’s fun to watch.”

The No. 5 Hilltoppers (14-4-2, 3-2-0) put plenty of pressure on the No. 8 Hunters (16-6-0, 3-2-0), logging 37 shots on net - including 15 in the first period - through 51 minutes of play.

Flaherty said his team didn’t play strong enough in the first period despite the shot differential but rebounded well in the next two periods.

“I was concerned with our start tonight,” he said. “We’ve been in a little bit of a rough stretch lately, and I’ve just had a feeling last night that the kids were going to show up tonight and they certainly did. I felt we carried the play for two periods.”

Marshall took a 1-0 lead early in the first period when the Hilltoppers’ leading goal scorer, John McKenna, tallied his 13th goal of the season.

Stauber’s goal came 7 minutes later with the freshman giving Marshall a 2-1 lead.

Denfeld tied the game 2-2 early in the second period, but the Hilltoppers took control midway through the period when Derek Farrell scored on a close-range shot that made it past Denfeld goalie Westley Cook to make Marshall's lead 3-2. Farrell’s goal was his ninth on the year and increased his team-leading points total to 26 in 20 games.

Peter Lenz scored a power-play goal with less than 2 minutes to play in the second, padding the Hilltoppers’ lead and sealing the victory. 

After the win, the Hilltoppers trailed the second-place Hunters by two points in the league standings with five regular-season games remaining. 

The scoring depth Marshall displayed Thursday will be key as the Hilltoppers look for victories that could wrap up the second seed in the section and bump Denfeld down to third. 

Flaherty said the personalities of his players has been key in the team’s success. 

“As far as the character of this team, I just love this team this year,” Flaherty said. “It’s one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever coached in and that makes it enjoyable for everybody.”

First Report

Derek Farrell scored the game-winning goal midway through the second period as Duluth Marshall defeated Duluth Denfeld 4-2 in a Lake Superior Conference clash at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minnesota on Thursday. 

Peter Lenz added the insurance goal with 1 minute to play to seal the game for the Hilltoppers (14-4-2, 3-2-0), ranked No. 5 in the Class 1A coaches poll. 

Farrel’s goal at the 7:39 mark of the second period gave Marshall a 3-2 lead and control of the back-and-forth game. 

The Hilltoppers tested the No. 8-1A Hunters early as Marshall put 15 shots on net in the first period and took a 2-1 on goals from John McKenna and Levi Stauber. 

Denfeld (16-6-0, 3-2-0) fought back to tie the game 2-2 early in the second period, but the Hilltoppers erased the chance of a comeback with goals from Farrell and Lenz.

Marshall goalie Alex Murray made 25 saves, while Westley Cook finished with 33 saves for Denfeld.

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