Duluth Denfeld’s 5-2 victory over Class 1A, Section 7A rival Eveleth-Gilbert at Bayfront Festival Park on Saturday has all but assured the Hunters a high seed when the postseason playoffs begin in two weeks.

And that advantage could prove to be a big for Duluth Denfeld, which needs all the help it can get playing in a section that includes Hermantown, Duluth Marshall and Hibbing-Chisholm.

But the victory over the Golden Bears in a game played as part of Hockey Day Minnesota was much more than a key section win for the Hunters. It was an opportunity to take the game back to where many players first fell in love with the sport: outdoors.

For Duluth Denfeld coach Kevin Smalley, Saturday brought back a flood of memories of playing at outdoor rinks dotting the Duluth area.

“It gives you goose bumps," Smalley said. "I go back in time. This is what it’s all about."

Smalley recalled playing in weekend tournaments at rinks such as Morgan Park and Piedmont Heights.

“To be outside and see the atmosphere is incredible," Smalley said. "I’m sure they’re never going to forget it. I know I never will."

The outdoor hockey tradition is strong in Duluth, where each neighborhood has its own open-air rink and association.

Some on the Hunters' current roster even played their youth hockey at the same local rinks as Smalley.

“You can’t compare anything to outdoor ice,” Adam Shykes said. “It’s huge (in Duluth). Every community has their own little outdoor rinks."

Like Smalley, Shykes he grew up playing in the Meritt Hockey Association before it disbanded. Shykes then joined the Piedmont Heights Association, where he met Duluth Denfeld teammates Brandon Johnson and Adam Reynolds at the local rink. The trio has been close ever since.

“(We’ve) been best friends ever since Mini Mites,” Shykes said.

For senior forward Dylan Skorich, who tallied three points in the win over Eveleth-Gilbert, Saturday's game reminded him of playing on outdoor rinks in Superior, Wisconsin, where he lived before moving to Duluth.

“It was unbelievable. There’s nothing like playing outdoor hockey, especially with your teammates,” Skorich said. “It’s a lot of fun. It brings back memories of growing up on the rink.”

Built and maintained by rink professionals over the last few weeks, the ice sheet at Bayfront Festival Park was surely in better condition than those the Hunters played on while growing up.

Of course, an outdoor temperature of 34 degrees and no snow also helped keep the ice in good condition.

“We practiced a few days ago and it was a little warmer out, so the ice was a little slushy. But they must have been working their butts off last night because the ice was unreal today,” Skorich said.

The victory is a memorable one for the Hunters, who get to keep their jerseys from the game - sweaters that Smalley said his players might show their kids and grandkids some day.

But for now, they will represent a higher seed in the section playoffs.

“Coming into this game, we were looking forward to it. But we knew we had to take it seriously. It meant a lot for the season,” Shykes said. 

Duluth Denfeld's Dylan Skorich had a goal and two assists as the Hunters topped Eveleth-Gilbert 5-2 at Bayfront Festival Park on Duluth’s waterfront in front of a boisterous crowd as part of Saturday's Hockey Day Minnesota festivities.

After a slow start, Duluth Denfeld rallied with four unanswered goals scored in the second and third periods to put Eveleth-Gilbert in a hole it was not able to climb out of.

The Hunters gave up a breakaway goal to the Golden Bears' Cody Hendrickson less than two minutes into the game.

Duluth Denfeld goaltender River Alander then turned aside all seven shots he faced until he was replaced in the third by Brandon Johnson, who allowed one goal on four shots.

The Hunters evened the game in the second when defenseman Jake Herold walked down from the point and picked the upper corner on Eveleth-Gilbert’s Danny Niemi.

Outshooting the Golden Bears 20-3 in the second period, Duluth Denfeld dominated the middle period. 

Logan Parzych buried a rebound late in the period to give the Hunters a lead they would not surrender. Adam Shykes and Skorich then netted goals seconds apart on the same shift midway through the third period to solidify the victory.

Niemi made 33 saves in the loss and saw plenty of action as Eveleth-Gilbert gave Duluth Denfeld three power-play opportunities.

Golden Bears’ leading scorer Nick Przybylski tried to spark a late rally with a third-period power-play goal, but Eveleth-Gilbert was unable to get back into the game.

Kadin Ferguson's empty-net goal with 30 seconds remaining made the final margin three.

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