Hermantown will make its seventh consecutive trip to the Class 1A state tournament after a dominating run through the Section 7 tournament.

The top-seeded Hawks scored goals with a machine-like efficiency while their defense was equally as effective, helping Hermantown outscore the opposition 29-2 in three playoff games -- including an 8-0 victory over second-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm in the section title game Wednesday night at Amsoil Arena.

“It’s like a feeding frenzy when we get goin',” Hermantown coach Bruce Plante said. “Once we get on a roll, sometimes we score them in bunches. We score goals two, three at a time.”

Such was the case against the Bluejackets. Even after scoring three goals in a 1-minute, 41-second span in the first period, the Hawks kept on the gas pedal.

Jesse Jacques led Hermantown with three goals and three assists, but he admits any of his teammates could have the same success with such a potent offense.

“It’s a great experience,” Jacques said about tallying six points on Wednesday. “But it’s not all just one person. Any player can (score). We have three solid lines, for sure, that can score goals.”

Plante agrees, noting that in a 9-0 semifinal victory over Greenway, Hermantown leading scorer Cole Koepke didn’t record a point.

“We’ve got enough talent that different guys help us every night,” Plante said.

As explosive as the Hawks' offense has been (it averaged 4.95 goals per game during the regular season and 9.66 in the playoffs), Plante believes the best part of his team is its defense.

“Everybody thinks it’s the forwards, but it’s really our defensemen," Plante said. "They play great defensively and they get the puck up ice, so we’re always on the attack."

Even Hermantown's goaltending has found continuous success as senior goalie Luke Olson recorded his second straight shutout Wednesday night. He posted a 1.47 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage during the regular season.

“Offensively, defensively, we’ve got it all going for us this year,” Jacques said.

With a state tournament bid in hand, Hermantown has an opportunity to break a string of six consecutive runner-up finishes in St. Paul.

“We haven’t really been thinking too much about the tradition ‘cause it’s been kind of a bad one,” Matt Valure said. “But it’s always fun to go to the tourney, and we can’t wait to be there.”

Plante thinks this could be the year Hermantown takes the Class 1A title, with the Hawks possessing a combination of all-around depth, an offense that can score seemingly at will and a hot goalie.

"We've been playing really well. If we keep doing that, we have a shot," Plante said. "We're capable of winning the whole thing if we play like this again."

For the seventh consecutive year, Hermantown will play in the Class 1A state tournament.  

Jesse Jacques scored three goals and had six points as top-seeded Hermantown routed second-seeded Hibbing 8-0 in the Section 7 final at Amsoil Arena in Duluth on Wednesday.

The Hawks came out with aggression, forcing turnovers and pressuring the Bluejackets into allowing four goals in the first period -- three of which came over a span of 1 minute, 41 seconds.

Matt Valure netted back-to-back goals in the first period to give Hermantown (24-2-1) the edge in momentum early in the game.

Hibbing responded by outshooting Hermantown 14-8 in the second period. But Hawks goaltender Luke Olson made a handful of key saves on the penalty kill to keep the Bluejackets off of the scoreboard. Overall, Olson made 23 saves in the shutout win.

Hermantown answered Hibbing's pressure with two second-period goals for a 6-0 lead, despite having the same number of shots after two periods of play.

The Hawks, ranked No. 1 in the Class 1A coaches' poll, continued to control play in the third period, eventually edging the No. 5-1A Bluejackets in shots 35 to 23 in the win.

Hibbing's (24-4-0) Ryan Ullan stopped 27 of 33 shots in the loss.

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