Breck had a nice little run. St. Thomas Academy did, too. East Grand Forks was dominant for back-to-back seasons.
While the small-school state tournament over the past decade-plus has mostly been Hermantown’s domain, several programs have stood up and successfully challenged the bully from the north’s dominance.
This could be defending Class 1A champion St. Cloud Cathedral’s year to cement a mini-dynasty, and Friday’s Top Game of the Week at high-flying Hermantown, ranked No. 1 in the Class 1A coaches' poll from Dec. 26, will offer a sneak peak of a potential — some might say inevitable — state tourney showdown.
The Crusaders, when healthy, feature the state’s most talent-laden lineup among Class 1A schools. Heck, Cathedral could challenge most big-school programs for that distinction. When healthy is the all important disclaimer here.
Rugged senior forward Jack Smith, a state tournament standout last spring and top player in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League this fall, is nursing a shoulder injury that might sideline him for the rest of the season. The Minnesota Duluth commit is seeking a second opinion on the extent of the injury and his ability to play, but there’s little chance he’ll be back on the ice soon. The absence of Smith, along with fellow star forward Nate Warner, a Minnesota commit, playing through his own painful shoulder injury, leaves Cathedral (9-1-1, 0-0-0) a bit hobbled and potentially vulnerable.
Even at less-than-maximum strength, the No. 6-1A Crusaders have been exceedingly difficult to beat. Their only loss in 10 outings was a 5-2 defeat at No. 2-1A Warroad on Nov. 29.
Shouldering much of the recent scoring load has been the combination of seniors Blake Perbix (13 goals, 28 points) and Mack Motzko (9 goals, 24 points). Senior Reid Bogenholm and junior Jon Bell are the twin hammers anchoring the defense.
After a slow start by his standards, Hermantown Mr. Hockey candidate Blake Biondi has been terrorizing opposing defenses recently to the tune of 13 goals in his last five games. The Minnesota Duluth commit has 19 goals and 36 points in all — placing him among the state leaders — for the Hawks (9-1-1, 2-0-0).