When Dodge County needed a goal or two early to settle its nerves, Brody Lamb provided them. When the Wildcats required some late goals to stem a Hermantown comeback attempt led by the irrepressible Zam Plante, Lamb scored those, too.
In between, more Lamb goals.

Lamb, the state scoring leader, finished with six goals as he led the unseeded Wildcats past Hermantown — the No. 1 seed turned prohibitive underdog — 7-3 at Xcel Energy Center in one of the strangest and most captivating Class 1A quarterfinals in boys’ hockey tournament history.

In a devastating twist for Hermantown — Class 1A champion in 2007, 2016 and 2017 and appearing in its 17th state tournament — the Hawks were forced to play with mostly junior varsity players.

Hermantown (19-2) learned Monday that after beating Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl in a March 23 section semifinal, two Blue Devils subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. Plante and Cameron Pietrusa didn’t play in that game because of injuries. Backup varsity goaltender Cole Thorsvik also didn’t see action.

All three players were cleared to play in Tuesday’s game. The rest of Hermantown’s varsity is in quarantine.

Brody Lamb flashed all the skills that have made him the state scoring leader, routinely deking and darting around defenders Tuesday to score six goals in Dodge County's 7-3 triumph over a No. 1-seeded Hermantown team playing mostly junior varsity players.

Lamb outdueled Hermantown sophomore scoring superstar Zam Plante, one of just three Hawks varsity regulars in their lineup with the rest of the squad quarantined because of COVID-19 exposure.

Dodge County twice held three-goal leads in the game at Xcel Energy Center, but Plante scored a rebound goal from behind the net with 3:01 left to make it 5-3. 

Lamb scored his fifth of the game into an empty net with 1:29 left to make it 6-3.He added another insurance goal on a breakaway with 59.1 seconds left.

Plante, who finished with a goal and two assists, had a shot ring off the crossbar 13 seconds into the second period. He set up his linemates several times with prime scoring opportunities, most of which they were unable to convert.

Hermantown (19-2-0) learned Monday that after defeating Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl in a March 23 section semifinal, two Blue Devils subsequently tested positive for COVID. Plante and Cameron Pietrusa didn’t play in that game because of injuries. Backup varsity goaltender Cole Thorsvik also didn’t see action. All three players were cleared to play in Tuesday’s game.

Dodge County took advantage of what figured to be a significant talent mismatch early, with Lamb, who has committed to Minnesota, scoring twice in the opening 6:28 to give the Wildcats (18-3-1) a 2-0 lead.

Lamb, who has state highs of 48 goals and 82 points this season, jammed home a rebound for his first goal, then raced around a Hawks defender and casually flipped a backhand into the net for his second. He completed his hat trick 7:18 into the second period by wheeling around a Hermantown defenseman and firing a low shot past Thorsvik.

Lamb’s fourth goal came in the third period after he converted a rebound of his initial shot that pelted backup Hermantown goaltender Ben Ryan high in the chest.

Cooper Jacobson also scored for Dodge County.

Pietrusa energized the Hermantown bench when he scored to pull the Hawks to within 4-1 midway through the second period. Sam Swenson provided another spark in the third when he scored a power-play goal on a deflection of a Plante shot from the point.

With 6:03 left in the third period, a Pietrusa shot off a Plante feed banked off Dodge County goaltender Isaac Dale’s left pad then skidded along the goal line. The play was reviewed but ruled no goal.

Plante lined up at both defense and forward for much of the final two periods, rarely leaving the ice. He finished with two assists and ranks fourth in the state with 61 points.  

Dodge County’s Dale finished with 33 saves. Thorsvik stopped 10 of 14 shots before giving way to Ryan, who made 13 saves on 15 shots.

Check back later for more on the game.