Author: Sam Ali

Morgan Friday Earns Second Straight UMAC Player of the Year Award; Saints’ Sweep Top Honors

Hunter Zamzow was named Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, while Dave Reyelts was named Coach of the Year.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – For the second straight year, St. Scholastica’s Morgan Friday has been named UMAC Player of the Year, the Saints’ first back-to-back honoree in 15 years. The Duluth native led all players with 19 goals and 43 points in UMAC play and was also tops in all of Division III with 29 total goals, which is the…

A First-Round Date with Central on Tap for UWS Men’s Soccer in NCAA Tournament

The Yellowjackets will face 14th-ranked Central Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on the campus of Luther College.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Wisconsin-Superior men’s soccer team learned their NCAA fate Monday afternoon. The Yellowjackets will face 14th-ranked Central Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on the campus of Luther College. As is with most first round match-ups, the Yellowjackets have never faced the Dutch before. “To be down in Iowa, I don’t know what it means. But I think we’re…

Auggies Spoil Opening Night for UWS Women’s Basketball Team

The Yellowjackets were down early and couldn't dig out of that hole at home.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Eva Reinertsen led the way with 17 points and eight rebounds, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Wisconsin-Superior women’s basketball team fall to Augsburg 81-55 Monday night at the Mertz Mortorelli Gym. Emily Carpenter chipped in with nine points, seven assists and four steals as the Yellowjackets will be back in action this weekend as they…

CSS Women’s Soccer Draw Pomona-Pitzer in First Round of NCAA Tourney

The Saints will take on the Sagehens on Saturday at 2 p.m. on the campus of Wartburg College in Waverly, IA.

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s Selection Monday for NCAA Division III women’s soccer. 64 teams heard their name called which means their season will continue. One of those teams was St. Scholastica. The Saints found out they will face Pomona-Pitzer in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday at 2 p.m. CSS landed in the region that will be…

Saints’ Dana Moore Named UMAC Coach of the Year; Freshman Draper Takes Home Two Awards

Freshman Alicia Draper was named UMAC Rookie of Defensive Player of the Year.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Scholastica’s Dana Moore was named UMAC volleyball Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career and the first since 2003. Moore guided the Saints to a share of the UMAC regular season title, as well as getting her 400th career win earlier this season. Freshman Alicia Draper was named Rookie of the…

Prep Football: Rangers Advance to State Semi-Finals; Rebels, Tigers Fall in Quarterfinals

The Mountain Iron-Buhl is heading back to the state semi-finals for the second straight year.

DULUTH, Minn. – It was the Dillon Drake Show at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth as the Bemidji State commit ran all over South Ridge to help Mountain Iron-Buhl get the win 42-6 in the nine-player quarterfinals. The Rangers now move on to face Hancock in the state semi-finals Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium. In other football action, Moose Lake-Willow…

Coaches Corner: UMD Men’s Basketball

For this week's segment, we hear from the UMD men's basketball team.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we hear from the UMD men’s basketball team, including head coach Justin Wieck and senior guard Trevor Entwisle. The Bulldogs had a solid showing in their exhibition game against Wisconsin-Superior and will open their season with a tournament down in Oklahoma. Categories: Coaches Corner, College, Friday Night Frenzy, Sports, University of Minnesota…

UMD Men’s Hockey Settle for Tie with Denver

The Bulldogs erased an early two-goal deficit to send the game to overtime.

DULUTH, Minn. – In a match-up of top-ranked teams, Denver would hang on for the shootout win over the UMD men’s hockey team Friday night at Amsoil Arena. The Pioneers would jump out to a two-goal lead before Cole Koepke would score late in the first. Kobe Roth would add another in the third, and then with 30 seconds left…

Fifth Straight Meeting in the UMAC Men’s Soccer Title Game for Saints, Yellowjackets

The UMAC championship game will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex in Superior.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – For the fifth straight year, the St. Scholastica and Wisconsin-Superior men’s soccer teams will meet in the UMAC championship game. And if you ask their two head coaches, they wouldn’t want to have it any other way. After a slow start to the season, the Saints men’s soccer team have found their grove as they knocked off…

UMD Women’s Soccer Fall in Season Finale

The Bulldogs would fail to score a goal in their final game of the season.

DULUTH, Minn. – A two-goal deficit at the half would be too much to overcome as the UMD women’s soccer team fell to St. Cloud State 3-0 Friday afternoon at Malosky Stadium. The Bulldogs’ season comes to an end as they finish with a 6-10-2 overall record. Categories: College, Sports, University of Minnesota – Duluth

Lumberjacks Girls Hockey Upset Mirage on Opening Night

A strong first period was the different as CEC opens their season with a win.

CLOQUET, Minn. – On opening night of the girls high school hockey season, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton shocked the defending section champs Proctor-Hermantown 4-2 Thursday night at the Northwoods Credit Union. Dana Jones, Taylor Nelson, Dea DeLeon and Bella Harriman each scored in the first period for the Lumberjacks. The Mirage would rally in the next two periods with goals from Megan…

UMD Men’s Hockey to Open Conference Play Against Top-Ranked Denver

Puck drop for Friday night's game is set for just after 7 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD men’s hockey team are back from their early-season bye week. It was a great time for the team to heal up and head coach Scott Sandelin says it was important to go into the break after their sweep over Minnesota. “It’s always a little scary coming off a bye week playing a good team that…

Greenway Volleyball Falls to Top Seed Minneota in State Quarterfinals

The Raiders move on to play in the consolation bracket on Friday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Top seed and defending state champions Minneota swept Greenway 3-0 Wednesday afternoon in the Class A state quarterfinals at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Junior Claire Vekich led the Raiders with 26 kills, while Lexi Hammer chipped in with 33 set assists. Greenway moves on to the consolation bracket Friday afternoon where they will…

South Ridge Football Set to Battle MIB in State Quarterfinals

Kick–off for Friday's game between the Panthers and the Rangers is set for 7 p.m.

CULVER, Minn. – With the high school football state tournament just days away, it means most teams will be traveling to their quarterfinal destinations. One team that won’t be going too far is South Ridge. The Panthers are back in the tourney for the first time since 2012 after years of getting so close. But this year’s squad is certainly…

Wilderness Top Blizzard for Fourth Straight Win

Minnesota knocked off St. Cloud at home on Wednesday night.

CLOQUET, Minn. – A two-goal first period would be the difference as the Minnesota Wilderness topped St. Cloud 3-2 Wednesday night at Northwoods Credit Union Arena. Jacob Herter, Bram Scheerer and Ryan Nelson found the back of the net for the Wilderness while Jonathan Mor finished with 15 saves to help Minnesota pick up their fourth straight win. Categories: College,…

CSS Women, CSS Men, UWS Men Advance to UMAC Soccer Finals

Both UMAC championship games will take place on Saturday.

DULUTH, Minn. – The finals are set for the UMAC soccer finals and it will feature three teams from the Nortland. In the women’s bracket, St. Scholastica blanked Martin Luther 2-0 with both goals coming off the foot of Morgan Friday. Northwestern topped Wisconsin-Superior 2-0 in the other semi-final. The Saints will host the Eagles Saturday at Saints Field at…

Wade Chiodo Named New Head Coach of Grand Rapids Boys Hockey Team

The Thunderhawks will open their season November 23rd against Benilde-St. Margaret's.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Two weeks ago, the Northland hockey community was shocked by the news of John Marinucci’s resignation as head coach of the Grand Rapids boys hockey team. But the athletic department moved quickly and already have found their guy for the upcoming season. According to a press release from Grand Rapids High School, Wade Chiodo has been…

“Back to Basics” Help UMD Football Get Back on Track

The Bulldogs rushing for well over 400 yards behind stellar performances from running backs Wade Sullivan and Cazz Martin.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD football team took their anger out on Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday in a 63-point shutout win in their final game of the season at Malosky Stadium. The Bulldogs rushing for well over 400 yards behind stellar performances from running backs Wade Sullivan and Cazz Martin. “It felt really good seeing the holes the o–line produced and…

Berg, Balts Lead Bulldogs Volleyball Team Past Beavers

The UMD volleyball team hosted a rare Tuesday night game at Romano Gym.

DULUTH, Minn. – Kate Berg led the way with 18 kills while Abby Thor chipped in with 16 of her own as the UMD volleyball team knocked off Bemidji State 3-1 Tuesday night at Romano Gym. Emily Balts also contributed to the cause with 51 assists to help the Bulldogs improve to 21-3 on the season and 14-2 within the…

UMD Basketball Sweeps UWS in Exhibition Doubleheader

The teams met up on Monday night at Romano Gym.

DULUTH, Minn. – In their final exhibition game before the regular season, the UMD women’s basketball team defeated Wisconsin-Superior 82-45 while the men had a similar result, getting the win 77-65 Monday night at Romano Gym. The Bulldog women will open their season Friday against Fort Hays State while the Yellowjackets will face UW-Stout on Friday as well. For the…

UWS Volleyball Sweep Vikings, Move On to UMAC Semi-Finals

The Yellowjackets knocked off the Vikings 3-0 on Monday night

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Cami Sletta and Hannah Goggleye combined for 27 kills as the Wisconsin-Superior volleyball team swept Bethany Lutheran 3-0 Monday night in the UMAC quarterfinals at the Mertz Mortorelli Gym. Gina Baertsch also chipped in with 20 assists to help the Yellowjackets, who now move on to the UMAC semi-finals Wednesday to take on defending conference champs Northwestern….

Spartans Football Team React to Upset Win in WIAA Playoffs

The Spartans move on to face Kaukauna on Saturday at 2 p.m.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – You stack them up and they’ll knock them down. That’s been the mantra of the Superior football team as they knocked off top-seed Pulaski on Friday to keep their run alive in the WIAA playoffs. We spoke with the team Monday about what’s been fueling their magical run. “When we were practicing all week, we had the…

Wilderness Forward Nick Portz Commits to North Dakota

So far this season, Portz has six goals and five assists in seven games.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Minnesota Wilderness forward Nick Portz tweeted over the weekend that he has committed to playing college hockey at North Dakota. The St. Cloud native is in his second year of junior hockey, spending most of his time with the Wilderness while making a brief stint with the Tri-City Storm in the USHL. So far this season,…

Coaches Corner: Dave Reyelts

For this week's segment, we talk with the head coach of the CSS women's soccer team.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we spoke with St. Scholastica women’s soccer head coach Dave Reyelts. His Saints went undefeated in conference play without conceding a single goal. CSS will be the #1 seed heading into the UMAC playoffs, which begin next week. Categories: Coaches Corner, College, Friday Night Frenzy, Sports

WI Prep Football: Tigers Roll Past Saints, Spartans Upset Red Raiders

Northwestern and Superior are moving on in the WIAA playoffs.

MAPLE, Wis. – Collin Trautt would score twice in the early going as the Northwestern football team blow by St. Croix Falls 42-7 in Level II of the WIAA playoffs. The Tigers move on to face #2 seed Stratford next week in Maple. Down in Pulaski, the Superior football would complete the upset with a comeback win over the top-seeded…

MN Prep Football: Warriors Win Section 7A Title, Hawks Fall in 7AAAA Finals

Deer River wins their second straight section title.

ESKO, Minn. – In the Section 7A championship game, it would be Deer River rolling past Braham 36-0 to win their second straight section title. And down in North Branch, the Hermantown football team would rally late, but in the end, Chisago Lakes would hold on for the win 28-16 to win the championship for Section 7AAAA. Categories: Friday Night…

UWS Women Picked to Finish Second in UMAC Preseason Poll

For the fourth straight year, they will face UMD in an exhibition game on Monday at Romano Gym.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UMAC women’s basketball preseason poll was released Thursday and for the first time in a while, Wisconsin-Superior was not picked to finish at the top. The Yellowjackets are at #2 after losing elite talent in back-to-back years. But head coach Zach Otto-Fischer strongly believes that Duluth native Eva Reinertsen is ready to fill those shoes. “Those…

Proctor to Meet Defending State Champs North Branch in Volleyball Section Finals

The Section 7AA championship will take place Saturday at 6 o'clock at Cloquet Middle School.

PROCTOR, Minn. – The Proctor volleyball team is riding a hot streak, getting past Virginia and Esko in the section semi–finals. Now, if they want to make it down to the state tournament, they’ll have to knock off the defending state champs in Class AA, North Branch. “It’s going to be all mental for us. It hopefully will be a…

Rangers Clinch Second Straight Trip to State Tournament

Mountain Iron-Buhl is heading back to the state tournament.

ESKO, Minn. – Asher Zubich, Dillon Drake and Aidan Bissonette all found the endzone as the Mountain Iron-Buhl football knocked off Silver Bay 34-14 Thursday night at Eskomos Stadium to win the Section 7 Nine-Player championship. The Rangers move on to the state quarterfinals where they will face the winner from Section 5 between South Ridge and McGregor. Categories: High…

Rebels Roll Past Giants for Third Section Title in Four Years

The dynasty continued on for the Moose Lake Willow River football team.

ESKO, Minn. – Moose Lake-Willow River scored early and often as they rolled past Mesabi East 36-8 Thursday night at Eskomos Stadium to win the Section 7AA championship. The section title is the third for the Rebels in the past four season and 13th in the past 15 seasons. ML-WR will now await the seeding announcement for the Class AA…

Eskomos Top Gobblers in Section 7AAA Championship Thriller

The Esko football team won their first section title since 2014.

DULUTH, Minn. – Senior wide receiver Preston Lowe would score all four touchdowns for the Esko football team as they hang on to defeat Aitkin 29-28 Thursday night at Malosky Stadium to win the Section 7AAA championship. This is the Eskomos first state title since 2014 and the first for head coach Scott Arnston. Esko now awaits seeding for the…

UMD Football Get Set for Home Finale at Malosky Stadium

The Bulldogs will take on Minnesota Crookston on Saturday.

DULUTH, Minn. – This season has had more tricks than treats for the UMD football team. Their playoff hopes are all but gone, but there’s still more football to be played. The Bulldogs are 5–3 after back-to-back losses and a lot would have to happen for them to even appear in the Mineral Water Bowl. This weekend, UMD will play…

Prep Volleyball: Vikings, Rails Advance to Section 7AA Title Game

North Branch and Proctor will face off in the section finals on Saturday.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The defending Class AA state champs North Branch took care of business against Hermantown, sweeping the Hawks 3-0 in the Section 7AA semi-finals Wednesday night at Cloquet Middle School. The Vikings will face Proctor, who won their semi-final game against Esko 3-1. That match will take place Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Cloquet Middle School. And…

UMD Women’s Hockey Team React to IceBreaker Championship Win

The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend as they host St. Cloud State.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD women’s hockey team are back home this week with a new moniker: Icebreaker Champions. The Bulldogs won the four-team tourney this past weekend out in Buffalo and they say it’s definitely a confidence booster after a tough outing the week before. “You learn through losses, as we talk about all the time, so I actually…

Hermantown High School Receives Donation for Turf Field

The school board will act on the issue at their next meeting on November 12th.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Some big news out of Hermantown High School as the athletic department has received a special donation from Centricity Credit Union to build a multi-purpose turf field at the site of the Corey Veech Memorial Field. According to Hermantown superintendent Kerry Juntunen, the field will be used for physical education classes, football, soccer, lacrosse and possibly softball…

Saints Third, ‘Jackets Fifth in UMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Northland College was tied for sixth place in the poll.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The UMAC preseason coaches poll for men’s basketball was released Wednesday afternoon. Bethany Lutheran was the top pick for this upcoming season. St. Scholastica was picked to finish third after falling the UMAC title game last season. Wisconsin-Superior comes in at #5 and Northland College was tied for sixth. The Saints will open their season next…

UWS, CSS Take Top Seeds in UMAC Men’s Soccer Playoffs

The UMAC championship game is set to take place next Saturday.

DULUTH, Minn. – The playoff field is set for the UMAC men’s soccer postseason. For the second straight year, Wisconsin-Superior is your #1 seed, but right behind them will be rivals St. Scholastica. The Yellowjackets earned a first-round bye and they will face the winner of Martin Luther versus Northland College. The Saints will take on Bethany Lutheran in the…

CSS Women’s Soccer Blank Yellowjackets to Clinch UMAC Regular Season Title

The Saints avenged their loss in last year's UMAC semi-finals.

DULUTH, Minn. – Sophomore midfielder Morgan Friday scored two goals as the St. Scholastica women’s soccer team wrapped up their season with a 4-0 shutout win over Wisconsin-Superior Tuesday afternoon at Saints Field. McKenzie Nelson and Kaiya Quam also scored for the Saints, while Friday became just the fifth player in program history to score at least 24 goals in…

Saints, Yellowjackets Women’s Soccer Set to Meet in UMAC Semi-finals Rematch

Tuesday's match at Saints Field is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. – Last year’s UMAC women’s soccer semi–finals was one for the ages. Wisconsin-Superior scored in the 90th minute against St. Scholastica, ending the Saints’ season in stunning fashion for their first win over CSS in program history. So needless to say, Tuesday’s rematch will be a pretty big deal. Both teams are among the best in the UMAC,…

Balts Named Setter of the Week as UMD Volleyball Climbs to #3 in AVCA Poll

Balts recorded her 5,000th career assists on Friday in a win against Sioux Falls.

DULUTH, Minn. – UMD volleyball senior Emily Balts was named NSIC Setter of the Week for the third time this season. Balts recorded her 5,000th career assist on Friday and finished with 84 total assists on the weekend as UMD swept Sioux Falls and rallied to beat then 11th-ranked Southwest Minnesota State. With those two wins, the Bulldogs moved up…

Historic Playoff Run Continues for Spartans Football Team

Superior will travel to Pulaski for Level II of the WIAA playoffs on Friday night.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior football team is still buzzing after Friday’s big win over Marshfield. The Spartans knocked off the Tigers to pick up their first playoff win since 2014. The team spoke about what it meant to them to be a part of the program’s history. “We talk about legacy and we talk about leaving the program in…

UMD Men’s Hockey Team Move Up to #6 in National Polls, Women Back in Top 10

Both Bulldogs hockey teams went 2-0 this past weekend.

DULUTH, Minn. – Few programs had better weekends than the UMD hockey teams as both are moving back up in the national rankings. The men, who posted their first weekend sweep of the season, moved from #8 to #6 in the USCHO.com poll. UMD picked up back-to-back wins over rivals Minnesota, with Saturday’s game going down as a shutout. The…

Northern Star: Morgan and Nolan Friday

For this week's Northern Star, we talk with a brother/sister duo who share more than just a last name.

DULUTH, Minn. – When the st. Scholastica soccer teams take the field, any day could be a Friday. “Soccer was always big for me. Growing up, me and Morgan back when we were in elementary school, we had a little soccer field just outside our house with little hockey nets, not even soccer nets,” CSS men’s soccer midfielder Nolan Friday…

Coaches Corner: Jon Vaillancort

For this week's segment, we hear from the new head coach of the Minnesota Wilderness.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we chat with Jon Vaillancourt, the new head coach of the Minnesota Wilderness. The former NA3HL coach was named associate head coach back in May and by the end of summer, he was named head coach. Categories: Coaches Corner, College, Friday Night Frenzy, Sports

Prep Volleyball: Bulldogs, Rails, Hawks, Eskomos Advance to Section Semi-finals

The Elite Eight was whittled down to the final four in section 7A and 7AA.

CARLTON, Minn. – The Carlton volleyball team rolled at home as they swept South Ridge 3-0 Friday night. The Bulldogs will face Floodwood, who defeated Cromwell-Wright 3-2. On the bottom of the Section 7A bracket, Ely topped Cherry 3-1 and Greenway swept Chisholm 3-0. The Raiders will face the Timberwolves Wednesday in Hibbing. And in Section 7AA, Proctor, Hermantown, Esko…

UMD Men’s Hockey Blast Minnesota On The Road

The 8th-ranked Bulldogs defeated the 20th-ranked Gophers 5-2.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The UMD men’s hockey team built an early lead and did not look back as they topped Minnesota 5-2 Friday night at the Marriuci Arena. Goal-scorers for the Bulldogs include Kobe Roth, Jackson Cates, Kobe Bender and Scott Perunovich. Freshman Brandon Puricelli scored his first career goal in the second period. UMD will look for the…

UMD Women’s Hockey Open IceBreaker Tourney with Win Over Mercyhurst

A two-goal second period would be the difference as the Bulldogs win.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – In the opening game of the IceBreaker tournament, the UMD women’s hockey team knocked off Mercryhurst 4-1 Friday night at The Harbor Center. Gabbie Hughes scored twice for the Bulldogs, along with Anneke Linser as well. Kasundra Betinol also chipped in, scoring her first collegiate goal. The Bulldogs will take on Colgate in the championship game Saturday…

Pro Wrestling Returns to Duluth with “Heavy Halloween 2”

Doors open at 4 p.m. and the action begins at 5 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. – This Sunday, Heavy on Wrestling presents “Heavy Halloween 2” taking place at the Clyde Malting Building in Duluth. For fan favorite King Leonidas, he always looks forward to coming back to the Northland for its strong wrestling fanbase. “When the King returned from all his travels in all the countries around the world and first landed here…

Highlights and Results from the Section 7A/7AA Cross Country Championships

The four races were hosted by the Cloquet Country Club.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Thursday afternoon, the Cloquet Country Club hosted the 2019 cross country section championships. Here are the final results: SECTION 7A GIRLS Top Teams: Pequot Lakes, Mesabi East Top Runner: Calia Chaney, Pequot Lakes Individual State Qualifiers: Keegan McAuliffe, Duluth Marshall Emaleigh Olesiak, Cromwell-Wright Liz Nelson, Mountain Iron-Buhl Kate Nelson, Mountain Iron-Buhl Alex Wercinski, Virginia Natalie Fultz, Eveleth-Gilbert…

Cloquet-Carlton Girls Soccer Falls in State Quarterfinals

The comeback would fall short for the Lumberjacks girls soccer team.

LINDSTROM, Minn. – The Cloquet-Carlton girls soccer team would battle back from a 3-0 deficit, but the hole would be too deep to dig out of as they fall to Academy of Holy Angels 4-3 in the Class A state quarterfinals. Alexa Snesrud scored twice while Hannah Biedl also found the back of the net for the Lumberjacks, whose season…