DULUTH, Minn. – This week, former Hermantown hockey coach Bruce Plante was named a member of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2018. It’s a big moment for Plante’s son Derek, who had a successful career at UMD, as well as winning a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. And although his dad…
CLOQUET, Minn. – Cloquet superintendent Mike Cary announced that the school board voted to not renew the contract of Kevin Smalley as the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey coach. Two weeks ago, Smalley resigned as head coach of the team after one season. But this past Thursday, Smalley rescinded his resignation. However, the board decided to go in a different direction and…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Minnesota High School Coaches Association has announced that Bruce Plante will be a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Plante retired back in 2017 after leading Hermantown to their second straight Class A state title and their third in school history. In 28 seasons as Hawks head coach, Plante won 547 games and…
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Marshall defenseman Nolan Krenzen has made the decision to head to the USHL for the upcoming season with the Sioux City Musketeers. In his final season with the Hilltoppers, Krenzen put up 26 points in the regular season with 11 goals and 15 assists. Categories: High School, Sports
SUPERIOR, Wis.- The Superior High School football team worked to bridge the gap between athletics and special needs students by hosting the first annual Superior Spartan Football Champions Camp. The camp is designed for kids with disabilities to get the chance to participate in a sport that they normally would not be able to do. “We’ve got seven stations set…
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth lacrosse hosted their first annual Lax at the Lake tournament. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Duluth lacrosse program, hosting a total of eight teams spanning from Duluth all the way down to the Twin Cities. On the first day of the tournament teams participated in pool play to determine where in the bracket they…
DULUTH, Minn.- CSS football held their annual Elite One Day Camp. The program combines both on field drills with in classroom film study to teach essential football fundamentals while giving the campers an opportunity to learn about the Saints’ championship football program. “We get about 20–25 kids. We’re able to give them really detailed coaching and techniques like that. Then we…
CLOQUET, Minn.- Duluth East alum and Minnesota Wilderness forward Nick Altmann is taking his talents to the East Coast. The former Greyhound has committed to playing Divison III hockey in the NESCAC conference at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The Duluth native finished up his NAHL career with 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points in 146 regular season games….
DULUTH, Minn. – It was Day Two of the Minnesota Junior Golf Tour’s stop in Duluth. Monday, 50 of the best young golfers in the state competed at the Lester Park Golf Course. And Tuesday, they moved to Enger Park. Here are the final results from Tuesday’s action. Boys 7 to 9 years old: Bennett MacKenzie, Eagan MN Jackson White,…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – One month ago, the Hermantown football team was without a head coach as Daryl Illikainen stepped down after 21 years on the sidelines. But now the Hawks have their guy, and they didn’t have to go far to find him. Monday night the Hermantown Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Mike Zagelmeyer as the new head…
DULUTH, Minn. – Kevin Smalley has resigned as head coach of the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team, the school district confirmed on Thursday. This comes one year after Smalley took over the Lumberjacks program after longtime bench boss Dave Esse stepped down after 18 years. In his lone season with the Lumberjacks, he led the team to a 17–8–1 record, falling…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The PGA Junior League Championship continued its season on Tuesday at the Nemadji Golf Course in Superior. 80 of the brightest golfers from ages 9 to 13 competed as teams which lessens the pressure of trying to get the best score. “It’s not like ‘Hey I’m going to meet you at 9 o’clock in the morning to…
VIRGINIA, Minn. – Iron Range native and Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen will be bringing the Stanley Cup to the Miners Memorial Building this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Due to time constraints, organizers will allow only one photo per group and no autographs, with the overall goal of allowing as many people as possible to get a…
DULUTH, Minn. – Hockey in July continued on Saturday as Mars Lakeview Arena was packed for another night. Eveleth-Gilbert took on East Ridge in the first semi-final game of the night. The Golden Bears scored early in the first on a power play, but that was all they could do on offense. The Raptors would tie things up in the…
DULUTH, Minn. – All eyes were on Mars Lakeview Arena Friday night for the opening night of the Blackwoods Open hockey tournament, which featured eight teams competing throughout the weekend. In game one, Duluth Marshall fell to East Ridge 6-1. In the second game, it was Eveleth-Gilbert over Tartan 9-5. Categories: High School, Sports
DULUTH, Minn. – This week, young Vikings fans from across the Northland made their way to Malosky Stadium for the 10th annual Vikings summer skills camp. The camp is designed to teach kids about the importance of teamwork. Former Vikings linebacker EJ Henderson has been coming to Duluth for the past three years and he says the camp has been…
DULUTH, Minn.- Mars Lakeview arena will host the tenth annual Blackwoods Open hockey tournament beginning Friday. Eight teams will face off including Duluth Marshall, Eveleth-Gilbert and Superior. The event is a great chance for coaches to reconnect with their players who are just glad to get back on the ice. “Obviously everyone has other things going on in their lives. But…
DULUTH, Minn. – UMD Softball is hosting their first summer camp for high school girls looking to improve their game. Although the camp is through UMD, other coaches from the area and across the country are attending to help build strong players. UMD head coach Jen Walter admits that the game is constantly changing and even she has things to…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior men’s basketball team opened their Fundamental Skills Camp at the Mertz Mortorelli Gym Monday morning. The camp is open to athletes from third grade to 12th grade, which gives these “ballers” a chance to work on important skills at a young age. “We’ve got a real good relationship with the local high school…
ESKO, Minn. – Eskomos pitcher Brody Kaldahl announced on his twitter account that he has committed to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The pitcher/shortstop was stellar for Esko in his senior year, earning Class AA All-State honors, along with teammate Tyler Peterson. He was also invited to play in the Minnesota All–Star Series. Kaldahl was the winning…
DULUTH, Minn.- St. Scholastica has announced their annual Prospect Showcase Camp which will be held in August. The camp is intended for 2019–2021 high school graduates providing them with an opportunity to put their talent on display in front of the CSS coaching staff. It’s also a chance to receive instruction from a program that has produced 41 NCAA All-Region and 4…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – This past weekend, the schedule was announced for the 2019 Hockey Day Minnesota. And a team from the Northland has been invited to the party. The Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin boys hockey team will take on Bemidji on Saturday January 19th, 2019. The game will be outdoors on Lake Bemidji at 4:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcasted…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Daryl Illikainen has resigned as head coach of the Hermantown football team. The 52–year–old informed his team Wednesday during the final day of the UMD Team Camp at Malosky Stadium. Illikainen accepted a teaching position in Orono which he says allows him to be closer to his two kids. “As we kept talking about it, our daughter…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The third installment of the Twin Ports Development Camp began this week as 40 kids showed up to the Superior Ice Arena. The camp will be going on throughout the entire week and looks to strengthen the skills that most of the kids already have. “A lot of us are professional or college players and we’re still…
DALLAS, Texas – Hermantown native and UMD commit Cole Koepke will be taking his talents to Tampa Bay as the Lightning selected the forward in the sixth round of the NHL Draft. Koepke currently plays in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers, finishing this past season fifth in the league in goals with 28. Koepke was a senior captain…
DULUTH, Minn.- Junior ace pitcher Ben Pedersen and senior catcher Derrick Winn have been named to the 2018 class AA All–State team. This pitcher-catcher duo was the backbone of the Hilltoppers this season leading their team to their first state championship game. Pedersen finished his season with 1.64E.R.A. in his 21 1/3 innings pitched and a batting average of .588, Winn right under him…
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- The Duluth Marshall Baseball team made their way down to Target Field to take on Maple Lake for the State Championship title. The Hilltoppers started strong with a 3-1 lead after two innings. But, the Irish would make a come back and defeat the toppers 8-4. Categories: High School, Sports
HERMANTOWN, Minn.- The Legion summer baseball season has officially begun. Hermantown hosted Cloquet for the season opener Wednesday. The Skeeters got on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second. But, the Lumberjacks answered back and ended up taking this game 10-8. Categories: High School, Sports
DULUTH, Minn. – High school football players from Northern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin gathered at Malosky Stadium to take part in a skills camp. It was a chance for the players to show off to the coaches who are looking to scout some prospective college athletes. “The majority of our recruiting classes come through these camps at one point, whether…
VIRGINIA, Minn. – “I’d be a liar if I said I predicted Matt when he was 8 years old to be a 15–year NHL player,” Keith Hendrickson said. Keith Hendrickson was the head coach of the Virginia–MIB boys hockey team from 1986 to 2011, including the four years where Matt Niskanen donned the blue and white. And he remembers writing…
DULUTH, Minn.- Wade Stadium was the home of multiple section finals games Thursday, including the 7AAA finals between Grand Rapids and Chisago Lakes. The Thunderhawks put up 7 runs in the second inning alone and would continue to dominate. Grand Rapids defeated Chisago Lakes 11-5, claiming their first section title in six years. Categories: High School, Sports
SUPERIOR, Wis.- In 7A play, Carlton and South Ridge faced each other in the semi finals earlier in the week. Thursday, the Bulldogs and Panthers met again in the section finals. South Ridge would need to win two games against Carlton to take home the title. The Panthers took game one, forcing the winner-take-all game Thursday evening. The momentum continued…
DULUTH, Minn. – In the 7AA section finals, Duluth Marshall defeated Esko 4-1 in the early game to set up a winner-take-all at Wade Stadium. And in the second game, the Hilltoppers score as many runs in one game as they did the entire section tourney and they beat the Eskomos 23-1. Duluth Marshall is going back to the state…
CARLTON, Minn. – In the single A state softball tournament, Carlton is back for the second consecutive year. The combination of hot bats and stellar defense is what drove the Bulldogs to a sectional victory. But this time, they also have an experienced squad. “Everyone was pretty nervous and everyone got up to the plate and they were just scared…
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. – In just their third year of existence, the Duluth boys lacrosse team made it to the section 7 finals against Centennial. But the dream season came to an end on Wednesday as the Wolfpack fell to the Cougars 8-6. Duluth finished the season with just two losses on the year. Categories: High School, Sports
DULUTH, Minn. – One more spot was left in the 7AAA baseball section finals. Cloquet and Chisago Lakes went head-to-head at Wade Stadium. The Lumberjacks scored three runs in the first inning. However, the Wildcats would come back as they win it 8-6. Chisago Lakes moves on to face Grand Rapids in the section finals Thursday at Wade Stadium. Categories:…
DULUTH, Minn. – What a night it was for the Duluth boys lacrosse team. The “Cardiac Kids” came back from a 4–0 hole to defeat the Blaine Bengals and punch their ticket to the section finals for the first time in program history. It’s not the first time Duluth was in a nail–biter as they’ve played a couple of close…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – In the 7AA baseball section semi-finals, Esko defeated Duluth Marshall 1-0 as Branden Matteen RBI in the fourth was the lone score from this game. Eskomos pitcher Brody Kaldahl threw seven scoreless innings in the complete game shutout. Hilltoppers hurler Ben Pederson struck out 11 batters and also went the distance. In a winner-take-all game, Duluth Marshall…
DULUTH, Minn. – Ryan Zelen is a member of the Lake Superior Swim Club and later this week, he will be at the TYR Pro Swim Series Meet, battling against some of the best swimmers in the world. Zelen says it means a lot to him to be able to represent Duluth at a national meet. “We haven’t had anybody…
DULUTH, Minn. – The “Cardiac Kids” lived up to their name Monday night as the Duluth boys lacrosse team defeated Blaine 7-6 in the Section 7 semi-finals at Public Schools Stadium. The Wolfpack were down 4-0 after the first quarter. But thanks to a furious rally in the second half and a hat trick from Jayden Erie, they were able…
DULUTH, Minn.- In the second round of the Section 7 boys lacrosse tournament, Duluth hosted Forest Lake at Duluth East High School. The Wolfpack would top the Rangers 8-2. Duluth moves on to the section semi-finals on Monday. hey will host Blaine at Geyhound Field. Categories: High School, Sports
CLOQUET, Minn.- The 7AA softball finals started Thursday, Esko defeating Virginia to force a winner-take-all game which took place Friday afternoon. Esko got things going early, putting up 3 runs in the second. Virginia battled back, but it wasn’t enough. Esko won 5-2, advancing to the state tournament for their third consecutive year. Categories: High School, Sports
DULUTH, Minn. – Thursday night, the Duluth Marshall baseball team was in a dogfight with Mora in the 7AA section quarterfinals. Carter Sullivan threw out the game-tying run at home plate to secure a 1–0 win for the Hilltoppers. Next up for Marshall is a big time showdown with Esko, who have outscored their opponents 33 to 1 in the…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Some local students are going to be coached by the pros this summer as they strap on their skates for another year of the Twin Ports Pro Development Camp. The camp was co-founded by professional hockey players and Northland natives Brett Olson and Mike Sislo. “I’m just excited to get on the ice with the kids. I…
CLOQUET, Minn.- In 7AAA baseball sectionals, Cloquet defeated Hibbing in a 6-0 shutout win. But the Lumberjacks’ luck would not carry on. Cloquet fell to Grand Rapids 5-2. Categories: High School, Sports
CLOQUET, Minn.- The 7AA sectionals finals were Thursday afternoon. Esko faced Virginia looking to force a winner-take-all game 2. Emilee Wilson was a force on the mound, striking out batters left and right, leading the Eskomos to a 2-1 victory over Virginia. The Eskomos and Blue Devils will play Friday at 2pm for the final game. Categories: High School, Sports
CLOQUET, Minn.- After facing each other in the Semi-finals, Carlton and South Ridge went head to head for the sectional championship Thursday afternoon. Carlton came out hot right away, scoring 3 runs in the first. Brynne Mickle was on the mound for the Bulldogs leading them to a 6-0 shutout victory over the Panthers. The Bulldogs move on to the…
DULUTH, Minn.- In 7AA play, Esko faced Two Harbors in the sectional quarterfinals Thursday. Brody Kaldahl was on the mound for the Eskomos, completing the game with a total of 13 strikeouts. Eskomos win it 9-0, advancing to the sectional semifinals. Categories: High School, Sports
DULUTH, Minn. – When you think of Duluth Marshall hockey, one name immediately comes to mind: Branden Flaherty. For almost two decades, he has made Hilltopper hockey a brand name in the state. But a few months ago, Flaherty was diagnosed with throat cancer. The prognosis is very good, but the Duluth hockey community still wants to lend a hand…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – In 7AA baseball sectionals, International Falls faced Two Harbors in Superior on a rainy Wednesday night. The Broncos were fresh off a win over Greenway earlier in the day, but couldn’t carry over that momentum as they fall to the Agates 9-1. Two Harbors will face the winner of Thursday’s game between Duluth Marshall and Eveleth Gilbert….
