St. Cloud Cathedral had lost just once this season, had won five straight games, and kept Friday night’s game against Hermantown close - for a grand total of 74 seconds.

With the final stanza of the Star Spangled Banner still dissipating into the rafters of the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud, Hermantown senior forward Matt Valure slipped a rebound past Crusaders’ goaltender Jake Levinski and the rout was on.

Junior forward Tyler Watkins scored eight seconds later, staking the Hawks a 2-0 lead that eventually became a resounding 7-1 victory.

“We scored early in this one, so it kind of helped us out right away,” longtime Hermantown coach Bruce Plante said with a chuckle after the game.

The Hawks, ranked No. 1 in the latest Class A state coaches’ poll and the defending state champion, finished the first period with a 4-0 lead, aided by strong play from the team’s third line.

Senior forward Parker Simmons scored twice for the Hawks, and fellow senior Dylan Kolquist added a goal to total the third line’s statistical output.

“That third line has been great for us all year, they just don’t score much,” Plante explained. “They got three tonight, which was half our goals, so that’s good to see.”

Sophomore defender Darian Gotz also used the first period to stack the stats, tallying three assists on the game’s first four goals.

“He’s a really great player, getting better every day, learning the speed of the high school game,” Plante said of Gotz, who leads all Hawk defenders with eight assists through twelve games this season.

Watkins, Valure and Simmons all scored twice for Hermantown (10-1-1), with Kolquist adding a single score.

Senior forward Jake Van Halbeck scored the lone goal for the No. 5-A Crusaders (9-2-2). 

In his first season of high school hockey, Darian takes his turn as a Gotz starting on defense for the Hawks, replacing his older brother Eric who graduated last year.

“It’s an unreal experience,” Darian said of donning the Hermantown varsity sweater after the win. “I get to follow my brother and all of his friends, and get to be with this group of guys that he got to play with,” Darian said.

As with last season’s juggernaut, this winter’s version of the Hawks relies on absurd depth, spearheaded by Division I commits Ryan Sandelin (Minnesota State) and Dylan Samberg (Minnesota-Duluth), and has a camaraderie that translates into a palpable confidence.

Gotz explains that the confidence the Hawks play with comes from the top down.

“We have great leadership that makes it fun in the locker room, makes it great on the ice,” Gotz said. “We have a good time, and we compete hard, so that’s all we want.”

Plante says that the notion of fun, so often lost as the competition becomes fiercer, is paramount in Hermantown.

“We want our kids to have fun,” Plante said simply. “It should be a good experience, that’s what it’s all about.”