Differences between St. Paul Academy and Hermantown showed early in Friday's semifinal.
The Spartans, on their maiden state tournament voyage, were fast. The top-seeded Hawks, second place each of the past six consecutive years, were faster. No. 4 seed St. Paul Academy held a shots advantage after one period but Hermantown built a two-goal lead.
As the Hawks turned up their play through the next two periods, St. Paul Academy could not keep pace. A 7-1 victory sends Hermantown to the Class 1A state title game against No. 2 seed Breck on Saturday.
Hermantown (26-2-1) raced to a 3-1 lead on first-period goals from Ryan Sandelin, Tyler Watkins and Cole Koepke.
For Koepke, goal No. 39 this season started with a drop pass from Sandelin and finished with a deft stick drag and shot.
St. Paul Academy (24-6) outshot the Hawks 11-6 in the first period, but the advantage was of little consolation.
"It's frustrating," senior forward Justin Jallen said. "I would say 95 percent of the games this year we've played either tied or ahead. So to play from two goals back against a good Hermantown team is tough to do."
The job only got tougher as Hermantown's Logan Judnick scored 1:22 into the second period. That gave the efficient Hawks four goals on eight shots.
"That was the one that, for our group, was pretty deflating," Spartans coach Matt Funk said.
Judnick and Sandelin each added a second goal as Hermantown pulled away.
"We played more guys than them so we tried to keep the tempo fast, like we normally do," Hermantown coach Bruce Plante said.
Saturday will require the Hawks to avoid recent title game norms. Hermantown, which won the 2007 championship, took second to Breck in 2010. Each year since, the Hawks have fallen one victory short of glory.
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