Hermantown's Blake Biondi was dragged to the ice from behind, just seconds before St. Cloud Cathedral defenseman Ethan Cumming had his helmet ripped off his head. Hermantown's Ethan Lund was body-slammed to the ice. So, too, was teammate Jack Mathison.
The horn to announce the end of the first period of the first Class 1A semifinal Friday also signaled 15 seconds of clutching-and-grabbing-gone-wild mayhem that is rarely seen at the high school level, much less the state tournament.
"There were some things that were said, probably, that generate that kind of energy," St. Cloud Cathedral coach Derrick Brown said. "But I think both sides could have handled that situation better. I don't think anybody wants to see that, especially in a high school athletic event."
St. Cloud Cathedral's game plan centered on bumping, jostling and aggravating Biondi all game. Hermantown, meanwhile, was focused on crashing and banging into the speedy, skilled Crusaders as often as possible.
Words were exchanged, then wrestling moves were unveiled as the concoction boiled over. Two 10-minute misconducts were among the 11 penalties called — six on Cathedral and five on Hermantown.
"We were very cognizant of being physical with them, and I don't think they liked that very much, especially in the first period," Hermantown coach Pat Andrews said. "I think their tempers got going a little bit."
Axel vs. Aksel
Before Eden Prairie junior goalie Axel Rosenlund dueled with Blake junior Aksel Reid, Rosenlund's mother, Karen, explained the origins of her son's first name. No, she said, he wasn't named after Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.
Karen Rosenlund said her son was named after his grandfather on his father's side, Axel Marius Rosenlund. The elder Axel, who died on July 22, 1971, was the former mayor of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
