WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. — After spending the lion’s share of the season watching from the bench with a broken wrist, Hermantown’s Kade Kohanski emphatically announced his return Saturday.
The Hawks senior recorded a hat trick and an assist in second-ranked Hermantown's 6-3 win over fourth-ranked Mahtomedi at Minnesota Hockey Day at Polar Lakes Park.
Kohanski broke his wrist in the Hawks’ second game of the season, a 3-1 win over Hill-Murray, which also played outdoors on Saturday.
Kohanski returned Jan. 17 against Hibbing/Chisholm, but had recorded only one goal his first five games back. That changed midway through the second period, when Kohanski scored off a pass from River Freeman — a shot he identified as his favorite of the three.
“I was patient, it felt good and to be back after the injury, it’s kind of icing on the cake with the hat trick,” Kohanski said. “It felt really good to score finally after coming back and being able to shoot.”
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In the first five games of his return, Kohanski was playing with a brace on his right wrist, but it came off Saturday and he is trying to add a few more goals to his tally before the end of his final season with the Hawks.
“He’s back, the brace is off and I would say this week he’s gotten back to himself,” Hermantown coach Pat Andrews said.
Kohanski was the highest returning goalscorer for the Hawks in their run to the Class A championship last season. Kohanski said playing without the brace made him feel like he “could finally shoot a little bit.”
Even with Kohanski finding his groove after an extended absence, Mahtomedi came out firing against Hermantown. The Zephyrs outshot the Hawks 10-4 in the first half and nearly took the lead when it appeared a puck was going to sneak through goalie Garron Opsahl’s legs. Instead, defenseman Will Esterbrooks slid through the crease and blocked the shot in a play reminscent of a play by Ty Hanson in 2022 state championship game against Warroad .
“I thought Garron had it at first, but I saw the puck slip through his five-hole on the rebound,” Esterbrooks said. “I just kind of slid and took the puck with me with my skate and kneepad. It was just instinct, I just went down and got the puck.”
The play generated a rush on the other end, with Josh Kauppinen scoring for the Hawks and giving them a 1-0 lead.
Patrick Eagan tied it five minutes later for Mahtomedi and the Zephyrs had Hermantown on their heels through much of the first period.
Hermantown came out of the locker room and started putting more and more pressure on Zephyrs goalie Charlie Brandt.
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“That first period they totally outplayed us,” Andrews said. “They were keeping that third forward high and were breaking right into it. They would turn the puck over and they won races to the net, but then I thought we got better and better and the game went on. By the third period, I thought we were the better team. I thought we were playing with speed, we outworked them on the pucks — things we weren’t doing at the start.”
It took the Hawks a few minutes to get going and maybe the team was affected by the stage of Hockey Day.
“I think we came out a little slow and nervous, but in the second period we realized we’ve got to start picking it up if we want to actually win this,” Kohanski said.
Mahtomedi coach Jeff Poeschl was happy with the way his team played, especially after Hermantown turned the tables on their initial attack and took an early lead.
“Hermantown scores that early goal and we could have fallen flat,” Poeschl said. “But they pushed back and I thought we were moving our feet pretty good the whole afternoon. After a couple of two-goal deficits — 3-1, and 4-2 — and we fought back to make it a one-goal deficit, but we couldn't get over the hump, but I was real proud of our guys and the perseverance they showed to have a push back.”
While the stage was different than the Hermantown Ice Arena, Esterbrooks said playing outside is just a part of playing in the Hawks program.
“As kids, we all go to Hermantown and we’ve skated outside our whole life,” Esterbrooks said. “It’s not that much different — we skate outside a lot, The only difference was the sunlight.”
Hermantown (15-2-1) will play at Orono at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
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Mahtomedi (11-6) will play at Hill-Murray at 3:15 p.m. Monday.
Hermantown 1-2-3—6
Mahtomedi 1-1-1—3
First period scoring — 1. H, Josh Kauppinen (Matt Kauppinen, Will Esterbrooks); 2. M, Patrick Eagan (Jake Hodd-Chlebeck, Jimmy Eagan), 8:48.
Second period scoring — 3. H, M. Kauppinen (J. Kauppinen, Wyatt Carlson), 5:43; 4. H, Kade Kohanski (River Freeman, Evan Gunderson), 9:28; 5. M, Cav Bruner (Jonny Grove, Carter Haycraft), 13:40.
Third period scoring — 6. H, Kohanski (Nolan Barker, River Freeman), 4:35; 7. M, Seth Nelson (Grove, Haycraft), 9:32; 8. H, Kohanski (George Peterson, Esterbrooks), 12:52 (pp); 9. H, Wyatt Carlson (Kohanski), 16:35 (en).
Saves — Garron Upsahl, H, 17; Dane Callaway, H, 5; Charlie Brandt, M, 20.
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