The Ely Timberwolves won’t be in the state high school hockey tournament.
But at least for one night, the Wolves got a taste of state-caliber competition and enjoyed state playoff-like atmosphere.
Hibbing, the top-seeded team in Section 7A and a leading contender for a state title, cruised past the visiting Wolves 14-1 in a Tuesday night 7A quarterfinal.
While it was a mismatch on the ice, the rest of the night at the Hibbing Memorial Arena gave off a classic, playoff vibe.
Nearly 2,000 fans filled the historic venue, which featured a giant video board, organ music and the playing of the Hibbing fight song - including 14 renditions over the course of the night. Hibbing improved to 22-2-2 and advanced to a Saturday night section semifinal date with Proctor, while the Wolves finished the year under new head coach Ben Johnson with a record of 8-15.
With Hibbing boasting a deep pool of talent and a team that fared well even against many Class AA powers, the outcome of Tuesday’s matchup was inevitable.
Ely harbored little hope of an upset but stayed with the overwhelmingly favored Bluejackets for a few minutes, even though the visitors never got a shot on goal in the opening period.
Blake Riccio’s goal two minutes into the contest was all Hibbing would need, and it would stay that way for about half of the period before the floodgates opened.
The Bluejackets moved the puck at will and often got point-blank opportunities against Henry Fetterer, the Wolves’ freshman goaltender.
Riccio added his second goal off a faceoff about eight minutes into the game and the Bluejackets were off to the races.
Goals by Cole Swanson, Isaiah Hildenbrand and Ben Galli made it 5-0 after one period and goaltender Gavin Lamphere virtually had the period off as he never saw a shot.
It was 8-0 in the second period before the Wolves got on the board, as junior Owen Marolt put one by Lamphere - with an assist from senior Jayden Zemke - to the delight of an Ely crowd that was badly outnumbered by Hibbing parents, fans and students.
The Bluejackets took a 10-1 lead into the final period, which was played in running time, and they added four more goals Cole Swanson had a five-point night with two goals and three assists, while Hildenbrand finished with four points.
Riccio and Tate Swanson both had two goals and Landon Krampotich wound up with three assists.
Lamphere had six saves, with Fetterer and Lewis Powell combining for 41 for the Wolves.
• Ely advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 13-6 home over Moose Lake Saturday, during the play-in round of the 7A tournament.
Both goals and penalties were plentiful in the matchup at the Ely Arena, as the teams combined for 20 penalties - with Ely whistled for nine.
Sean Merriman had four goals and Cooper Mayranen recorded a hat trick for Ely, with Mayranen getting his with three straight tallies in the second period.
Ely led 6-3 with three minutes left in the frame when a goal by Marolt, and two by Merriman, seemed to finally put the Rebels away.
Senior Hunter Halbakken had a four-point day with a goal and three assists, and Marolt wound up with two goals and two assists.
Zemke, Rhett Johnson and Jake Stalboerger all finished with a goal and an assist, and freshman Sawyer Hegman had two assists.
Evan Leeson, Stig Majerus, Parker Niskala and Ryland Sandy all had assists and Powell recorded 25 saves.
The Rebels’ Brayden Strand had four of his team’s six goals and assisted on the other, while Hayden Danielski scored twice.
It was Ely’s third straight win over Moose Lake this season.
