Sports

by Tom Coombe
Can lightning strike for the second time in as many years?
Could the third time be the charm?
Those are the questions hovering over the Ely Timberwolves today, as they open the Section 7A hockey playoffs at Proctor.
It was 52 weeks ago today that the Wolves stunned the hockey world and heavily favored International Falls, beating the Broncos for the first time in school history and recording an improbable playoff win.
The odds may be even more daunting this year.
Ely, which finished the regular season 3-15, is seeded 10th in the 10-team section just as it was a year ago.
But this year, the Wolves have the youngest team in the state and haven’t been competitive against the seventh-seeded Rails.
Proctor (10-14) beat the Wolves 14-3 in a holiday tournament encounter on the North Shore and cruised to a 10-1 victory Jan. 21 in Ely.

by Tom Coombe
Dylan Fenske wasn’t leaving any doubt.
Needing 28 points to get 1,000 for his high school boys basketball career, the Ely senior got all 28 in the first half of Tuesday’s 98-31 rout of overmatched Lakeview Christian Academy.
The 6-2 senior seemingly couldn’t miss early on, and his teammates fed him the ball inside- where he ate up the Lions and became another in a growing list of Ely 1,000-point scorers.
It was an improbable journey, but one that Fenske took on - showing improvement in each season in an Ely uniform and becoming one of the section’s top all-around players in his final campaign.
“Dylan has really made himself into a player over the years,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald. “He has very good feet and a nice looking shot which and has become more and more aggressive. At a younger age there is no way we would be talking about him becoming a 1000 point scorer. ”

by Tom Coombe
Some hockey road trips spawned an idea.
The idea became reality and now Ely is home to another winter event that brings hundreds of people to town.
Now five years old, Ely’s Howler Jamboree brings youth hockey players of that age - and a few years older - to town for two days of fun.
Starting Saturday and using arenas both in Ely and Babbitt, the event includes 15 teams, about 200 skaters and coaches, and at least that many more family members and fans.
“It will be a packed house” said DeLana Forsberg, who helps coordinate the event for the Ely Blue Line Club.
The jamboree brings Mini-Mite and Mite teams together in a classic format, with 23 games in all - most at the Ely Arena.
Players range in age from Kindergarten to first grade for the Minis, and second and third grade for the Mites, and Ely will host multiple teams from the International Falls, Mesabi East and Virginia programs.

by Tom Coombe
Ely will send not one, but two high school Nordic skiing teams to state.
Fueled by junior Jasper Johnston, the Ely boys easily won Thursday’s Section 7 meet at Giants Ridge.
But the state-ranked boys will be joined at state - back at Giants Ridge Feb. 13 - by the surprising Ely girls.
By the narrowest of margins, the girls squeezed past Mesabi East to take second in the section and earn their own state bid.
Freshman Zoe Devine took second in the girls meet and classmate Phoebe Helms was 11th, but the state berth was secure in part by senior Brooke Pasmick and freshman Cedar Ohlhauser, who both climbed four spots in the afternoon classic pursuit.
While the girls’ state ticket was assured only after a tiebreaker, there seemed to be little doubt about the boys.
Ely built up a 24-point lead after the morning 5.2-kilometer freestyle race, providing plenty of cushion going into the afternoon classic pursuit.

The Vermilion Community College Ironmen and Ironwomen basketball teams honored faculty and staff last Saturday prior to the start of each of their games. Each student-athlete chose one faculty/staff member that has helped make his/her life at Vermilion more extraordinary. The faculty/staff were acknowledged for their dedication and help and given certificates from the student-athletes. For the Ironwomen, from left to right are: Front: Alexis Hughes, Justin Burum; back row: Justin Kosik, Ellie Hintze, Shannan Harding, Shawna Butler, Alanna Sjoberg, Marja Nelson, Timothy Loney, Jade Evans. John Terwilliger, Lauren Huchel, Terri Sutton, Deb Morris. For the Ironmen: Front: Taray Graves; back row: Devarius Davis, Curtis Bell III, Marja Nelson, Tre Nins, Abbey Blake, Ty Edmond, Dachaun Davis, Justin Kosik, Terrence Ballom, Devonne Tramble, Kelly Klun, Will Helms, Austin Funk, Dylan Willis, Nicki Kosik.

WINTER FROLIC King Steven Kerntz and Queen Brielle Kallberg. Photo by Eric Sherman.

by Tom Coombe
Progress can be measured in baby steps for the Ely Timberwolves.
The youngest high school hockey team in Minnesota lost twice in as many contests, but there were signs of improvement from a team that is now 1-10 for the winter.
Proctor downed the Wolves 10-1 Tuesday at the Ely Arena, but it was a 1-0 game through one period and just 3-0 at the midway mark of the second.
Four days earlier, the Wolves were competitive with Red Lake Falls for much of a 10-4 defeat.
Senior Luke Olson, who has a team-high 23 goals including an eight-goal outburst in the Wolves’ only win this winter, had the only goal against Proctor and tallied twice against Red Lake Falls.
Earlier this season, Proctor demolished the Wolves in a 14-3 holiday tournament rout.
The rematch in Ely was much more competitive.
The Rails (9-9) outshot the Wolves 11-5 in the frame and got the only goal at the six-and-a-half minute mark.

by Tom Coombe
Before two lopsided losses came one of the Vermilion Ironwomen’s best chances for victory this season.
Visiting Hibbing erased an early 10-point deficit and rallied to beat the community college basketball team Jan. 17 at Ely.
Vermilion, which remains in search of its first win, lost its next two games in more convincing fashion and fell both to Northland and Lake Superior.
But the home contest with Hibbing was a battle, with VCC struggling to contain the Cardinals’ Alexis Desjarlait, who scored a game-high 35 points.
The Ironwomen led 20-8 after one quarter and 28-26 at halftime, but the second half belonged to the Cardinials.
Shawna Butler of Ely had her biggest night of the season, pouring in 26 points to pace the Ironwomen.
Sophomore Teri Sutton added 21 points while Lauren Huchel pulled down 11 rebounds to go with four points.

by Tom Coombe
Not much went right for the Ely Timberwolves on Tuesday night, but Erika Mattson’s clutch shot three days earlier had already given her team quite a highlight.
The senior nailed a free throw after time expired to give Ely a 50-49 high school girls basketball victory Saturday over Cook County.
It was the Wolves 10th win of the season, but Cherry made them wait for victory number 11 with a dominant 63-30 triumph Tuesday in Ely.
The Tigers forced 26 Ely turnovers and held the Wolves to an eight-for-47 shooting performance while improving to 10-3.
Ely, which has an identical 10-3 mark, never really got on track.
That made Saturday’s performance against the Vikings, in Grand Marais, all the more important.
Ely erased a 16-point deficit and won while playing without a full complement of players.

Ely Squirts won the consolation championship at the Two Harbors tournament last weekend. The lost their first game to Two Harbors 7-1, won their second game against Superior and won third game against MoundsView/Irondale 2-1. Pictured are: Coach Frank Udovich, coach Bill Forsberg, Coach Joe Majerus. Back row: Oscar Shock, Dakota Starkovich, Sean Merriman, Brady Forsberg, Ryland Sandy, Stig Majerus front: Luke Stalboerger, Cooper Mayranen, Violet Udovich, Owen Marolt, Brayden Aikens, Evan Leeson, Mason Spate, Nico Lenci, Goalie Lewey Powell.