Here are excerpts from the story on the game that sparked the celebration seen in the photo above, by the News Tribune's Mark Stodghill:
Duluth Denfeld celebrated the most important coronation in the school's hockey history around 4 p.m. Saturday.
A crowd of 5,313, some left limp with emotions -- sad, happy, maniacal -- watched Denfeld beat Anoka 6-2 for the Section 2 hockey Crown at the Duluth Arena. ...
Denfeld, 18-6, now advances to the first state tournament in the school's hockey history. ... It's the first time a Duluth hockey team has made it to the state tournament since East in 1975.
"Ever since I was a little kid I've watched the state tournament," Denfeld defenseman Scott Pearson said. "It's my dream to go there and we're going. It's awesome. That's all I can say."
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Denfeld centers Mike Vukonich and Chris Apps each scored two goals, Scott Engen and Tim Siston, one apiece, and goalie Robb Stauber stopped 29 shots, 19 in the third period, as the Hunters won their ninth straight game.
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At the state tournament, Denfeld opened with a 4-2 win over Bloomington Jefferson at the St. Paul Civic Center. The Hunters lost to Burnsville 3-1 in the semifinals, then beat Hibbing 4-2 to claim third place. In the final, Burnsville beatHill-Murray 4-1 to win its second straight title.
Among the Denfeld players that season, Robb Stauber went on to win the Hobey Baker Award in 1988 while playing for the University of Minnesota, and Mike Vukonich, whose dad, Bill, was Denfeld's coach, went on to play college hockey at Harvard.
