Hermantown had only a couple of speed bumps during its unbeaten run to the 2007 Class A high school boys hockey state title.
But one of the Hawks' two ties in a 29-0-2 season came against Duluth Marshall, which cost Hermantown a share of its third Lake Superior Conference title in school history.
The Hawks didn't make the same mistake Tuesday night at Hermantown Arena. Fifth-ranked Hermantown overcame a one-goal deficit by scoring three goals in the third period to down seventh-ranked Marshall 4-3.
Branden Perrault, Brian LeBlanc and Conor Hady scored goals in the final period and goaltender Ben Tessier stonewalled Joe Kozlak twice on a breakaway in the final seconds to lift the Hawks to their 12th consecutive victory.
"One of our mottoes is to always win the third period at home," said Hady, a junior defenseman who scored the game-winner 8:24 into the third on a centering pass from Cody Christopherson.
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Hady had missed the first nine games of the season with a broken collarbone. But the Hawks, who have lost games from six other injured players, haven't missed a beat in their first dozen games. They improved to 3-0 in games decided by a goal by rallying for the win.
"It does a lot for the team's confidence because they know they can do it in a big game and a big atmosphere," Hawks coach Bruce Plante said of the game that was shown statewide on Fox Sports North. "There was a lot of personal pressure for the kids because of the television -- those northern boys aren't used to that -- and it affected our skating early. Then they got over that and started to play."
Dane Morin and Jordan Shockley tallied in the first 1:41 of the second period to give the seventh-ranked Hilltoppers a 2-1 lead.
Morin received a pass from Pat Mahoney on a 2-for-1 break and wristed the puck past Tessier at the 57-second mark to tie the game. Less than a minute later, Tessier stopped Nate Rich's breakaway attempt with his pads but looked to see if the puck was behind him. Instead, it was directly in front of him and Shockley put in the uncontested rebound for a one-goal advantage.
Hermantown came out with more intensity in the third period, needing just 22 seconds to tie the game on a goal by Branden Perrault. After Pat Mahoney's slick maneuver past a defenseman earned him Marshall's third goal at the 1:11 mark, the Hawks tied the game again 30 seconds later when freshman Brian LeBlanc knocked in Chad Bannor's behind-the-net centering pass.
Midway through the period, it was Hady who one-timed a centering pass past Marshall goalie Willie Paul's glove hand. Paul finished with 33 saves.
The Hawks still needed to kill off a high-sticking penalty and then Tessier stuffed Kozlak as the Hilltoppers forward took advantage of a fallen defenseman and skated in alone on Tessier as the final seconds counted down.
"I always tell myself every goal with under a minute left is a weak goal," said Tessier, who made 19 saves.
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The Hilltoppers, who play four seniors, fell to 5-5.
"Clearly our youth and inexperience showed much of the night," Marshall coach Brendan Flaherty said. "All of their goals were a result of turnovers. I felt we weren't physically strong enough to do some of the things that we needed to do, and once our kids got into a panic mode they coughed up the puck. That's one game we've played that Hermantown deserved to win."
Duluth Marshall 0-2-1--3
Hermantown 1-0-3--4
First period -- 1. H, Charlie Comnick (Adam Krause, Corey Kolquist), 12:57 (pp).
Second period -- 2. DM, Dane Morin (Pat Mahoney), 0:57; 3. DM, Jordan Shockley (Nate Rich), 1:41.
Third period -- 4. H, Branden Perrault (Kolquist), 0:22; 5. DM, Mahoney (Morin), 1:11; 6. H, Brian LeBlanc (Chad Bannor), 1:41; 7. H, Conor Hady (Cody Christopherson, Krause), 8:24.
Saves -- Willie Paul, DM, 33 Ben Tessier, H, 19.
