Defenseman Joey Pierce scored two goals and Jacob Backstrom totaled 21 saves in Hermantown’s 4-1 victory over Hill-Murray in a high school boys hockey game Saturday at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, Minn.

The Class A second-ranked Hawks (15-1-4) extended their unbeaten streak to 17 games with their sixth consecutive win.

Linemates Blake Biondi and Zach Kilen each had three assists.

Holy Family 4, CEC 3

Lucas Jorgenson scored with 5.0 seconds left in overtime to give Holy Family Catholic the win over Cloquet-Esko-Carlton in a nonconference game in Victoria, Minn.

Brayden Tyman, Christian Galatz and Darian Durand scored for the Lumberjacks and Owen Carlson made 36 saves.

Elk River 5, Duluth East 0

The Greyhounds’ return to the ice didn’t go smoothly at Heritage Center as the Elks’ Cayden Casey scored two goals and Josh Koziol posted a 23-save shutout.

East had postponed three games due to more than 15 players being too sick to play.

At 7-10-1, the Greyhounds’ amazing 67-year streak of winning seasons is in jeopardy.

Grand Rapids 4, Wayzata 1

Carter Clafton turned aside 27 shots to lead the host Thunderhawks to the upset of the eighth-ranked Trojans.

GIRLS HOCKEY

CEC 6, Thief River Falls 1

Taylor Nelson scored two goals to give her 39 on the season and lead the host Lumberjacks to the regular-season ending home win.

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton finished 22-3 in the regular season and likely will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Section 7A playoffs.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Bemidji 74, Hermantown 58

The visiting Lumberjacks expanded a three-point halftime lead with a 43-point second half to snap the Hawks’ seven-game win streak in the nonconference victory.

Duluth Marshall 76, Breck 69

Sam Lohn recorded 27 points as the Hilltoppers held off the host Mustangs in nonconference action.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hermantown 71, North Branch 40

The host Hawks bolted to a 40-16 halftime lead en route to claiming the nonconference win and boosting their record to 18-2.

Duluth East 68, Cook County 39

Ashlynne Guenther led four players in double figures with 18 points and the Greyhounds’ defense shut down the Vikings in Grand Marais.

Duluth Denfeld 68, Silver Bay 37

The balanced Hunters ended a seven-game losing streak with their third victory of the season in the nonconference home game.

Duluth Marshall 72, Royalton 71

Gianna Kneepkens and Grace Kirk each scored 24 points in the host Hilltoppers’ narrow one-point nonconference home win Friday night.

NORDIC SKIING

East girls win section tuneup

In a possible Section 7 preview, Gretchen Haggenmiller won the 10-kilometer pursuit race to lead Duluth East to a narrow team title in the Ely Invitational at Hidden Valley.

Haggenmiller was timed in 31 minutes, 50 seconds in the combined freestyle and classic event, edging Ely’s Zoe Devine by 10 seconds, and helping the Greyhounds edge the Timberwolves 384-368.

In the boys race, Ely’s Jasper Johnston continued his outstanding season by winning by nearly two minutes in 27:21.3 and helping his team edge Duluth East 389-374.

The Section 7 race is Thursday at Giants Ridge.