The second week of high school hockey brought a mix of grit, speed and a few heart-pounding moments Tuesday night, with Grand Rapids and Duluth East grinding out a draw while Duluth Marshall kept rolling.
Grand Rapids came in hoping for another statement win after sweeping Duluth East last season, but the Greyhounds had other plans, and the two teams ended up locked together at 2-2 after overtime.
Thunderhawks Start Fast but Can’t Shake the Greyhounds
Grand Rapids wasted no time setting a tone that felt a bit familiar.
They caught Duluth East on a neutral-zone mistake, and suddenly the puck was on the stick of Owen Simons.
Simons threaded a slick pass across to Seth Carlson, who finished it cleanly past Nolan Nygaard’s blocker.
One shot, one goal, and a little hush fell over the building.
For a moment, it looked like Rapids might tilt the ice again just like they did last season.
Henrik Spenningsby fired a point shot that never made it through traffic, bouncing awkwardly off a stick.
And right there waiting was Greyson Medak, who snapped the loose puck through bodies and tied the game.
The building came alive in that split second.
It felt like a spark.
Rapids drew blood first.
East answered.
And everything after that had the feel of two teams that know each other way too well.
By the third, both sides were skating with a look that said, “One mistake decides this.”
Each team found one more goal to knot things at 2-2, and overtime arrived like a collective exhale.
The extra frame brought pressure on both ends, but no one could slip in a winner.
It ended even—maybe fittingly—on a night where neither squad ever truly held control.
What Both Teams Take Into the Weekend
A short breather before big tests
Grand Rapids hits the road again Saturday for a matchup with Maple Grove.
That one feels like a measuring-stick game.
The Greyhounds will also leave home this weekend, heading to face Wayzata, another matchup that tends to reveal who has early-season legs and who still needs a little fine-tuning.
Here’s a tiny snapshot of where things stood after Tuesday night’s action:
| Team | Result | Upcoming Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 2-2 tie vs Duluth East | Maple Grove – Nov 29 |
| Duluth East | 2-2 tie vs Grand Rapids | Wayzata – Nov 29 |
| Duluth Marshall | 6-1 win vs Northern Lakes | Gentry Academy – Dec 4 |
Basically, nobody’s schedule gets easier for a while.
Hilltoppers Find Another Gear at Home Opener
Duluth Marshall starts slow, then lights it up
Over at Mars Lakeview, Duluth Marshall stepped onto home ice for the first time this season, and the building carried that unmistakable buzz you get on opening night.
It didn’t take long for them to feed off it.
Viljami Sinisalo grabbed a rebound in front and sent a smooth backhand past the Northern Lakes goaltender.
One shot, one bounce, one goal that felt like it opened a door.
Northern Lakes kept calm and grabbed their equalizer in the second.
Bodie Nybakken stuffed in a rebound of his own, knotting the game and giving the Lightning a little belief.
Then everything changed.
Marshall scored five straight goals, each one feeling louder than the last.
The whole thing looked like a switch flipped—suddenly plays that felt cramped were wide open, and every shift seemed to come with a rush of confidence.
Here’s the one quick point worth highlighting in the middle of that run:
• The Hilltoppers leaned heavily on speed through the neutral zone, and it tore open the game in their favour.
From there, the Lightning just couldn’t keep up.
The Hilltoppers ran away with a 6-1 win, their third straight victory.
A single-sentence pause here: that streak is starting to look serious.
Their next test comes December 4, when they welcome Gentry Academy—a matchup that always brings a little extra edge.
Northland Hockey Starting to Take Shape
Early patterns, early surprises, and a whole lot of unanswered questions
Two weeks in isn’t enough to decide anything, but it is enough to show hints of where teams might be heading.
Grand Rapids still looks composed and dangerous.
Duluth East looks stronger than last year’s results suggested.
And the Hilltoppers, well, they’re skating like a group that doesn’t want this streak to stop anytime soon.
But there’s also this: high school hockey seasons have a way of twisting.
A hot start doesn’t promise anything.
A tough night doesn’t doom anybody.
Tuesday’s games reminded everyone that momentum is fragile and early-season hockey is messy in the best possible way.
Shots bounce weirdly.
Deflections turn into goals that shouldn’t exist.
Breakouts crumble or catch fire out of thin air.
It’s the kind of week that leaves players excited and coaches slightly frazzled, and fans already circling dates on their calendars.
And with tight games ahead this weekend and next week, this stretch might end up shaping the first real divide between contenders and teams still trying to find themselves.
