5 players to watch

TENLEY STEWART

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Senior defenseman

As a junior, Stewart was the first junior captain in program history, as voted on by her teammates. She had three goals and six assists for nine points in 15 games while helping the Lumberjacks hold opponents to 2.18 goals per game. She will play college hockey next year at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. “She is an outstanding leader on and off the ice,” Lumberjacks coach Courtney Olin said. “She works extremely hard and sees the ice very well.”

5 Games To Watch

Grand Rapids-Greenway at Proctor-Hermantown

7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9

The one and only meeting between two of the Northland’s top programs takes place in Hermantown. The two meetings between the teams didn’t go well for GRG last season, with the Mirage winning 10-2 and 4-2 en route to a 21-0 season and Class A state title, but a lot can change in a year.

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton at Moose Lake Area

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16

This is the second scheduled meeting between the teams, with the first being Nov. 23 in Cloquet, and one team, of course, will be looking for a little payback, while the other will be looking for a regular-season sweep.

Proctor-Hermantown at Cloquet-Esko-Carlton

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21

This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season. The Mirage took both meetings 5-1 from CEC

Proctor-Hermantown

Senior goalie

Pajari was stellar last season as the Mirage went 21-0 and captured the Class A state title, posting a 12-0 record, 0.92 goals-against average and .954 save percentage en route to All-Area First Team honors. After splitting time between the pipes in 2020-21, Pajari said she is ready to handle the bulk of the goaltending duties this winter.

Duluth Marshall

Junior forward

Boettcher was already really good as a sophomore last year, notching 17 goals and 22 assists to earn All-Area Second Team honors, and she is only getting better. “Meredith is a strong, two-way forward who can score big goals during big moments,” Hilltoppers coach Amanda Boulier said. “She is a leader on and off the ice. We expect her to play some huge minutes, in every situation.” last season, exacting a little revenge after the Lumberjacks edged them 3-2 in the 2020 Section 7A finale before a raucous crowd of about 1,500 at St. Luke’s Events Center in Proctor en route to a runner-up finish in Class A. Duluth at Cloquet-Esko-Carlton

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13

This will always be a rivalry, boys hockey, girls hockey, no matter the sport. The teams first square off Dec. 14 in Duluth and have the rematch a month later in Cloquet. The Lumberjacks swept the series 5-2 and 5-1 last season. Andover at Proctor-Hermantown

7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28

Last year’s Class AA runner-up (Andover) against last year’s Class champion (Proctor-Hermantown) square off in Hermantown — doesn’t get much better than that for a regular-season matchup and postseason tuneup. Both made Section 7 proud last season. The teams originally looked at playing Jan. 22 but Andover is part of Hockey Day Minnesota that weekend.

Nya Sieger

Proctor-Hermantown Junior forward

While the Mirage graduated plenty of firepower from their statetitle run last winter, the cupboard isn’t bare. While second-leading scorer Macy Sieger graduated, younger sister and thirdleading scorer Nya Sieger is back after scoring 12 goals and adding 25 assists for 37 points in earning AllArea Second Team honors. Sieger could be used at center and wing. “She’s a phenomenal player, a game-changer, she’s just so dynamic,” Mirage coach Emma Stauber said. “She’s all over the ice. She’s so smart, she can see the ice, and you’re going to get everything out of her, every day. She’s just so determined.”