In prep boys hockey action on Tuesday Grand Rapids and Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (CEC) earned close section wins.

In Duluth, Grand Rapids held off Duluth East 2-1 in overtime. It was a battle between two top-notch Section 7AA teams, with the Greyhounds finishing section runners-up last season, and the Thunderhawks finishing as runners-up all three years prior (2020-2022).

Bauer Murphy scored first for Grand Rapids in the first minute of the game. In the second period Duluth East’s Wyatt Peterson would tie it 1-1. The third ended scoreless forcing overtime where Nathan Garski won it for Rapids. The Thunderhawks improve to 2-0 behind new head coach Grant Clafton. Duluth East falls to 0-3.

In Cloquet, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton held off Hibbing/Chisholm 4-3 in the Lumberjacks season and home opener. It also marked CEC’s first game as a Section 7A team, electing to move down to Class A from Class AA after last season. Kelin Elsner scored first for Hibbing, while Bobby Thornton netted the Lumberjacks’ first goal.

The Lumberjacks’ start their season 1-0 while the Bluejackets now sit 1-3.