Denfeld’s Jacob Marciniak tried to shoot a backhand before International Falls’ Riley Nemec could dive in the way. Photo credit: John Gilbert

Denfeld goaltender Benjamin LaFont made 41 saves to secure a 7-2 victory over International Falls. Photo credit: John Gilbert

International Falls sophomore Simon Palm went airborne after nearly scoring. Photo credit: John Gilbert

Hockey Day in Minnesota arrived last Saturday and was fast departing, and hockey fans in Duluth, who were thrilled by the event that was held at a Bayfront outdoor rink, had to feel pretty hollow.

UMD’s No. 2 ranked men were out of town, actually going to town in Grand Forks sweeping North Dakota probably right out of the NCHC race with 5-3 and 4-0 victories.

And UMD’s No. 2 ranked women were out of town battling Bemidji State in a celebration of Lara Stalder’s incredibly hot scoring hand -- if not totally satisfied with a victory (5-1) and a tie that became a shootout-point victory for the Beavers.

Meanwhile, Duluth East and Hermantown, among others, were out of town, too.

Ah, but look around and you could find hockey.

Essentia Heritage Center had International Falls playing Denfeld in an early afternoon game, and, as often happens when I attend a game, it was unusual. The purple-clad Broncos from International Falls skated hard and challenged Denfeld throughout the game, but Denfeld kept scoring goals. When it was over, International Falls had outshot Denfeld 43-26, but Benjamin LaFont was both very busy and outstanding in the Hunters goal, with 41 saves. Luke Ellefson and Payton Budisolovich scored two goals apiece and the Hunters left their home rink with what appeared to be a rout. If you didn’t see the exchange of rushes.

And if you moseyed on up Mesaba Avenue to Mars Lakeview Arena, you found the St. Scholastica women and men playing a doubleheader. I missed the women beating St. Norbert 5-0 for a series sweep, but I was able to watch a high-tempo battle that the Saints won 2-1 from Lawrence for a sweep.

The men’s game was more symbolic of how even the two teams are, compared to the 7-2 romp St. Scholastica inflicted the day before. This one was tough, right down to a tiny, hair-splitting element at the end of the second period. After a long debate, the officials decided a faceoff with 4.7 seconds left in the second would be in the Saints end. The puck was dropped, jammed to the net, and virtually every player on both sides piled in on top of Saints goaltender Zane Steeves. Suddenly, the Lawrence players thrust their hands toward the ceiling, having poked in the puck. But the official was simultaneously waving it off for being an instant too late.

Cold Golka scored for the Saints in the third period to fracture the 1-1 tie and give the Saints a 2-1 victory. That was the first goal since Mike Nolan had scored barely a minute into the game, but it was enough. Josh Koepplinger had tied the game from wide to the right in the second period. But that disallowed goal stood large when it ended 2-1.

Meanwhile, up in Grand Forks, UMD was inflicting a 5-3 setback on the Fighting Hawks. Freshman Riley Tufte, who seems to enjoy scoring now that he’s gotten the hang of it, scored twice, including one for a 1-1 tie in the first period. Adam Johnson, Sammy Spurrell and Avery Peterson scored in the second period as Hunter Miska blanked the Hawks, and Tufte’s second goal offset UND’s rally in the third.

The second game was the shocker: Miska blanked the Fighting Hawks 4-0, as Adam Johnson and Willie Raskob scored first-period goals, and Dominic Toninato and Tufte (again) scored in the third.

The Bulldogs, flying again, head for Xcel Center in St. Paul Friday for a 7 p.m. date against Minnesota in the North Star College Cup. St. Cloud State and Bemidji meet in the early game.

Ryan Eardley (24) and his Lawrence University teammates were sure they had taken a 2-1 lead over St. Scholastica, but the referee waved it off for being a millisecond after the second-period buzzer. Photo credit: John Gilbert

St. Scholastica goaltender Zane Steeves steered aside a shot by Carson Knop to perseve a 2-1 victory for the Saints. Photo credit: John Gilbert

UMD’s women won 5-1 as Lara Stalder scored the first three goals of the game, and assisted on the last one. Stalder charged in and scored after only 8 seconds had elapsed in the second game, and she assisted on a later goal by Ashleigh Brykaliuk, but after playing to a 2-2 standoff, Carley Esse -- former Cloquet star and daughter of Cloquet boys coach Dave Esse -- scored on Maddie Rooney in the shootout while Brittni Mowat’s 38 saves and perfect shootout effort gave the extra point to Bemidji State.

The UMD women return home to AMSOIL Arena this weekend to face Ohio State, a team that just snatched an extra point from Minnesota Saturday to keep the Gophers from slipping ahead of UMD in the WCHA standings.

The Minnesota Gophers lost at Wisconsin in their part of Hockey Day, but the Wild won a dramatic 5-3 victory over Anaheim, coming from a 3-2 deficit for three unanswered goals in the third period at Xcel. Unfortunately, the next night, Sunday, the Wild led 2-0 but blew the lead and the game to Nashville, 4-2.

We don’t know where Hockey Day will be next year, but it would be nice if it was around here someplace, and a few more teams scheduled games at home.