I'm really liking TRF! All the new squads look cool.

There were really two sets of Independents this year, one in the north and one more central. Up north saw Duluth & Two Harbors meeting again for their third annual home and home series along with the newcomers from Eveleth playing both teams once, Duluth on Lake Superior and Two Harbors in Eveleth. Then in the central part of the state we had Bemidji and St. Cloud who agreed to play one game apiece, first in St. Cloud and then in Bemidji.

Duluth Hockey Club vs Two Harbors Hockey Club
A large crowd had gathered along the shores of Lake Superior to watch the Duluth Hockey Club and the Two Harbors Hockey Club battle for the third year in a row. They were treated to quite a contest with both teams going back and forth for 60 minutes. When the final whistle sounded the hometown crowd erupted into applause as the boys from Duluth had won by a score of 7-6

Two Harbors Hockey Club vs Duluth Hockey Club
Two Harbors got their payback just a few weeks later when Duluth made the trip up the North Shore for the second half of the home and home. The hosts struck first and never looked back, going on to win by a score of 8-4, leaving the all-time series tied 3-3 after 3 years of play.

Duluth Hockey Club vs Eveleth Hockey Club
Just a week after losing to Two Harbors, Duluth welcomed a new team to town for their first ever hockey game. The hosts showed no hospitality for the visitors from Eveleth, skating circles around the team in red on their way to an easy 12-2 win to end their season with a 2-1 record.

Eveleth Hockey Club vs Two Harbors Hockey Club
The sun was shining and the conditions were nearly perfect for hockey when Two Harbors took on Eveleth in the first ever hockey game in the Iron Range. Eveleth showed a bit of improvement from their match against Duluth, doubling their goal count by the end of the game, but they really struggled on the defensive end. Two Harbors unloaded offensively for a blowout 13-4 victory on the road.



St. Cloud Hockey Club vs Bemidji Hockey Club
It wasn’t pretty by any means with both teams struggling to keep on their feet and chasing the puck around like dogs on a squirrel, it was still technically a hockey game. Because neither team knew what they were doing, it was actually pretty even, ending in a one goal game with the visitors from Bemidji going back up north happy with a 6-5 win.

Bemidji Hockey Club vs St. Cloud Hockey Club
Bemidji clearly put in some work in the two months between games, practicing their skating and passing. The work paid dividends with St. Cloud looking a step behind after being evenly matched in the first match. Bemidji took over more and more the longer the game went on, walking away with a commanding 10-4 win.