Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey coach Dave Esse has been voted the Section 7AA Coach of the Year by his peers.
Esse guided a young Lumberjacks team loaded with sophomores to a 16-9-2 record and a semifinal berth in the recent Section 7AA tournament, where the team lost 1-0 to Duluth East.
The team caused a bit of a stir late in the season by upending eventual section and state champion Grand Rapids by a 4-1 score in Cloquet Feb. 14. That loss was the last one suffered during the season by the Thunderhawks.
Esse also guided the 'Jacks to a 2-1 double-overtime win over Duluth Marshall in the section quarterfinals, the third win for the team over the Hilltoppers during the regular season.
