Afton and William O’Brien state parks will be closed to visitors for two days each next month to accommodate deer hunts.

Afton State Park will be closed Nov. 8-9, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

William O’Brien State Park in northern Washington County will be closed Nov. 15-16.

The purpose of the hunts is to prevent overpopulation of deer and to protect other resources, said Mark Cleveland, the DNR’s Parks and Trails natural resource policy and program coordinator.

“Too many individuals of one species can throw an ecosystem out of balance,” Cleveland said. “When deer populations grow too large, they over-browse on native plants and young trees, making it harder for forests to regenerate.”

Dense deer herds also create conditions where diseases spread more easily, he said.

For more information, go to mndnr.gov/parkhunts.

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Back from a 1-3-1 road trip, the Wild practiced Friday at TRIA Rink to prepare for back-to-backs against Utah and San Jose on Saturday and Sunday.

Asked about the trip, head coach John Hynes said, “I think we take some lessons out of that one.”

The overarching lesson, the coach said, is that the team needs to be better at the point of attack, on either side of the puck — winning draws, retrieving pucks, winning on the boards and in the corners.

“To me, it’s more consistency; I think we’ve seen it at times,” Hynes said. “I understand we’re not where we want to be. But at the end of the day, we’ve played some good hockey, we’ve won some games, we’ve earned some points.

“We’ve got to get better in certain areas. That’s one of them. That’s what we’re striving to do.”

The Wild began an important, six-game homestand Saturday against the Mammoth underwater in the standings — 14th in the 16-team Western Conference (3-4-1) with seven points.

It’s still early, but the Wild know first-hand what good and bad starts can do for an NHL team. Two seasons ago, they started 5-10-4, got Dean Evason fired and, despite an initial rebound under Hynes, never held a playoff position.

Last year, the Wild earned points in 10 of their first 12 games and were the NHL’s best road team and led the NHL with a 17-4-4 record on Dec. 4. That start helped them survive major injuries to Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek and barely squeeze into the postseason with an overtime point in their last regular-season game.

The NHL’s three-point system for determining the standings makes digging out of a hole difficult, and establishing — or falling into — a pattern early can make a big difference.

Right now, Hynes said, the Wild need to be playing with more urgency in all situations.

“At every point in the season, there are different things that present themselves and right now, that’s what’s presented to us,” the coach said. “We’ve got to master that, starting (Saturday).”

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The Altavilla twins made sure they’ll get another high school game together.

Cole Altavilla caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Drew Altavilla with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter, Johnny Laugerman caught the 2-point conversion, and Two Rivers won 15-14 at Hastings on Saturday afternoon in a Class 5A, Section 3 football semifinal.

“A lot of fun,” Drew Altavilla said, noting his brother had a pass go off his hands one play earlier. “I could tell he was mad, but he came back and more than made up for it.”

With Warrior fans chanting “One More Play” during Hastings’ final time out, Two Rivers did just that in forcing a fourth-down incompletion.

Winners in three of their past four, the Warriors (5-4) will play Friday night at undefeated St. Thomas Academy. The Cadets, who beat Apple Valley 39-13 on Saturday, topped Two Rivers 50-14 two weeks ago.

Hastings (4-5) beat Two Rivers 29-19 Sept. 26, a game where Zack Shatek had 234 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

The junior was held to 133 yards Saturday, his second-lowest total of the season and 75 below his average, but his 12-yard score gave the Raiders a 14-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

How did Two Rivers slow him down?

“We put extra guys in the box and our defensive line was outstanding,” said Warriors defensive back Ryder Harahan, who intercepted a pass for the second straight game.

Down a score, Two Rivers started from its own 40-yard line with 4:12 to go. Delfino Mancha picked up 16 yards on a pair of carries before a personal foul against Hastings moved the ball to the 29.

Two plays later, and after a penalty, Cole Altavilla ran an inside slant and his brother hit him in stride. One deke of a defender later, the receiver was in the end zone.

“It’s how playoff games are supposed to be; close, hard and you have to do the little things well,” co-coach Bruce Carpenter said. “We turned the ball over too much, which could have been a killer, but our defense was amazing.”

“It was a heck of a fun game. Didn’t end the way we wanted to, it was a play here or there, but the effort our kids played with was impressive,” Raiders coach Dana Strain said. “We had a lot of injuries that we dealt with through the year and a few more today, and our kids toughed right through it. Extremely proud of them.”

An interception by Carter Herman O’Brien at the Hastings 14 ended Two Rivers’ 11-play opening drive. Eight plays later — four of at least 16 yards — Matt Foss got behind a Warrior defender for a 24-yard touchdown reception and a 7-0 lead.

Johnny Verdeja scored from the 2 early in the second quarter to even the game at 7-7. Two Rivers lost a fumble in the red zone later in the quarter.

“We’ve got to sustain drives better. We did a lot of good things moving the ball, but we didn’t finish,” Carpenter said.

Until they had to.

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After opening at a time when many were afraid to leave their homes, Omni Viking Lakes hotel in Eagan is toasting its five-year anniversary with more than champagne.

The 14-story hotel adjacent to the Vikings headquarters has announced several new upcoming additions, including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, saunas and an event lawn.

Since opening at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the hotel says it has welcomed 285,000 guests, hosted over 1,200 events and performed some 37,500 spa services at the in-house Idlewild Spa.

Already under construction, the $7 million expansion could be open to visitors as soon as next spring, the Business Journal reported, adding that hotel officials hope the new outdoor amenities pique the interest of families and leisure travelers.

“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished in just five years,” said general manager Brent Glashan in the release. “Omni Viking Lakes has become a gathering place for fans, business leaders and the community, and we look forward to building this legacy for years to come.”

The four-star hotel, which is under the luxury Omni Hotel & Resorts brand, is owned by a local group including MV Eagan Ventures, a real estate arm of Vikings owners Zygi, Mark and Leonard Wilf.

The hotel’s design, carried out by Minneapolis-based ESG Architecture & Design, draws upon Nordic architectural traditions and culture.

The names of the hotel’s amenities draw back to Viking lore, including Valhalla, the 7,500-square-foot ballroom; Kyndred Hearth, a restaurant with a menu created by James Beard Award-winning local chef Ann Kim; a second-floor bar and lounge, Ember & Ice; and a lobby bar named Keras, which is an ancient Greek term for a drinking horn.

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The hotel’s lobby has a retail outlet, an espresso bar and a “grab-and-go” market with baked goods made on site. The second floor includes an expansive fitness center and a full-service spa with multiple treatment rooms, a sauna and steam room.

OPENING WEEK PHOTOS: Nothing about the new hotel in Eagan is run of the mill

“Omni Viking Lakes has certainly delivered on the vision we had more than five years ago when we partnered to make this a cornerstone of the Viking Lakes campus,” said Mark Wilf, owner and president of MV Ventures, in the release. “With its tremendously popular restaurant, spa and soon-to-open outdoor spaces, the hotel will only be further recognized as a regional asset in the future.”