Two Overtimes Equals Edina Hornets Threepeat

The Class AA girls hockey championship game turned out to be a classic Saturday night as Olivia Swaim scored the game winning goal 2:20 into the second overtime to lead the Edina Hornets to a 4-3 win over the Brainerd Warriors for their third consecutive Class AA title at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Edina became the first Class AA school to win three straight state titles since Minnetonka turned the hat trick in 2011-13.  The Hornets are 3-2 in Class AA championship games in nine trips to the state tournament.

The Warriors opened the scoring while Josie Kramer was sitting out two minutes for a tripping penalty.  Cheyenne Abear made a stellar defensive play blocking the Hornets Mallory Uihlein's shot and she drove down the ice like the team bus heading down Highway 10 for the short handed goal.  Edina would tie the game when freshman Vivian Jungels' shot was saved by Brainerd goalie Olivia King.  The puck deflected off of CC Bowlby's stick and Sophia Doll sent it to the net.  The Warriors would regain the lead on a pass by Gabbie Smith that was intended for Abear but it missed her stick so Abby Pohlkamp picked up the loose puck and scored.  But the Hornets would even the score again.  This time it was Vivian Jungels who rebounded CC Bowlby's shot and the first period ended even at two.

Neither team would tally in the second period.  Though there wasn't a lot of offense, defense played a big role for the Hornets to keep the game even.  Smith made a pass to Abear near the crease and Edina goalie Elli Strittmater made a spectacular save.

Now to the third period as Brainerd looked like they were going to capture their first state hockey title.  The Warriors would take the lead while Edina's Annie Kuehl was serving a roughing penalty.  Smith's shot was saved by Strittmater and Emma Booth, positioned near the crease would score on a rebound.  The play was reviewed by the replay officials to see if Booth was in the crease.  After the review, the goal did count.  Edina would once again tie the game as another member of the Jungels family was ready for action.  It would be Vivian's sister Tella, who scored after Hannah Chorske's shot was saved by King.  Would there be a game winner before the snowstorm started?  Not yet and there would be overtime.

Neither team would score in the first eight minute overtime period.  After the ice would be resurfaced, the teams came back on the ice for a 17 minute period.  It would be Swaim who got a pass from Vivian Jungels and she got into position on the left side of King to put the Hornets in the history books.

Edina out shot Brainerd 55-20.

The Hornets concluded their season with a 27-4 record.  The Warriors finished 25-5-1.

In the third place game that was also played at the Xcel Energy Center, Emily Bayless would score the game winning goal to lead the Minnetonka Skippers to a 3-2 win over the Andover Huskies.  In the consolation final played at the TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center, Lauren Stenslie scored two goals to lead the Maple Grove Crimson to a 5-1 win over the Farmington Tigers.