Edina Hornets-Winners and Once Again Class AA State Champions

Saturday night was a busy night for Edina high school hockey.  In Bloomington, the boys team was playing the St. Louis Park Orioles in the Section 6AA semifinals and at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Aliyah Lance scored the game winning goal 2:39 into the third period to lead the Hornets to a 2-1 win over the Centennial Cougars in the Class AA championship game.

It was the second consecutive Class AA title for Edina in their eight state tournament appearance.

Just like the preceding Class A championship game, neither team activated the red light in the first period.  In the second period, Emily Oden, who will play next season at Minnesota, got a pass from Lolita Fidler at the left point and fired it into the net for her 33rd goal of the season o give the Hornets the lead.  The Cougars would tie the game as Hannah Backman passed to Gabbie Hughes and she skated into the left face off circle, went into the left slot and put it past Edina goalie Megan Smith.

The game winner came in the third period while Maija Almich was serving a two minute minor penalty for body checking.  It was Fidler and Mallory Uehlein who set up Lance game winner when she got the puck, cut to the right slot and went top shelf for the lead that would turn out to clinch the Class AA title.  Lance almost got her second goal late in the game after Centennial head coach Kristina King pulled goalie Mackenna Stoterau for a sixth attacker with 1:26 left in regulation.  Lance fired a shot that clanked off the post.

In the third place game, Taylor Anderson got the hat trick to lead the Eagan Wildcats to a 3-0 win over the Eden Prairie Eagles.  In the consolation championship game at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus, Jamie Nelso's goal with 4:40 left in the third overtime led the Andover Huskies to a 5-4 victory over the Lakeville South Cougars.

Centennial's Anneke Linser was the Class AA recipient of the Herb Brooks Award which goes to a player who best exhibits the characteristics and traits of the late coach.  Linser will join Hughes next season at Minnesota-Duluth.