Edina repeats history, streaks past Cretin-Derham Hall to earn 14th title game appearance
The Hornets scored in each period to earn a spot in Saturday's Class AA state championship game.
Edina forward Bobby Cowan (21) celebrates his goal with teammates against Cretin-Durham Hall in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
ST. PAUL — On March 10, 1988, the Edina Hornets defeated Cretin-Derham Hall in a state boys hockey quarterfinal at the St. Paul Civic Center.
Thirty-five years later to the day — and this time in a semifinal — the third-seeded Hornets did it again.
Freshman forward Mason West crashed the net to deliver a hard-nosed, game-winning goal early in the second period of a 4-1 Hornets Class AA semifinal win on Friday night at Xcel Energy Center.
"You know, I can't remember last week," Edina coach Curt Giles joked when asked if he had any memories of that past game, "and you're trying to get me to go back to '88."
BHS Class AA SF
With a hard crash to the net the Hornets are back ahead with a goal coming from FR Mason West.
Like they did in 1988, the Hornets will have the chance to add a state championship to an already unparalleled trophy case on Saturday night. Edina has won 10 state championships, most recently in 2019, with Edina East also claiming three state titles in the 1970s.
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"I don't remember '88, but you take a look at some of these kids coming up through this tradition," Giles said. "They know there's tradition here. They know what it means to play for Edina. And they know what it means to put the Hornet on."
Bobby Cowan, who had a hat trick and five points in Edina's quarterfinal win over Moorhead, cut around the outside of the Cretin-Derham Hall zone before finding the top, near corner of the net to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead seven and a half minutes into the game.
Cretin-Durham Hall forward Chuck Owens (11) and Edina forward Ryan Flaherty (11) battle for the puck in the second period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Jason Wachter / The Rink Live
The junior forward is tied for the Class AA state tournament lead in points (6) with linemate Ryan Flaherty, who had two goals Friday.
"We stay positive, and the hockey gods like to reward you for staying positive," the third member of Edina's top line, Jackson Nevers, said.
Cretin-Derham Hall took advantage on the power play to level the score with 3:11 left in the first. Attila Lippai blasted a one-timer from the slot past Edina goalie Robbie Clarkowski's glove off a feed from Max Anderson below the goal line with 36 seconds left on the Raiders' man advantage.
Clarkowski made 23 saves in net for Edina the night after giving up six goals in the quarterfinals.
"He's a leader. He knows what to do," Nevers said of the Frank Brimsek Award finalist. "We're pretty big on if something doesn't go our way, we flush it."
The Hornets will play for their 11th state title at 7 p.m. Saturday against top-seeded Minnetonka. Cretin-Derham Hall will play No. 4 seed Andover for third place at 4 p.m. Saturday.
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1/22: Edina defender Eddie Revenig (6) tries to steal the puck from Cretin-Durham Hall forward Colin Scanlan (19) in the second period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
2/22: Cretin-Durham Hall forward Chuck Owens (11) and Edina forward Ryan Flaherty (11) battle for the puck in the second period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
3/22: Cretin-Durham Hall forward Attila Lippai (15) celebrates his goal against Edina with the bench in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
4/22: Edina goaltender Robbie Clarkowski (1) stops a puck against Cretin-Durham Hall in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
5/22: Edina forward Bobby Cowan (21) comes away with the puck against Edina in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
6/22: Edina forward Matt Vander Vort (17) takes a shot at the goal past Cretin-Durham Hall defender Simon Houge (8) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
7/22: Cretin-Durham Hall forward Nate Chorlton (4) and Edina forward Mason West (9) battle for the puck in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
8/22: Cretin-Durham Hall goaltender Leo Miller (35) watches the puck against Edina in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
9/22: Cretin-Durham Hall forward Attila Lippai (15) celebrates his goal against Edina with teammates Jake Fisher (18) and Colton Jamieson (21) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
10/22: Edina goaltender Robbie Clarkowski (1) stops a shot by Cretin-Durham Hall forward Max Anderson (17) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
11/22: Edina goaltender Robbie Clarkowski (1) deflects a shot by Cretin-Durham Hall forward Max Anderson (17) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
12/22: Edina goaltender Robbie Clarkowski (1) catches a puck against Cretin-Durham Hall in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
13/22: Cretin-Durham Hall defender Colton Jamieson (21) passes in front of Edina forward Bobby Cowan (21) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
14/22: Edina forward Jackson Nevers (18) tries to steal the puck from Cretin-Durham Hall forward Devin Cardenas (7) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
15/22: Cretin-Durham Hall goaltender Leo Miller (35) deflects a shoot by Edina forward John Warpinski (22) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
16/22: Edina defender Eddie Revenig (6) reaches in to take the puck from Cretin-Durham Hall forward Colin Scanlan (19) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
17/22: Cretin-Durham Hall forward Colin Scanlan (19) passes the puck away from Edina forward Matt Vander Vort (17) and Edina defender Eddie Revenig (6) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
18/22: Cretin-Durham Hall goaltender Leo Miller (35) deflects a shot by Edina forward Grant Olson (19) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
19/22: Edina forward Bobby Cowan (21) puts the puck over Cretin-Durham Hall goaltender Leo Miller (35) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
20/22: Edina forward John Halverson (10), Cretin-Durham Hall defender Trey Gnetz (2) and Edina forward John Warpinski (22) battle for the puck in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
21/22: Edina forward Bobby Cowan (21) celebrates his goal with teammates against Cretin-Durham Hall in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
22/22: Edina forward Jackson Nevers (18) moves the puck against Cretin-Durham Hall in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
CRETIN-DERHAM HALL 1-0-0—1 EDINA 1-1-2—4
FIRST PERIOD: 1, EDN, Cowan (Sandven), 7:29. 2, CHD, A. Lippai (Anderson, Fisher), PP, 13:49.
SECOND PERIOD: 3, EDN, West (Warpinski, Halverson), 3:01.
SAVES: CDH, Miller (8-8-2—18). EDN, Clarkowski (12-4-7—23)
Cretin-Durham Hall goaltender Leo Miller (35) deflects a shoot by Edina forward John Warpinski (22) in the first period Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
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