At Ridder Arena, on a rink dotted with white hockey helmets and green gloves, Edina secured its spot in next week’s Class 2A boys hockey state tournament for the fifth year in a row and 44th time in school history with a 3-1 victory in the Section 6 championship game against Wayzata on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Edina’s top scorer, Bode McConnell, secured the team’s ticket to state with a hat trick.

The game marked the fourth consecutive time Edina and Wayzata faced off in the section final, just two weeks after Edina lost to the Trojans 4-1.

Edina now hopes to adorn the school’s trophy case with a record 11th state title. Wayzata was looking to return to St. Paul for the first time since 2021.

“It’s exciting every time,” Edina head coach Curt Giles said. “We see how excited the kids are and how much work they put into this day in and day out. We grind them away at practice. Get them prepared for this type of stuff. It’s so much fun to watch.”

Before the two rival west metro teams hit the ice in a game of broken sticks and state tournament dreams, a line of fans curled out the door and onto the sidewalk on the University of Minnesota campus in the hour leading up to puck drop.

The first period remained scoreless until Eli Molde, the Trojans’ top goal scorer, opened up scoring with two minutes left. The shot, slipped past Edina goalie Chase Bjorgaard at close range into the left pocket, marked the senior forward’s 16th of the season. It was his fourth goal in the past four periods of play for Wayzata, with one goal in each period of the semifinal section game against Rogers on Feb. 21.

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After senior forward Tommy Colmenero and junior defender Maddox Balon lofted a pass to Molde, the Wayzata student section had to be restrained from pounding on the plexiglass.

Wayzata outshot the Hornets 12-7 in the first period, peppering Edina’s goal with a strategy of rushing the net.

But the green and yellow squad came back in the second period with something to prove, outshooting Wayzata 19-16.

McConnell racked up two goals in just over one minute. With 1:46 on the clock, the junior forward launched a shot off the glass which rolled off the crossbar and bounced off Wayzata goalie Ryan Pellinger. McConnell was there to follow it through with a tap in.

The series of events ripped a gasp from the crowd and surprised McConnell himself: “I dumped it in and it rolled across the crossbar. I was just right there; I don’t know how.”

But the move didn’t shock Giles.

“That doesn’t surprise me. He shoots that thing hard,” Giles said. “His skills keep getting better.”

A minute later McConnel found himself in front of the net again with a clean shot into the right corner, assisted by sophomore forward Dylan Donnay.

Both teams traded shots in the third period with Wayzata outshooting Edina 29-28, but neither could find an opening until the Hornets’ McConnell launched one into the empty net with eight seconds left in the game, securing a trip to state.

“We’re just gonna celebrate tonight and then get back to work tomorrow,” McConnell said.

Section 8, Class 2A

Moorhead 5, Elk River/Zimmerman 1: Moorhead, the defending Class 2A state champion, earned a return trip to the state tournament with a 5-1 victory over Elk River/Zimmerman on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Runestone Community Center in Alexandria.

Brandon Mickelson and Zac Zimmerman scored 38 seconds apart in the first four minutes to give the Spuds (24-3-1) a 2-0 lead. Logan Rustad’s power-play goal with 8 minutes, 11 seconds left in the first period got Elk River/Zimmerman within 2-1, but Joey Cullen restored the Spuds’ two-goal lead with 4:29 left in the period.

Max Cullen scored in the first minute of the second period to extend the Spuds’ lead to 4-1. Tyden Bergeson’s empty-net goal with 2:48 remaining sealed the victory for the Spuds, who will make their 17th state tournament appearance since 2000.

Section 5, Class 1A

St. Cloud Cathedral 3, Monticello 1: The Crusaders scored three times in the final nine minutes to rally for the victory on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Furniture and Things Community Event Center in Elk River.

Scoreless after two periods, Monticello took a 1-0 lead with nine minutes, 41 seconds remaining. Less than two minutes later, the Crusaders tied it on a power-play goal by Elijah Van Heel.

Caleb Trant’s goal with 2:17 remaining gave the Crusaders the lead and Talen Ruprecht scored with 13 seconds remaining.

The section title is the fourth straight for the Crusaders (17-11), who have reached the Class 1A championship game the last two seasons (runner-up in 2025 and champion in 2024).

Section 7, Class 1A

Hibbing/Chisholm 3, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 2, OT: Isiah Hildenbrand’s goal seven minutes, 55 seconds into the overtime lifted the Bluejackets to the victory on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.

The game was a rematch of last year’s section title match, which saw the Bluejackets win 4-3 in overtime. The Bluejackets (24-2-2) defeated the Lumberjacks (15-13) twice during the regular season.

Conor Sullivan gave the Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead with less than three minutes left in the first period, but the Bluejackets tied it on a goal by Jackson Strukel with 10 seconds remaining in the period.

Whitaker Rewertz gave the Bluejackets a 2-1 lead with 6:55 left in the second period, but the Lumberjacks tied it on Jordy Sewell’s power-play goal with under three minutes remaining in the period. The Lumberjacks outshot the Bluejackets 16-8 in the second period.

The Bluejackets outshot the Lumberjacks 14-11 in the third period and 43-39 for the game. Hibbing/Chisholm goalie Gavin Lamphere had 41 saves, while Lumberjacks goalie Jacob Iallonardo had 36 saves.