When the Edina boys hockey team warmed up with sprints and gleeful shouts rinkside at the Pagel Activity Center on Thursday, Jan. 29, the 20-player roster carried an air of confidence that only comes with winning 5-4 against west metro rival Minnetonka three weeks prior.

But three periods later, the Skippers knocked that self-assuredness askew. Minnetonka, down two goals as the third period began, tied it 3-3 by the time the clock ran out thanks to senior defenseman Tate Hardacre’s goal with 1 minute, 40 seconds to play.

“I thought Tate Hardacre was outstanding,” Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy said. “No. 21, I thought he really took it to a different level.”

On Thursday, both teams had something to prove.

The top spot in the Lake Conference, held by Minnetonka (17-1-2) with Edina (15-5-1) just behind in second, was at stake, and it showed. The Minnetonka arena, brimming with spectators, offered only standing room by the time the puck dropped. A lack of parking spots meant the tow truck had a productive night.

What followed was a sweater-tugging, board-ramming and helmet knocking three periods of play that was littered with unsportsmanlike conduct, holding and tripping penalties.

“All of us in this locker room hate everyone in that locker room, off the ice we’re buddies,” Hardacre said after the game. “It’s war out there.”

Despite Minnetonka boasting 10 shots on goal to Edina’s three halfway into the first period, the section of glass reserved for Hornets’ green and yellow was the first to get on its feet. Eleven minutes in, defenseman Drew Botts fed the puck to sophomore forward Nash Paine who found captain Brady Peterson’s stick. In a box overflowing with both teams’ jerseys, Skippers senior goaltender Chase Jerdee couldn’t block Edina’s tip-in.

Roughly six minutes into the second period, Minnetonka bounced back to even the score. In a neat, close-net play, junior forward Gabe Lindholm slipped the puck to wide-open Caden Lindsay, whose goal came long overdue with the Skippers holding a 20-13 edge in shots on goal at the time.

Following a deflection by Jerdee, Edina forward Dylan Donnay found the back of an unguarded net to bring the score to 2-1. The Hornets scored again in the third period on another slapshot when Botts found an empty right corner.

Lindsay was quick to respond with a shot over a diving Edina goalie.

As the refs continued to dish out penalties, both teams found themselves equally short-staffed.

In a game with 73 combined shots on goal, Hardacre’s was the most memorable.

“I think if you told me before the game, it was a 3-3 overtime game tie, I’d be happy,” Edina goaltender Chase Bjorgaard said. “But being up 3-1, that kind of sucks.”