Looking for two hockey programs that best embody the state tournament's rich tradition? Edina and Roseau are the perfect odd couple.
Edina is making its 32nd tournament appearance (including five by Edina East and one by Edina West), one fewer than Roseau (33). Edina, the affluent suburb some love to hate, has won nine championships (including three for East). Roseau, one of the small northern schools that gives the tournament its charm, has won seven titles.
Putting the focus on this season, these teams are once again at odds. Roseau (22-5-1) gets scoring out of Adam Knochenmus (21 goals, 29 assists), Cole Kostrzewski (19-26) and Shane Omdahl (27-39) that no Edina player can match. But the No. 2-seeded Hornets have not let that faze them all year. They come at opponents in waves, using equal parts grit and skill to beat teams lacking similar balance.
Major graduation losses left Edina (20-6-2) absent from most preseason top-10 lists but the Hornets played their way into relevancy with a 9-0 record in December. The new year was less kind. The Hornets slumped through January at a 2-4-2 clip. But in nine games since, Edina is 8-1 and poised to make a strong state tournament run.
Leading scorers Steven Fogarty (20-16) and Charlie Taft (17-9) helped Edina dominate Bloomington Jefferson in the Section 2 final by creating turnovers in the Jaguars zone and converting them into goals. Taft, with five shorthanded goals, has hurt careless power-play units all season.
Goaltender Connor Girard stopped 65 of 68 shots he faced in the playoffs.
DAVID LA VAQUE