Class AA Boys Hockey State Semifinal: Edina 5, Grand Rapids 2

An old vs. new kind of matchup for the Class AA championship is now set.

Top-seeded Edina made sure of that with a convincing 5-2 victory over No. 5 Grand Rapids in the semifinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament on Friday, March 8 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Senior wing Bobby Cowan, a University of Minnesota recruit, scored two goals to lead four different scorers in sending the Hornets (25-4-1) into the big-school championship game against Chanhassen (25-5-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

It will be a tale of two programs. Edina has been to the League’s state tournament 37 times dating to 1967. In that span, the Hornets have claimed 13 championships and been the runner-up four times, including a year ago to Minnetonka. Chanhassen, however, is the antithesis. The Storm are in the state tournament for the first time. To get here, Chanhassen defeated top-ranked and defending big-school champion Minnetonka in the Section 2AA championship game.

Whether Edina continues its championship tradition or Chanhassen begins one, both teams are at the top of their game entering the final contest of the year with the biggest prize at stake. Just mere hours after Chanhassen rolled past unseeded Cretin-Derham Hall in the first semifinal, Edina was methodical in cruising past the Thunderhawks (18-12-0).

Grand Rapids started off in a positive manner by posting the first four shots of the first period. But the rest of the way, Edina took over and outshot the Thunderhawks 13-3, including four that went for goals.

Cowan capped the spree on a breakaway goal with 1:40 left in the period. It was his 22^nd goal of the season, and later, he would another. University of Minnesota recruit Jackson Nevers opened the scoring for the Hornets, and later goals from senior wings John Halverson and John Warpinski, followed respectively.

Grand Rapids finally broke through for a goal with 8:28 left in regulation on a sizzling wrister by sophomore wing Seth Carlson. The Thunderhawks added another three minutes later on a power-play goal from senior center Jacob Garski to ignite some comeback hopes.