Defending Class 2A champion Edina grinded out a 3-1 victory against Eagan in Friday’s late Class 2A boys’ hockey semifinal.

Edina, winner of 11 state championships, advanced to play No. 2 seed Lakeville North in Saturday’s championship game. The Hornets will try to win consecutive large-school titles for the first time since Bloomington Jefferson captured three from 1992-94.

Dylan Malmquist was credited with a Hornets goal only 1 minute, 52 seconds into the game. His shot was saved by Wildcats goaltender Andrew Lindgren, but teammate Taylor Karel inadvertently swept the puck over the goal line on a clearing attempt.

Garrett Wait beat Lindgren clean on a goal with only 11 seconds remaining in the second period to provide an emotional lift.

“It was just crazy in the locker room after that,” Wait said.

Edina’s 2-0 lead held until Jack Jenson scored for Eagan with 46 seconds remaining. An answering empty-net goal from Malmquist sealed the outcome with 15.6 seconds to play.

After spotting Edina (23-4-1) a lead, Eagan (19-9-1) did a solid defensive job. Senior defenseman Nick Wolff, a Mr. Hockey Award finalist, was a constant, menacing presence. He jarred opposing players and defused scoring chances all while logging a ton of ice time.

“Edina is a good team and we knew we had to work our butts off,” Wolff said.

Malmquist, taking advantage of a rare clear shooting lane, fired and was denied by Lindgren’s glove.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats struggled against Edina’s depth and speed. Content to chip pucks out of the zone, Eagan rarely mounted a crisp offensive charge.

“We tried to keep the pressure on them because it’s a long way to go when you’ve got to come out of your defensive zone,” Edina coach Curt Giles said.

The Wildcats’ best chance came with one second remaining in the first period when Ian Entzion rang the post on the power play.

First report

Dylan Malmquist scored twice, and Andrew Rohkohl made 16 saves as defending Class 2A state champion and top-seeded Edina beat No. 5 seed Eagan 3-1 in the semifinals of the state boys' Class 2A hockey tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Malmquist was credited with the Hornets’ goal early in the first period. His shot was saved by Wildcats’ goaltender Andrew Lindgren but teammate Taylor Karel inadvertently swept the puck over the goal line on a clearing attempt.

Garrett Wait beat Lindgren clean on a goal with just 11 seconds remaining in the second period.

The teams traded goals in the final minute, with Eagan pulling to within 2-1 with 46 seconds left on a goal by Jack Jenson. Edina regained its two-goal cushion when Malmquist scored into an empty net with 23 seconds remaining.

Edina (24-4-1) earned the right to face No. 2 seed Lakeville North (24-4-1) in Saturday’s championship game. 

The Hornets lost 2-1 to Eagan on Dec. 7.

After spotting Edina a lead just 1 minute and 52 seconds into the game, Eagan (19-10-1) did a solid job defensively. Senior defenseman Nick Wolff, a Mr. Hockey Award finalist, was a constant, menacing presence. He jarred opposing players and defused scoring chances all while logging the third most ice time behind the two goaltenders and four officials.

But the Wildcats struggled against Edina’s depth and speed. Content to chip pucks out of the zone, Eagan rarely mounted a crisp offensive charge. The Wildcats’ best chance came with one second remaining in the first period when Ian Entzion rang the post on the power play.

The Hornets' defensive corps ruled the neutral zone, shutting off Eagan’s attempts time and again. Eagan was outshot 27-17.

The teams seemed headed for a one-goal margin of victory. Malmquist, taking advantage of a rare clear lane to the Eagan goal, fired and was denied by Lindgren’s glove.

But Wait’s goal gave Edina an emotional boost while casting doubt in the minds of tiring Eagan players.

DAVID LA VAQUE


Photo gallery: Edina vs. Eagan


Postgame Press Conference: Edina 3, Eagan 1