Edina senior Henry Bowlby flashed an array of attributes on Saturday in the Hornets’ 7-2 Class 2A, Section 2 dismantling of Bloomington Jefferson at Braemar Arena in Edina.

Grit and tenacity: With no score early in the first period, Bowlby was jamming and jamming and jamming some more at the puck as it sat in front of Jefferson goaltender Josh Waldron. Bowlby might as well have been a coal miner swinging a pickaxe when he finally chopped the puck into the net.

“I can’t tell you exactly how many times I whacked at it,” said Bowlby, who has committed to play at St. Lawrence. “I just got excited when I saw the puck barely cross, then looked over at the ref who signaled it was in.”

Skill and precision: The No. 2-ranked and top-seeded Hornets (21-3-2) led 2-0 midway through the second period when Bowlby slipped into an open area in the crease to the left of Waldron, just in time to receive a pass from defenseman Sam Fuss. Bowlby didn’t use brute force to score this time, however. On the contrary, he displayed the sort of deft hands you would expect out of a world class watchmaker or concert violinist as he whipped a backhand high over Waldron’s catching glove and just inside the crossbar.

Modesty: “Very nice pass from Fuss,” Bowldby said. “I had actually just gotten off the bench and he saw me, took a fake slap shot and made the pass. I just finished it off.

All of that from a player not known for his goal scoring (Bowlby had seven goals in 25 regular season games).

Speed: Hornets coach Curt Giles said Bowlby’s best asset is his skating ability. When Bowlby turns on the afterburners he is one of the fastest players on one of the state’s fastest teams.

“He can just skate,” Giles said. “He makes it look easy. He moves well. He skates like his sister. They skate the same way.”

That sister part is quite a complement. Bowlby’s sister Grace is not only a sophomore standout for the Hornets’ girls’ hockey team but one of the top players in the nation in her age group. She played for Team USA in Buffalo, N.Y., in the most recent World Under-18 Championships.

Bowlby and linemates Matt Masterman and Casey Dornbach were on the ice for four of Edina’s goals – and none against. That production took the scoring load off the likes of Notre Dame commit Dylan Malmquist, one of Edina’s leading all-time scorers and a Mr. Hockey finalist, and fellow first-liner Garrett Wait, a junior who has committed to the University of Minnesota. 

“Any goal that they put in is a big goal,” Malmquist said about Bowlby’s line.

Edina’s speed and scoring balance came as no surprise to Bloomington Jefferson coach Jeff Lindquist. His Jaguars (14-11-2 and the section's No. 4 seed) have had their season come to a halt in the playoffs at the hands of the Hornets in six of the last seven seasons. Last year Edina beat the Jaguars 5-1 in the section finals en route to its second straight state title.

“I think this team is better than the last two that won the state tournament, I really do,” Lindquist said. “The way they move the puck . . . too hard to defend.”

Senior forward Henry Bowlby scored twice to lead No. 2-ranked Edina, the two-time defending state Class 2A champion, past Bloomington Jefferson 7-2 on Saturday afternoon in a Class 2A, Section 2 semifinal at Braemar Arena in Edina.

The Hornets (23-1-2) led 2-0 after the first period, then erupted for four goals in the second – including two on power plays in the closing 2 minutes, 15 seconds of the period – and led 6-0 heading into the third.

The victory was Edina’s sixth over Bloomington Jefferson (14-11-2) in the playoffs in the last seven years. Starting in 2009, the teams have met in the section semifinals or finals every year except once (2011), with Edina winning the six games by a combined score of 33-12.

Bowlby, who has committed to St. Lawrence, opened the scoring less than 4 minutes into the first when he jammed a loose puck past Bloomington Jefferson goaltender Josh Waldron. Bowlby put Edina up 3-0 with 10:42 left in the second when he backhanded a shot into the upper right corner off a pass from the point from defenseman Sam Fuss.

Bowlby and linemates Matt Masterman (one goal, one assist) and Casey Dornbach (three assists) were on the ice for four of Edina’s goals.

A.J. Robbel and Charlie Straus scored for the Jaguars in the third period.

Bloomington Jefferson goaltender Josh Waldron faced 31 shots in the opening two periods and finished with 31 saves. Kobi Boe made 14 saves for the Hornets.

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