Minnetonka vs. Edina

7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25

After Edina spent the first month of the season atop the Class 2A coaches’ poll, some hockey observers had already christened the Hornets as state champions.

Then the unthinkable happened. Edina lost...as Minnetonka handled the Hornets in a 5-2 victory on Dec. 26 in the opening round of the Schwan’s Cup Gold Division.

The victory vaulted the Skippers to the No. 1 ranking, but they too had their grip on the top spot slip with a defeat to Duluth East. The Greyhounds then lost to Eden Prairie, and the revolving door at the top of the poll continued to spin, with Minnetonka making its way back to No. 1.

If there’s any assertion to be made midway through the season, it’s that no team is a standalone juggernaut in Class 2A. But for now, the Skippers retained the top rank among four teams that have only one loss on the season.

The Skippers junior class defeated the Hornets for the 2014-2015 Bantam AA state title, which was the first time many of the players had beaten an Edina team through their battles among the youth ranks in District 6.

And the rivalry remains strong at the varsity level. Both teams appear to be front-runners for the Lake Conference crown this season, and after Minnetonka’s recent success in high-stakes games, the Hornets (16-1, 1-0) will be eager to deal their longtime adversary its first conference loss.

Edina could also regain the No. 1 ranking with a win, which makes Thursday’s rematch between the Hornets and Skippers a west metro spectacle and our featured Top Game of the Week.

The Hornets have bounced back since their loss to Minnetonka and won seven in a row. Northern Michigan commit Jett Jungels (15-21-36) scored an overtime game-winner in a 4-3 victory over No. 7-2A White Bear Lake on Jan. 4.

After Minnetonka’s 4-2 loss to Duluth East on Jan. 6, when the Greyhounds found a late empty-net goal, the Skippers (14-1-2, 1-0) closed their homestand at Pagel Arena with wins over Blaine (10-1 on Jan. 11), No. 1-1A Hermantown (5-3 on Jan. 13) and No. 16-2A Eden Prairie (5-3 on Jan. 18). Leading scorer Joe Molenaar (17-5-22) notched six goals in that span after being held without a point against Duluth East.

The Skippers scored four unanswered goals against the Hornets in the first game, when Edina deflated in a scoreless third period. The Hornets have been dominant in the final period since, outscoring competition 32-5, and could have an edge if the Skippers do not put the game away early.