Photo Gallery: Edina vs Wayzata
It was a tie game at both intermissions, and Edina took the lead again – 3-2 this time – on Prescot Sexton’s goal early in the third period against Wayzata. It was Edina’s third one-goal lead of the night. Then Edina junior forward Matt Vander Vort made sure there was absolutely no doubt that the Hornets would take home the Turkey Trot championship.
Vader Vort scored a natural hat trick in a span of about four minutes to give the Hornets a 6-2 victory over Wayzata on Saturday at Plymouth Ice Center. It’s Vander Vort’s first career hat trick in his second year of high school hockey.
“Oh yeah, it’s definitely nice,” Vander Vort said. “But the team win comes first, and that’s what it ultimately comes down to.”
Not only was it his first hat trick, but through two games Vander Vort has already surpassed his goal total from all of last season when he scored two goals in 20 games.
Edina coach Curt Giles praised Vander Vort’s speed and credited him as a hard worker.
“Good to see him get rewarded for his hard work,” Giles said.
The Hornets (2-0) were all rewarded in a victory over Lake Conference and Section 6 rival Wayzata (1-1). Edina took early leads in the first two periods, first with a goal from senior forward Trey Fechko only one minute, 26 seconds into the game on the first shot on goal.
Rather than that goal opening the floodgates in terms of goal scoring, the story of the first period was the physical play and parade to the penalty box for both teams. With post-whistle hits, scrums and skirmishes, a total of nine penalties were assessed in the first period, including seven roughing minors. Twice a pair of players was sent off for coincidental roughing minors. At one point, Edina had three players in the box at the same time.
“We had to stay out of the penalty box,” Giles said. “They’ve got a good hockey team. You spend all day in the penalty box, they’re going to score goals on you.”
The last penalty of the first period indeed proved to be costly for Edina, when goaltender Robbie Clarkowski was tagged for roughing that gave the Trojans 1:07 of 5-on-3 time. With 12 seconds left in the second power play, the Trojans tied the game on sophomore forward Brittan Alstead’s second goal in as many nights. Alstead pounced on a rebound from Rhys Wallin off the rush.
Play was a bit cleaner in the second period, with only one late penalty assessed to Edina.
The Hornets took a 2-1 lead on their first shot of the period once again. Edina junior Jimmy Clark scored at the 1:55 mark, getting a quick pass at the goalmouth from Fechko, who was behind the net. That line of Clark, Fechko and A.J. Doll has already clicked well through two games. Clark had two goals and two assists the night before in a 6-5 overtime win over Maple Grove, while Doll had a hat trick and Fechko tallied three assists.
“Me and Jimmy played a lot together last year on special teams,” Fechko said. “And we started the season on the same line last year.
“Just to see us clicking early, hopefully keep it going into the next few games.”
The Trojans tied the game again in the second period on Max McCollins’ first goal of the season when he rifled a shot from the top of the circles that evaded the goaltender. McCollins became the sixth different goal scorer for Wayzata through the first two games this season.
The Hornets crashed the net for that 3-2 lead in the third. Then Vander Vort went to work on his hat trick. The first goal developed from a 3-on-1 play that Vander Vort finished.
“My linemate, Jackson Nevers, gave me a super-nice pass,” Vander Vort said. “All I had to do was tap it in. That was the one that kind of opened the floodgates for us. That was great. Super great play by him.”
Vader Vort followed up with goals with 3:28 and 1:41 remaining in regulation.
In goal, Clarkowski made 25 saves, while Wayzata junior Will Ingemann stopped 11 shots. The Trojans went 1-for-5 on the power play; Edina went 0-for-2. The Hornets were itching to play, especially against Wayzata, Fechko said.
“We wanted some revenge on these guys, because they beat us 8-2 last year in the section semis,” Fechko said. “It just felt so good getting the first one (goal) and getting the boys rolling and then steamrolling them in the end.”