Physical Hornets Advance to Championship

ST. PAUL, Minn- The Edina Hornets and Irondale Knights met for the second time this season in the class AA semi-final. Much has changed since the Knights 3-2 win over the Hornets on December 29. Laura Slominski’s commented after her Hornets quarterfinal win that her team is playing much better in the defensive zone than the first meeting. The Knights continue to score at a torrid pace with Meghan Lorence and Gina McDonald.

The Hornets controlled much of the play for the first six minutes but were only able to get three shots on net. Edina’s best scoring chance of the first came with 10:32 remaining in the first when Corrine Buie won a faceoff clean and put it on net. The Knights had a point blank opportunity later in the first but the door was closed by Maddie Dahl. With 3:19 remaining in the first Gillian McDonald gave up a rebound and another scoring opportunity but was quick to recover and make the save to keep the game scoreless. With McDonald and Lorence skating together, Edina took a tripping penalty and the Irondale power play went to work with 2:15 remaining in the period. The Hornets successfully killed off the penalty and the period ended with nothing to be had on the scoreboard. The Hornets limited McDonald, Lorence and company to just four shots in the period.

The see-saw battle continued into the second as the squads exchanged good scoring chances. McDonald and Dahl were equal to the task keeping the game scoreless. Lorence went to work as she dangled through traffic and got a wide open look but as she had all night, Dahl came to the rescue. Less than 30 seconds later, she was hauled down on her way to the net creating another power play opportunity for the Knights. Déjà vu struck the Hornets again as they were trying to kill off the penalty. Lorence was again hauled down and the Knights took a 5 on 3 advantage for 32 seconds. The could not convert on the 5 on 3 and McDonald crashed into the boards hard on a play that could have been called a third straight penalty on the Hornets. Dahl continued her spectacular play making Buie nearly scored shorthanded before Sarah Nielsen was called for an interference penalty just as the Irondale powerplay was ending. The Hornets escaped yet again on a slashing call on Irondale’s Megan Gjere evening things up 4 on 4. Sami Reber finally took care of the zeros on the score board when she dangled at the blue line skated in 3 on 1 and ripped a shot five hole on the power play to put the Hornets up 1-0. The Knights kept coming and at 12:12 Lorence threw a shot to the net that appeared to be deflected by McDonald but was credited to Lorence and the game was tied at 1. Less than a minute later Nielsen charged to the Irondale net and in what appeared to be straight out of a rugby scrum appeared to retake the lead. After the booth review, the goal stood and the Hornets regained the lead 2-1.

The Hornets played the 3rd period about as well as you could against two of the states prolific scorers. They held the Knights off the scoreboard and put the game away with a pair of goals. Most impressively, they held the Knights to three shots in the third period.

“We talked a lot about Irondale over the past day, how they beat us over the holiday break. We were excited to have another shot at them,” said Edina coach Laura Slominski. “ Our third period we just challenged them to stay calm even though we had a small lead knowing that Irondale has stayed in games all year and have found ways to win.”

The Hornets will play in their first state championship game tomorrow night.