Skippers outlast Hornets in front of sellout crowd

by Rob Brent, Let’s Play Hockey

A sellout crowd of 2,128 fans packed Braemar Arena Friday night to witness a traditional high school hockey rivalry between the Edina Hornets and the Minnetonka Skippers. While the game is always a spirited tilt, this edition of the matchup had even more up for grabs, with Edina entering the game as the #1AA girls hockey team in the state, with Minnetonka nipping at their heels as the #2AA ranked team.

Edina, the defending state champs, took the ice with a 10-game winning streak. Their last loss came to Minnetonka on Dec. 7. The teams met again as part of the Walser Tournament on Dec. 28. That time, Edina skated away with a 4-0 victory. That meant Friday night’s matchup served as the rubber match between the two teams for their final meeting of the regular season.

The game started like a rivalry matchup as both teams played with high intensity. Edina had the best of the game’s early play, but Minnetonka Senior Layla Hemp made several big saves, which would become a theme as the night wore on. Hemp, a Golden Gophers commit, has had an excellent season for Minnetonka with an 11-1 record, a .954 save percentage, and a 1.01 goals-against average. 

Hemp’s counterpart, Edina’s Nora Hannon, has also had a productive season. Hannon, a senior and University of St. Thomas commit, entered the game with eight wins and one loss. The sterling record is backed up with a .937 save percentage and 1.10 goals against average. Two stalwart goaltenders spelled the potential for a low-scoring game. Hannon played a crucial role early in the game when Minnetonka gained the game’s first powerplay but was unable to score.

Edina played well early, outshooting Minnetonka 7-1, but the Skippers soon responded. With around six minutes left to play in the first period, the visitors began to turn the tide of the game and registered some quality chances. While both teams threatened to score at times, the first period ended with no score and Edina outshooting Minnetonka 10-5.

The second period began with the two teams playing up-and-down, fast-paced hockey. The rivals traded chances early before one team finally broke through. Minnetonka freshman Claire Sommerfield opened the scoring in the game as she streaked down the left wing and ripped a shot that beat Nora Hannon in the top corner of the net. Sommerfield’s tally was her 10th of the season and 19th point overall. The goal came with 11:59 remaining in the second period.

The second period saw more of the same, with Edina getting several scoring chances on two powerplays that happened in quick succession. The Edina powerplay is one of the strongest areas of their game, as they’ve scored on 38.5% of their advantages this season. The Hornets got several high-quality chances but were unable to convert. The second frame ended with Minnetoka up 1-0.

While the rivalry game took center stage, the event also served as a celebration of Minnesota hockey. During the intermission, Virginia, Minnesota native and Olympian John Harrington joined players from the Minnesota Frost to meet and sign autographs with fans. Harrington is the former head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks women’s hockey team and played on the gold-medal-winning 1980 Olympic hockey team. The game also served as a fundraiser for Sophie’s Squad, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that supports mental health initiatives in youth sports. Edina did quite a lot to pack Braemar Arena Friday night, resulting in the building’s first sellout for girls’ hockey. The sellout crowd was a raucous mix of fans from both schools, and the building was electric entering a third and decisive final period.

The third period started with Minnetonka nearly scoring early, but Hannon was up to the task of keeping the Hornets in the game. Shortly after, Edina would again go on the powerplay after Minnetonka’s Bella Finnegan was sent to the box for hooking. Finnegan was a significant part of the game’s intensity all night, getting into skirmishes and playing an energetic style. Unfortunately for Minnetonka, that play resulted in them being short-handed for a crucial point in the game with just 10 minutes left. 

Minnetonka successfully killed that penalty and would again find themselves short-handed moments later. Much like in the second period, the Skippers managed to kill both penalties against the high-powered Edina offense. Edina pushed hard for the equalizer in the game’s dying moments but was ultimately stonewalled by  Hemp. Edina saw time run out as Minnetonka handed the Hornets a 1-0 loss on home ice while the Minnetonka team swarmed their victorious goaltender.

Both team’s goaltenders played excellent games, with Hannon stopping 14 of 15 shots.Hemp notched a 26-save shutout that made her the game’s biggest story. The shutout marked Hemp’s fifth of the season in 19 games. While Edina fell short, both teams played with intensity, which resulted in a fantastic game. Edina and Minnetonka proved themselves worthy of their #1 and #2 rankings in the state, though based on the game’s results, it seems that Minnetonka is the new team to beat.