Edina tops Wayzata in Minnesota High School Boys Hockey Section 6AA Championship: Live Score Recap (2/25)

The Hornets defeated Trojans for the fourth consecutive time to reach the MSHSL boys hockey state tournament

Wayzata looks to overcome the Hornets in the 2026 Section 6AA championship game | Earl Ebensteiner

MINNEAPOLIS — For the fourth consecutive season, the Edina Hornets and the Wayzata Trojans stood single file along opposite blue lines to accept their medals at the conclusion of the Section 6AA championship game. 

For the fourth consecutive season, Edina accepted the first place medals. 

• Minnesota High School Boys Hockey 2026 Section Tournament Brackets, Matchups, Schedule (MSHSL)

Wayzata received its second-place medals first, and the Trojans watched as Edina received its medals and the winning trophy and skated toward its student section in celebration. Many Trojans watched. Some, such as senior forward Eli Molde, didn’t need to watch it again, so he skated to the locker room at the first moment he could.

The Hornets defeated Wayzata 3-1 thanks to a strong second period to advance to the 2026 MSHSL State Tournament in what is becoming a ritual for both teams.

Molde is a member of a senior class for Wayzata whose final moment in a blue uniform comes in this game, against Edina, the same as the three senior classes before him.  

“All of our seniors worked their hardest and gave it their all in their last game,” Molde said. “I’m really proud of these guys and how far we came this season.” 

On the other blue line, the Edina seniors celebrated another trip to the state tournament for the program with the most Minnesota state championships in history. The Edina seniors class only knows how to end the season at Grand Casino Arena. 

“I have a lot of respect for the people who played before us, guys who play with us, and guys who will play after us.” Edina senior defenseman Sam Peckham said. “We don’t want to be outworked. I think that’s the recipe. It’s worth doing it the hard way and the right way.”

Despite the program’s history, some Hornets were inexperienced on the bigger stage. They lost critical and talented players from last season’s Class 2A runner-up squad, so they needed some guys besides the seniors to meet the occasion.  

Junior Bode McConnell did. Molde gave Wayzata a 1-0 lead after one period, but McConnell scored two goals late in the second period, and a third empty-net goal to stamp the win. 

The first came with good fortune for the Hornets, and perhaps a sign that the Trojans are cursed in this game. The Hornets dumped the puck, and McConnell skated toward Wayzata goalie Ryan Pellinger as a Trojans defenseman expected to gather it behind the goal. Instead, the puck bounced off the board and toward the goal. It hit the back of the goal with enough speed to flip over the goal, and McConnell swatted it out of the air and into the net. 

Almost one minute later, McConnell’s wrist shot from a tight angle slipped through Pellinger at the near post, and the Hornets entered the second intermission with momentum and half a stadium of loud Hornets fans. 

“The environment was popping,” McConnell said. “Nothing can beat it.”

For the Trojans, it was deja vu. Wayzata mustered a final push, but the Trojans could not put another puck past Edina senior goalie Chase Bjorgaard after the first period. The Hornets were the stronger team for two periods.

“We just got so much momentum with our forecheck,” Edina senior forward Alex White said. “I think, in the first period, we had some young guys who had some nerves. Even some seniors had some nerves. I feel like after the first period, we started to get some momentum. Being physical got us momentum.”

It also got them another win against Wayzata in late February.

“We know they’re a great team,” White said. “We know what to expect from them, playing them twice, sometimes three times a year. We know it’s always going to be a battle. We just have to play our hardest, and us seniors, we know how to win.”

Edina tops Wayzata in Minnesota High School Boys Hockey Section 6AA Championship: Live Score Recap (2/25)

The Wayzata band performed the national anthem, and the game is almost underway.

First Period Updates

Edina wins the opening faceoff, and the game is underway.

Shots on goal are even at one in the opening five minutes. Neither team has generated a quality chance — 12:15 remaining

Edina foward Dylan Donnay had a chance to shoot on an open net, but he could not connect with the puck after a pass from behind the net. Minutes later, the Trojans sustained some pressure in the Hornets zone and forced saves from Edina goalie Chase Bjorgaard — 7:54

Edina's Bode McConnell had a great chance right in front of the goal, but Wayzata goalie Ryan Pellinger stretched his pad out and made the save to keep the game scoreledd — 6:00

Power play for Wayzata. Edina's Gage Geyer goes to the penalty box for two minutes for charging — 5:01

The Hornets kill the penalty. The Trojans had a couple shots force a save from Bjorgaard but nothing on the scoreboard to show for it — 2:49

GOAL WAYZATA! From his zone, Eli Molde skated down the left side of the rink and drove the puck at Bjorgaard while Christopher Pyle also crashed the net, and in the chaos in front of the net, the puck went in. Assist to Tommy Colmenero and Maddox Balon — Wayzata 1, Edina 0 | 1:46

END OF FIRST PERIOD: Wayzata 1, Edina 0

SOG
Wayzata: 12
Edina: 7

Second Period Updates

Edina wins the face off, and the second period is underway.

Power play for Edina! Wayzata's George Mattson goes to the penalty box for tripping — 14:30 remaining in the second period

Wayzata is back to full strength. Edina put a few shots on Pellinger to cut into Wayzata's SOG advantage.

Ten minutes remain in the second period, and Edina has been the better team in the period, thanks in part to a power play, but both teams are creating chances more freuqnely compared to the first period. SOG advantage is now Edina's at 14-13.

Five minutes remain in the second period, and Edina has put nine SOG to Wayzata's one in the period so far, but the Hornets have still not netted their first goal.

GOAL EDINA! After 15 minutes of a strong second period, the Hornets are on the board. Junior forward Bode McConnell ties the game. Goal was unassisted. The puck shot off the boards, hit the net, flipped into the air, over Pellinger, and McConnell hit it in — Wayzata 1, Edina 1 | 1:46

GOAL EDINA! McConnell gets the Hornets a second just over one minute later. He shot the puck to the near post while in between the faceoff circle and the goal line, and it slipped by Pellinger. Assist by Dylan Donnay — Edina 2, Wayzata 1 — 0:37

END OF SECOND PERIOD: Edina 2, Wayzata 1

SOG
Edina :19
Wayzata 16

Third Period Updates

The third period begins, and immediately Wayzata senior defenseman Ben Turek is hit along the boards and goes down holding his right shoulder. The referee's call a roughing penalty on McConnell for the hit — 16:48

Edina kills the power play.

Five minutes into the period, and Wayzata has tiltled the ice in its favor, but the Hornets still lead 2-1.

Edina's Donnay crashed into the boards, and he's helped to the bench by his teammates — 7:55

Five minutes remain, and Edina leads 2-1. Wayzata has a 26-25 SOG advantage.

Two minutes remain, and the Trojans are trying to keep the puck in the Edina zone, but the Hornets defense has cleared it multiple times.

Wayzata pulls Pellinger with 1:32 remaining, and Edina proceeds to shoot multiple pucks at the open net, but the Trojans deflect each of them.

Timeout Wayzata. Edina 2, Wayzata 1 — 1:07 remaining

GOAL EDINA! McConnell slings the puck down the ice and into the open net for hat trick — Edina 3, Wayzata 1 — 0:18

FINAL: Edina 3, Wayzata 1

SOG
Wayzata 29
Edina 28

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