It took three Class 2A state championship trips before Edina could claim a blue-ribboned gold medal. In two previous championship game appearances, the Hornets were runner-up to Roseville in 2010 and Minnetonka in 2011.
Saturday, the top-seeded Hornets completed their championship journey with a 4-0 victory over Blaine at the Xcel Energy Center.
Junior forward Lolita Fidler scored two goals and senior goalie Anna Goldsmith made 16 saves in recording the historic win for the Hornets' program.
Edina (28-1-1) built a 2-0 lead with 2:07 left in the first period on a re-directed shot by senior forward Olivia Kilberg. She was cruising through the front of the goal when sophomore defender Evelyn Adams fired a shot from along the near boards. Kilberg got just enough stick on the shot to direct it past Blaine junior goalie Jaela O'Brien.
The Hornets, making their seventh state tournament appearance, wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. With just 59 seconds elapsed, Fidler scored her third goal of the tournament by deflecting a shot by junior Eva Hendrickson, who fired a blast from just inside the blue line.
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Fidler scored her second goal of the game midway through the second period on a rebound after an initial shot by Kilberg. Sophomore forward Olivia Swaim completed the Hornets' scoring with a third period goal.
Class 1A
Make it seven for the Blake Bears, who cruised to a 6-2 victory over St. Paul United Saturday in the Class 1A championship to capture their state-record seventh title.
Five unanswered goals over the first and second periods gave the Bears their fourth consecutive victory over United in the past year and the fourth title in the past five seasons.
In addition to Blake's 8-0 victory over St. Paul United in last season's Class A championship game, the Bears also defeated United twice during play in the Independent Metro Athletic Conference. Blake defeated St. Paul United 3-0 on Jan. 3, and then 4-1 two weeks later.
The rematch didn't go any better for United.
The Bears (27-2-1) gained the separation they were looking for with a three-goal second period that turned a tight 2-1 lead into a commanding 5-1 advantage with one period to play. Freshman forward Grace Johnson, freshman forward Audrey Wethington and sophomore forward Izzy Daniel each scored in the decisive second period.
Senior forward Joie Phelps and junior forward Samantha Burke had goals for United (21-7-2).
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Class 2A third-place:
Eden Prairie 6, Hill-Murray 0
Class 2A consolation
Farmington 3, Eastview 0
Class 1A third-place:
Warroad 6, Northfield 2
Class 1A consolation
Alexandria 1, Hibbing-Chisholm 0
