“We’re ranked #1. We scored 26 goals in three games, so we’re pretty good,” declared senior Mitch Pederson.
At first, one might assume these to be the Edina varsity team’s stats. Au contraire. These numbers belong to the Edina Hockey Association’s Junior Gold A team (JGA).
Pederson, a defenseman, is one of JGA’s 17 players, all of whom are Edina seniors. “We were not expecting this many seniors, but we’re happy to have so many,” said assistant coach Jim Friedrichs, known to his players simply as Frieds.
What results from this team composition? “We have a team that will stick behind each other and take care of each other,” said Friedrichs.
“We all relate to each other. Everybody chimes into the conversation in the locker room,” said Pederson.
This team’s chemistry seems to be the secret to JGA’s success. “We have a lot of mature kids this year,” said Friedrichs. “This team is as qualified as any high school team in most of the area.”
JGA isn’t the only team that can boast of a solid season. With a record of 12-2, the Edina boys varsity team is continuing their legacy of competitiveness. They’ve accomplished this amidst a lot of new, young faces on the team; in fact, nearly half of the; players this year are underclassmen.
“They’re adapting really well to the change of pace of high school hockey. It’s fun to see,” said varsity captain Nick Leer.
Sophomore Cullen Munson is one of these young, new faces who made the team for the first time this year. The age of the team isn’t important, though, according to Munson. “People underestimate ourteam because we are considered ‘young,’ but if you can play at the [required] level it shouldn’t matter how old you are,” he said.
The Edina hockey teams have been stacking up on more than goals and wins. The fans have been pouring in, too.
“There are just as many kids at our [JGA] games this year as at varsity games when I played last year,” said Pederson.
“It was one of the most well-attended Holiday Classics in a couple of years,” said Leer of the varsity team’s December tournaments.
The fan bases have shifted this year, however. Senior Molly Little, who is a superfan for both the JGA and the varsity teams, explained that “there’s definitely more seniors at JGA, but all in all there’s definitely more fans at the varsity games.”
Why the concentration of seniors at JGA? The answer is simple. “The JGA are really fun to go to because we get to cheer on our [senior] friends and it’s free,” said Little. Where seniors play, seniors will stay—and watch.
Edina hockey is seeing some major changes in players’ age and fan base this season. Still, the players are winning and the fans are happy.
“There are more games to go to, which is the important thing. We all love to watch hockey,” said Little.
