Every year, before sections, the Edina Girls’ Hockey team prepares a motto—something to define their postseason push. This year, it was simple: “Give it your all.”

And they did. From the first puck drop in the section playoffs to the final, crushing moment in the state championship, the Hornets gave everything they had. Through every shift, they played with energy and maintained trust in their abilities to control what they could. Even in the sting of a 4–5 double-overtime loss to Hill-Murray in the Class AA state final on Feb. 22, they left the ice knowing they had played like Hornets.

“We all worked really hard, we all battled hard. I mean, the puck can go any way, any bounce can go any way,” senior captain and forward Whitney Horton said in the press conference after the game. “It just wasn’t our night.”

Edina entered the tournament as the top seed, carrying a 23–3–1 record and the weight of defending their state title from last year. After a close game in sections against Benilde-St. Margaret’s and earlier state games against Farmington and Holy Family Catholic, the Hornets found themselves back in the championship game against a familiar opponent; seeking revenge for last year’s final, Hill-Murray, came out strong.

“We kind of knew what to expect, but we also knew [Hill-Murray was] going to bring their all, as most teams do against us because we are Edina and we [are] a huge target,” sophomore defender Libby Moe said.

The championship game was a battle from the start with the Hornets and the Pioneers continuously circling the rink as they vied for control over the puck. Junior forward Cate McCoy made the first goal five minutes into the game, assisted by Moe. This was McCoy’s fourth point at the tournament, and the only other point not scored by her she assisted.

Yet Hill-Murray responded quickly, tying the game just minutes later. The teams continued their back-and-forth battle, with junior forward Lorelai Nelson scoring Edina’s second goal, assisted by Horton and Moe. By the end of the first period, the game was tied 2–2.

The second period continued the first as neither side could sustain control over the offense. In total, Edina racked up eight shots as Hill-Murray gained seven. McCoy netted her second goal of the night off assists from Moe and Nelson, only for Hill-Murray to answer again.

But, with time running out in the second period, Horton received a loose puck from junior Brenna Prellwitz and skated across the neutral zone, shooting the puck right into the net with one second left on the clock. Horton’s unexpected goal broke the tie and brought a burst of emotion from the student section. The Hornets had a 4–3 lead heading into the third.

The Hornets carried that momentum into the final period, but Hill-Murray refused to back down. Despite strong defensive efforts from Edina, Hill-Murray made seven shots on Edina’s goal and tied the game again, at 4–4. The final minutes of regulation were tense, with senior goaltender Reese McConnell making crucial saves to keep Edina alive.

“Sometimes, these goals get in my head a little bit, but then once I go into the next period, I can reset, and my mentality is just focusing on the next shot,” McConnell said. “I felt like, even after it was tied, I was still giving my team a chance to come back and score and get ahead.”

But with neither team able to break the tie in the third period, the game headed into overtime. “We kind of knew what we had to do,” Nelson said. “We were talking about staying calm and playing our game and having good defense.”

Edina came out aggressive, putting five shots on goal, but Hill-Murray’s defense held strong. “It really was back and forth, pretty much the entire game,” Moe said.

Both teams were exhausted, skating on determination alone. “It’s mind over matter at that point. You got to tell yourself you’re not tired, you’re ready to go,” head coach Sami Cowger said in the press conference after the game.

The Hornets knew the championship could come down to one final play. “It’s definitely very stressful. Every time they got in our zone, I’d have, like, a mini panic attack,” Nelson said.

Then, six minutes into the second overtime, the Pioneers found the net.

Edina’s bench fell silent. Hill-Murray had won, 5–4.

“Immediately following the loss, I just felt for the seniors who have really shaped the program and been there for me since the beginning,” Nelson said. “I was super sad about that, but I knew that we gave it our all.”
For the seniors, the loss marked the end of their high school careers. 

“Honestly, it didn’t even register with me right away, like, ‘what just happened?’ And again, I didn’t have any doubts that we would ever lose that game,” senior captain and defender Camille Dubuc said. “So I thought that [it] wasn’t real. [It] was like a dream.”

When Hill-Murray began celebrating, Dubuc went over to hug McConnell and Edina’s other senior goaltender, Nora Hannan. “The first thing that honestly popped into my head was that I’ve never let in five goals in my high school career,” McConnell said. “It was a very heartbreaking thing too, because it was my last game wearing the Edina jersey with all my best friends.”

As the Hornets lined up to receive their silver medals, their helmets stayed on. Horton, McCoy, Moe, and Nelson were announced to the 2025 Girls Class AA All-Tournament Team. “My [jersey] number is pretty low [so] I was one of the first people called, so I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. If you look at the photo, I’m sobbing in it,” Moe said. “I’m so honored to be part of it, but I was really just thinking about our team right there, and just how unfortunate that moment was.”

After the Hornets returned to the locker room, they recognized the seniors’ contributions to the team and grieved. “I didn’t know what to feel, kind of, and I’d say it hadn’t fully hit me yet until I got in the locker room. When Sami started talking about the seniors, it just all came out at once,” McConnell said. “We all mourned together and left as a team.”

In the days after, players struggled to move on. Some returned to the rink just to sit together, still reflecting on the end of the season. “Right now I’m okay. It kind of comes in waves and it like ebbs and flows, but I think we’re all going to get through it together,” McConnell continued.

“We’ve all been posting memories and reminiscing about how fun the year was together. So I feel like we can’t even handle being apart, we’re just that close,” Dubuc said. “We all just want to sulk together because it’s better that way than dealing with it alone.”

As she came to terms with the loss, Moe found herself replaying the game in her mind. “Obviously you’re going to think about the little plays, but you really [have to] think about how you control the controllables. Like, did I give everything? Was I a good teammate? Did I have high energy? And I think for pretty much all of us, all three of those boxes were checked,” she said.

Throughout the season, the team’s chemistry has been undeniable. From pre-game dance parties to pasta dinners, the Hornets have built something greater than a win-loss record.

“I’ll miss all of our memories for sure, but I’ll [also] miss just being with them all the time, dancing in the locker room with them, always making me laugh, all of our game day superstitions, and all the highs and lows we’ve been through together,” Nelson said.

On the ice, the Hornets’ camaraderie has been evident—whether it’s Hannan and McConnell roughing up the crease together before each period or the bench erupting in cheers for every small victory. In the locker room, their focus on setting goals while also having fun by creating handshakes and playlists has helped them bond.

“The girls themselves, they literally are like family to me—even the coaches too,” Dubuc said.

Despite the loss in the championship game, the Hornets held their heads high. Their achievements throughout the year have also shown their effort. Horton was a semifinalist for the 2025 Ms. Hockey Award and Hannan and McConnell were both semifinalists for the 2025 Jori Jones Award.

“Every skate we’ve done, every late practice and lift and workout, I think just getting to the state tournament shows how hard we’ve worked during the year,” Nelson said. “And only two teams can say they made it to the state final game.”

“You don’t go into the state championship thinking you’re going to lose,” Moe said. “It really hurts to get second place, but we left it all out there. There’s not much that could have been done. As long as you give your all every moment, it’ll be okay.”