Edina’s quest for a successful title defense remains alive.

Junior forward Caleb Pittsley made sure of that when he sent a sizzling wrist shot past Rogers senior goalie Wyatt Knott with 1 minute, 7 seconds remaining in overtime to send the No. 5-seeded Hornets to a 2-1 victory over the No. 4 Royals in the final Class AA quarterfinal of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament on Thursday, March 6 at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. 

Click the video box on this page for extended highlights of the Class AA State Quarterfinal between Edina and Rogers

With a second overtime looming, Pittsley gathered the puck at the top of the far circle. After skating in a stride with a defender in front of him, he pulled the puck back slightly before firing a shot that ended Day 2 of the four-day state tournament event. 

Edina (21-6-2), in the state tournament for the 38^th time, is seeking its 16^th crown, including a second in a row. The victory sends the Hornets into the big-school semifinals on Friday night where they will face a familiar foe: Moorhead. The Hornets were on the short end in two games this season, losing to the Spuds 4-1 on Nov. 23 and 4-2 on Dec. 26 during the holiday break. 

The last time Edina won a second consecutive title was in 2014. 

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Edina forced the eventual overtime when it scored the equalizer with three minutes remaining in the second period on an even-strength goal from sophomore forward Bode McConnell. He fired a shot from the near circle that sailed into the upper right corner. 

Ten minutes earlier, Rogers (23-4-2) opened the scoring on an even-strength goal from senior forward Mason Jenson. 

The final minutes of regulation time featured a flurry of activity. 

Rogers had a two-minute power play that produced great territorial advantage, but the Royals couldn’t put the finishing touches on their scoring plays. 

The Hornets nearly found the winning goal with a couple of seconds remaining in regulation. Junior forward Tucker Johnson was on the near crease post ready to cash in on a one-timer, but Rogers senior goalie Wyatt Knott made a pad save to that drew raves from the crowd.

Courtesy: Minnesota State High School League