Box Score: Edina vs. Benilde-St. Margaret's - 2008 Class AA Semifinal

Edina 5, Benilde-St. Margaret's 4 (Final - Overtime!)

Edina | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 || 5 |
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 || 4 |

Shots:

Edina | 10 | 4 | 9 | 3 || 26 |
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 7 | 16 | 10 | 2 || 35 |

Scoring:

1st Period:

Edina: 7:24, Matt Leer (unassisted)
Benilde-St. Margaret's: 15:48, Jon Holmers (Tom Knauff)
Edina: 16:04, Joe Gleason 3 (Jack Jorgeson, Marshall Everson)

I am severely lamenting that I was unable to attend the tournaments this year. I hope it is the last time that I will ever miss one for the rest of my life. The games tonight should be special.

Well, this matchup is turning out as advertised. After one period, Ken Pauly and the Benilde-St. Margaret's still need to figure out how to slow down the Hornets just a little bit more. They were doing fine after the Leer goal. They positioned themselves to score and tie the Hornets on a great play from Knauff to Holmers. It looked like we were going to be tied after one. Mr. Hockey candidate Joe Gleason would not let that happen. Gleason stepped in from the blue line and took a nice slap shot that got past Meyers.

Edina can be slowed down for a little while and they will give up a goal or two but, if not contained the entire game, they will continue to find a way to score. The Red Knights have their hands full. If they can score the next goal and tie the game up again, I expect the Red Knights to spend much of the rest of the game concentrating on just keeping the puck out of their end and hope that they can catch a break with a power play opportunity or a breakaway. The Red Knights have the defense to keep the Hornets wrapped up. Remember, they did beat Edina earlier in the year on a big sheet of ice, 2-1. It is already 2-1 and that favors Edina at this point. The Red Knights need to shut Edina down in the second period.

2nd Period:

Edina: 4:54, Zach Budish 2 (powerplay) (Marshall Everson, Brendan Baker)
Benilde-St. Margaret's: 8:16, Steve Zierke 1 (powerplay) (unassisted)

Benilde-St. Margaret's comes out firing and rings one off the post. At 15:10, the Red Knights are going on the power play due to a Matt Leer roughing penalty. These are the moments that Benilde-St. Margaret's really needs to take advantage of.

Edina scored on their power play. Remember that series of events. The Red Knights could not convert on their power play but Edina did early in the second period.

Benilde-SM is going on the power play again thanks to a Charlie Taft interference penalty. The Red Knights are 0-3 so far on the power play tonight. Score! The Red Knights convert on their fourth chance on the power play. Steve Zierke manuevered deep inside the zone and shot high on Caschetta. We have a one-goal game again.

I am a bit surprised at how aggressive Benilde-SM was in the second period. The Red Knights fired 16 shots at Caschetta in that period and Edina is scrambling and back on their heels a little bit. I thought it would be vice versa. Edina has to be thankful to still have the lead at this point.

The Red Knights need to do the same thing in the third period and, if they duplicate another 16 shots, at least one will go in. Edina needs to come back out and play their game. They are allowing the Red Knights to dictate the play right now. It should be a fantastic finish!

3rd Period:

Edina: 2:12, Baker 1 (Connor Gaarder, Patrick Regan)
Benilde-St. Margaret's: 2:58, Chris Student 1 (Matt Bergland)
Benilde-St. Margaret's: 4:38, Matt Bergland (Zierke, Blake Applehof)

Here we go again. I started to type that the Hornets broke out to a two goal lead again but less than a minute later the Red Knights strike. It's 4-3 Edina with less than 14 minutes to go.

Wow. We are now tied! The Red Knights first line swarmed the net and after a scramble and Caschetta trying to cover up the puck, Matt Bergland backhands the puck into the net. It's 4-4.

Edina is now on the power play. Tom McCarthy was called for tripping at 4:54. The Hornets hit the pipe! Jacob Meyers make a nice save on Anders Lee. The Knights are back to full strength.

The game is intense! I can hardly keep up.

With about 9:00 minutes to go, that fantastic line of Zierke, Bergland, and Applehof are virtually unstoppable right now. They just came down again with Zierke taking the initial shot high on Caschetta. Bergland got a long rebound and drove it hard back into Caschetta and Caschetta hung on to the puck that time.

Jacob Meyers makes a nice save for the Red Knights as Marshall Everson came in all alone from Meyers right to left. Meyers just made ANOTHER save on Everson and Anders Lee. Meyers looking tough right now.

Inside 30 seconds to go, score still tied, Applehof took a shot at the top of the slot and Jack Jorgeson went down. It looked like he caught the puck in the throat area. The ref blew the whistle due to the injury. He was able to get up and go to the bench. He looked like he'd be okay.

We are headed for overtime! Incredible game. Minnesota high school hockey at its best! I wish I was there to take in that atmosphere. There is NOTHING like it.

Overtime:

Edina: 5:48, Marshall Everson 2 (Lee, Budish)

The first overtime is eight minutes long without the ice getting the Zamboni treatment.

Penalty! Niklas Almstrom tripped Joe Gleason as he was just coming out of the Edina zone. Edina is on a power play at 2:27 of the first overtime, 5:33 left on the clock.

Wow! The Red Knights killed the Hornets powerplay but BARELY. There were chances on both ends. The puck trickled across the Red Knight crease and the Red Knights had a 2-1 shorthanded chance the other way that Caschetta had to up big to save and he did. Back and forth action!

Edina scores! Anders Lee makes a nice pass down low to Marshall Everson on the left side of Meyers that Meyers initially saved but Everson was able bang home the rebound. The Horne
ts leading scorer wins it for Edina.

I didn't think this would be a high scoring affair but I am sure glad it was!

Great game! Classic! Congratulations to the Hornets and the Red Knights on a well-played game!

Saves: Derrick Caschetta (Edina) 31 | Jacob Meyers (Benilde-St. Margaret's) 21

FollowThePuck's Three Stars:

1. Marshall Everson - Edina
2. Matt Bergland - Benilde-St. Margaret's
3. Zach Budish - Edina