sailor . com Lake Conference Hockey • Thursday , December 12 , 2024 Page 5
Defending champs are inspired to repeat
JOHN SHERMAN john . sherman @ apgecm . com
Edina High boys hockey captains Sam Peckham , Robbie Hoch and Mason West can ’ t forget the joy of winning the state Class AA championship at Xcel Energy Center last March .
Twenty thousand fans watched the Hornets rally for two goals in the third period for a 2-1 victory over Chanhassen . After two frustrating periods , Edina solved the mystery of goaltender Kam Hendrickson as the final win of the season gave them an
1 - Junior goalie Chase Bjorgaard 2 - Junior defenseman Brady Mullmann 3 - Sophomore defenseman Aidan Gordon 5 - Junior defenseman Dylan Dubuc 6 - Senior defenseman Charlie Velner 7 - Junior defenseman Sam Peckham 8 - Junior forward Caleb Pittsley 9 - Junior froward Mason West 10 - Sophomore forward Freddie Schneider 11 - Junior forward Alex White 12 - Junior forward David Colby 14 - Freshman defenseman Becker Wenkes 15 - Sophomore forward Bode McConnell 16 - Junior forward Brady Peterson 17 - Senior forward Quintin Schaefer 18 - Senior forward Casey Mason 19 - Junior forward Casey Vandertop 20 - Senior defenseman Robbie Hoch 22 - Senior forward Joe Cepek 23 - Junior forward Tucker Johnson 30 - Junior goalie Wyatt Spindler
EDINA HORNETS BOYS HOCKEY
overall record of 24-6-1 .
“ Our dream came true in front of 20,000 fans ,” Hoch said after a recent practice at Braemar Arena .
“ We had a great group of guys on that team ,” West said . “ A lot of us are on the team again this season . We have size , speed and some skilled players . There is a lot of chemistry among the guys , and that was a key factor in bringing everybody back for another year .”
Every year some of the best players in Minnesota succumb to the temptation of other hockey opportunities , whether its the USHL or another opportunity beyond the state ’ s borders . It is not unusual for an elite player to compete in Minnesota high school hockey as a freshman or sophomore , then leave for what appears to be a greener pasture .
West , who leads Edina ’ s offense as heir apparent to graduated superstars Jackson Nevers and Bobby Cowan , said , “ We have to do all of the little things well and be consistent . Our goal is to get pucks to the net .”
Last season , West , an All- Lake Conference selection , was Edina ’ s third leading scorer with 38 points on 15 goals and 23 assists .
Casey Vandertop is also back from last year ’ s team . He had good numbers for a sophomore with 31 points on 12 goals and 19 assists while winning a berth on the All-Lake Conference team .
Peckham helped Edina ’ s offense with pin-point passing . He scored one goal while racking up 23 assists .
Nevers , now playing Junior hockey in the USHL , led the Hornets last season with 52 points on 18 goals and 34 assists . Cowan was second on the team with 45 points on 24 goals and 21 assists .
Hoch occasionally ventures into Edina ’ s offense . He described himself as “ a hard-nosed , stay-at home defenseman .”
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN )
Edina High ’ s boys hockey captains for the 2024-25 season are , from left to right : Robbie Hoch , Mason West and Sam Peckham .
Looking at the new players on the team this year , Hoch said , “ It ’ s a good group . No one is lost out here . The new guys are getting acclimated to the speed of varsity hockey .”
Hoch pointed to Edina ’ s experience on defense as a key factor in the 2024-25 season .
“ We are helping the young guys learn to play the physical game ,” Peckham said .
Edina head coach Curt Giles , a defenseman in his NHL days , is a defensefirst coach . However , he complements defense with an exciting attack that makes use of the Hornets ’ overall team speed .
In the CCX Turkey Trot Nov . 22-23 at Plymouth Ice Center , Edina defeated Maple Grove and lost to
Moorhead .
“ The tournament was a great opportunity to gauge where we stand ,” coach Giles said . “ Friday night against Maple Grove , we played well . On Saturday we didn ’ t play well defensively in the [ 4-1 ] loss to Moorhead .”
The Hornets have four forwards and three defensemen returning from last year ’ s team .
Going into the new season , Giles sees daily competition between two junior goalies , Chase Bjorgaard and Wyatt Spindler . Graduated goalie Joey Bertram had 24 of the 26 wins last season . Bjorgaard and Spindler were both 1-0 in their only starts . All three of the Edina goalies stopped more than 90 percent of the shots they faced in 2023-24 .
Peckham , like many of his teammates , always wanted to play Hornet boys hockey . “ I was one of the young kids down by the tunnel giving the varsity players high-fives ,” he said .
“ We have the best arena in the state and the best fans ,” Hoch said .
“ There have been so many great leaders over the years ,” West said . “ I remember watching Tyler Nanne the year he led Edina to the state championship .”
As the interview with the players round toward a close , music became a topic .
Asked if he has a favorite song , Peckham said , “ The Hornet Fight Song , of course .”