Edina, Hill-Murray to meet for 2A hockey title

Top-ranked and No. 1 seed Hill-Murray came back to defeat No. 4 seed Wayzata for a 2-1 victory in Friday's Class 2A boys' hockey state tournament semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center, earning a spot against Edina in the title game Saturday.

Trailing 1-0 until the second half of the third period, the Pioneers got goals from Davis Zarembinksi and Ryan Black less than three minutes apart. Wayzata fired a few late shots on goal but none found their mark.

Saturday's title game against Edina is a rematch of the 2008 championship game, a 3-0 Hill-Murray victory.

Wayzata coach Pat O'Leary considers his team one of the state's best in the third period but Hill-Murray proved its resiliency as well.

"What did I tell them in the third period? Nothing," Hill-Murray coach Bill Lechner said. "The seniors ran the show. These guys never quit. They believe and I'm happy for them."

Wayzata's Chase Haller scored on a power-play goal at 6:44 of the second period. Haller negated an earlier Trojans power-play goal after getting called for a goal crease violation.

Wayzata senior goaltender Aaron Dingmann set an early tone for his strong evening, stopping a puck that had been passed between three Pioneers players in quick succession.

"He's the real deal but we knew if we kept getting shots we could crack him," Black said.

Hill-Murray finally got on the board at 9:33 of the third period.

Zarembinksi, who scored the lone goal of the Pioneers' section final victory against White Bear Lake, shot a puck past Dingmann.

Black added one that gave Hill-Murray a 2-1 lead at 12:30.

"We played well the first part of the third but we allowed them to get shots that teams don't normally get against us," O'Leary said.