Edina's 2010 state title, the program's first under coach Curt Giles, was surprising for two reasons.
First, the group of players who finished the job was a less-heralded bunch with nary an all-state selection on the roster. Second, the talent-laden Hornets' teams of 2008 and 2009 were supposed to have signaled the program's return to glory with at least one state championship.
Giles, a Canadian who never played high school hockey, learned valuable lessons during those three seasons and evolved as a coach. State titles followed in 2013 and 2014 as Giles tweaked his personnel decisions and game plans.
"It's an interest process when you go from a player to a coach," Giles said. "I wasn't the most talented player; I had to be a student and study the game in order to perform at the highest level I possibly could."
He transferred that approach to coaching.
"You end up going through the process of learning exactly what it takes to compete at a high level at this level," Giles said.
In 2008, Edina reached the state championship game with a team heavily reliant on dominant forwards Zach Budish, Marshall Everson and Anders Lee. But carrying the team became a burden and the top line was shut down by Hill-Murray in a 3-0 loss.
Two years later, a less-heralded but deeper group won Giles his first title and altered his blueprints.
"You learn through that process what it takes to compete — how many players it takes and what types of players," Giles said.
