ST. PAUL — Wherever Lou Nanne's retirement party is being hosted, better make sure they have cake on the menu.
With the Minnesota hockey icon calling the final game of a 60-year state tournament TV career on Saturday night, Bobby Cowan's power-play goal with 6:55 left in regulation sealed a 2-1 Edina win over second-seeded Chanhassen in the Class AA state championship game at the Xcel Energy Center.
The St. Thomas commit took only 11 seconds of power-play time to snipe a shot past Chanhassen goalie and Frank Brimsek Award finalist Kam Hendrickson clean on the glove side.
"There's not many kids that can make that shot," Edina coach Curt Giles said. "That shot there from that spot to beat a quality goaltender like that. It's hard to find a kid that can shoot a puck like that."
The senior forward said afterwards he didn't think he'd beat Hendrickson without some help, but his internal mantra is to keep hitting the net.
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"I always shoot the puck. If you don't shoot it's not going to go in," Cowan said. "This one got the better of him, but props to him. He played great, too."
Cowan's goal completed a third-period comeback after the Hornets entered the final frame down 1-0.
The win sealed the top-seeded Hornets' 11th state championship — the 14th if you include three won by Edina East in the 1970s — and first since 2019.
"This group of kids that we had this year was one of the easiest groups we've ever had to get prepared to play hockey. They wanted to win today," Giles said. "They wanted to do it today. They had a desire. We could tell they wanted to win this very, very badly."
It also gave Edina some revenge after a 2-1 loss to Minnetonka in the championship game last year.
"I've thought about that pain we felt every single day," senior Minnesota commit Jackson Nevers said.
Edina wins the boys class AA Minnesota state hockey championship pic.twitter.com/tmFwGpYMoe
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) March 10, 2024
With the capacity crowd of 20,346 fans revved up after a standing ovation and "Lou" chant for the longtime tournament broadcaster during pregame ceremonies, the two teams played a mano a mano first period with neither team able to break through.
Chanhassen had the better chances in the opening 17 minutes of their first state championship game, with a late power play providing several close calls. In the second, the Storm took over.
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The visitors on the scoreboard attempted 28 shots to Edina's eight in the middle period and Chan's top line of Gavin Uhlenkamp, Jack Christ and Caden Lee doubled the Hornet top unit's shots on goal through the first two periods.
It was the Storm's second line that finally got the breakthrough.
Tyler Smith, one of Chanhassen's 17 seniors, redirected a shot from the point past Edina goalie Joey Bertram to give the visitors on the scoreboard a 1-0 lead 10:10 into the second period. But the Storm weren't able to capitalize on their domination to add a second goal.
"Going into the locker room, we were all still dialed in. We knew we needed to get the job done still," Christ said. "Everyone was just trying to stay focused and not worry about the end. Obviously it didn't go the way we wanted it to."
Trailing 1-0 heading into the third like they were in the state final a year ago against Minnetonka, Edina responded early on a goal from junior Robbie Hoch.
The defenseman's seeing-eye shot somehow made it through traffic in front of the net untouched, perfectly slotting over the shoulder of Hendrickson to knot the game at 1-1.
"Our biggest thing was if we get out of that period down by one, then we convince ourselves that it's only one shot. Then it was [Hoch's] shot that got us going," Giles said.
Cowan's winner came nearly seven minutes later, and Bertram kept the Storm under control with 10 saves in the third period despite numerous Grade-A scoring chances in the final minutes.
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"The players pulled themselves together. They knew they had to do something going into that third period and they made things happen," Giles said.
The final 1:48 of regulation was played with the crowd all standing after a final tribute to Nanne and rooting, mostly, for Chanhassen. Giles said the end felt like hours.
Not so much for Bertram.
"You know, it actually went by pretty quick," Bertram said. "When the game is happening so fast and with them putting pressure on, I wasn't looking at the clock too much. It's just worrying about the puck."
The senior goalie, whose father won the state title in net for Edina in 1988, finished with 33 saves in the game.
"He's always had that one up on me with the state championship, and now I've got it, so I'm right there with him," Bertram said with a smile.
A program with the unmatched success of Edina has no shortage of these legacy stories, none more poignant on this night than Nanne's.
Appropriately, his final goodbye to TV audiences — after a historic tenure at the state tourney stretching back to 1964 — came the same night that the Hornets, for which multiple generations of Nannes have played, reminded the state why they too are part of the fabric of Minnesota hockey.
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"This was just a tremendous way for me to end my career," Nanne said on the broadcast. "I just love watching high school hockey. I love watching this tournament. I have to tell you these kids provide entertainment you just can't find anywhere else."
CHANHASSEN 0-1-0—1
EDINA 0-0-2—2
SCORING
FIRST PERIOD: N/A
SECOND PERIOD: 1, C, Smith (Curtis), 10:10.
THIRD PERIOD: 2, E, Hoch (Pittsley, Velner), 3:12. 3, E, Cowan (Dexheimer), PPG, 10:05.
SHOTS: C, 10-14-10—34. E, 9-5-9—23.
SAVES: C, Hendrickson (9-5-7—21). E, Bertram (10-13-10—33).
POWER PLAY: C, 0-for-2. E, 1-for-2.
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