Edina (14-4-1) did eventually find its way and hasn’t looked back since, remaining unbeaten since a 3-2 loss to Wayzata on Sept. 19. That led to Tuesday and the team’s biggest game of the season against one of their biggest rivals. The Hornets were 0-1-1 against Minnetonka during the regular season but were ready for the section final matchup.

“We had a chip on our shoulders,” head coach Katie Aafedt said. “There wasn’t a lot of extra motivation needed.”

The momentum Edina had built in recent weeks carried into the game and was evident right from the start. The Hornets grabbed an early lead when Grace Pohlidal scored off a corner kick to make it 1-0 in the 5th minute.

“It’s always nice when you can get one that quickly,” Aafedt said. “It changes the momentum.”

Edina went on to score two more goals in the first half, including the second goal of the game off the foot of junior midfielder Izzy Engle. She enters the state tournament with a team-best 26 goals this season.

“She’s insane,” Aafedt said. “She’s at a whole other level. She’s so deceptive because we can put her in multiple positions and they are not going to know what she’s going to do. Her goal tonight was textbook.”

After having success against the Hornets earlier this season, Minnetonka (13-3-2) had a change of pace on Tuesday. One big difference for the Skippers was the absence of junior forward Gabrielle Ryan, who missed the section final with an injury after netting a hat trick in the team’s win over Edina during the regular season.

“We still have offensive players who could make up for (Ryan),” Minnetonka coach Kelsey Hans said. “(Edina) started pushing their defense forward. The defense made it hard for us to build anything and get chances.”

The shutout for Edina demonstrates what has been a season-long improvement on the back end.

“Our defense is the unsung hero,” Aafedt said. “We’ve always been able to score goals. Our players have settled into their various roles.”

When the final horn sounded, the celebration was once again on for the Hornets and Aafedt, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday and received a nice gift in the form of a section championship. Both Aafedt and Engle acknowledged that the team enters the state tournament with everything moving in the right direction.

“Last year we had a lot of momentum,” Engel said. “This year, we had a more rocky start. But I’m so proud of this team for how we’ve come back and pushed through. I couldn’t be more excited for next week.”