Ranked No. 1 or 2 the entire season, Edina enters the Class AA state tournament looking to become the third team this decade to win back-to-back state championships after Minnetonka won three in a row from 2011-13 and Hill-Murray won two straight from 2014-15. The Hornets will be challenged by a strong field that includes No. 3 Centennial, No. 4 Hill-Murray, No. 5 Andover, No. 10 Eden Prairie, No. 11 Brainerd/Little Falls, No. 13 Eagan and No. 14 Lakeville South.

Three teams return to St. Paul from last year – Eden Prairie, Edina and Hill-Murray – and those three teams are also the only programs to have captured past state championships. Eagan and Eden Prairie will be making their ninth appearance at the state tournament, followed by Edina (8) and Hill-Murray (7). Meanwhile, Brainerd/Little Falls is making its first trip to St. Paul.The Class AA field boasts three Ms. Hockey finalists and two Senior Goalie of the Year finalists.

Below is a look at the eight teams in the Class AA state tournament.

Andover Huskies
Record: 21-6-1
Coach: Melissa Volk
Last state appearance: 2015
Best state finish: Fifth (2014)
Road to state (Section 7AA wins): Duluth 7-2, Elk River/Zimmerman 3-2, Forest Lake 3-0
Leading scorers: Claire Butorac (34-36--70), Jamie Nelson (26-40--66), Peyton Hemp (22-28--50)
Goaltender: Cassidy Stumo (15-6-0, 1.79, .905)
Notes: The Huskies are making their third state tournament appearance • Andover is 11-2-1 since New Year’s • the Huskies have not lost back-to-back games since losing three in a row from Nov. 28-Dec. 5 • Andover is 3-1-0 in neutral site games • the Huskies have allowed two or fewer goals in 20 games, including 11 of the last 12 contests • the Huskies have four or more goals in 18 games • Butorac is a Ms. Hockey semifinalist • Andover college commitments: Paige Anderson (Bemidji State),  Butorac & Nelson (Minnesota State), Hemp (Minnesota). 

Brainerd/Little Falls Flying Warriors
Record: 23-5-0
Coach: Jim Ernster
Last state appearance: First
Best state finish: n/a
Road to state (Section 8AA wins): Buffalo 6-1, Moorhead 6-0, Roseau 2-1 (3OT)
Leading scorers: Gabbie Smith (15-24--39), Cheyenne Abear (20-14--34), Grace Schulte (7-15--22), Abby Pohlkamp (12-9--21), Sophie Robinson (10-11--21)
Goaltenders: Olivia King (12-3-0, 1.65, .915), Nicole Schultz (11-2-0, 1.48, .901) 
Notes: Brainerd is making its first state tournament appearance • the Flying Warriors are riding a seven-game winning streak • Brainerd lost only one game before Christmas – 3-0 to Roseau on Dec. 15 • Brainerd has allowed two or fewer goals in 21 games • the Warriors are 2-2-0 in neutral site games this season • Brainerd college commitments: Abear (Union), Robinson (Dartmouth).

Centennial Cougars
Record: 23-3-1
Coach: Kristina King
Last state appearance: 2008
Best state finish: Fifth (2005)
Road to state (Section 5AA wins): Rogers 5-1, Blaine 3-0
Leading scorers: Gabbie Hughes (40-34--74), Anneke Linser (27-42--69), Emily Nadeau (9-20--29), Hannah Backman (7-18--25), Maija Almich (12-12--24)
Goaltenders: Mackenna Stoterau (10-3-1, 1.26, .946), Mackie Torma (11-0-0, 1.18, .928)
Notes: The Cougars are making their third state tournament appearance, but first since 2008 • Centennials’s losses on the season came to Blake (twice) and Hill-Murray • the Cougars have allowed more than two goals in only six games • Centennial has scored four or more goals in 15 games • the Cougars are outscoring their opponents 124-39 • Hughes ranked fourth in the state in points, seventh in assists and eighth in goals in the regular season • Linser ranked second in the state in assists and fifth in points • Hughes and Linser are both UMD commits and Ms. Hockey finalists.

Eagan Wildcats
Record: 22-5-2
Coach: Dan Wilson
Last state appearance: 2013
Best state finish: Second (1997)
Road to state (Section 3AA wins): Rosemount 5-0, East Ridge 2-0, Eastview 4-3
Leading scorers: Taylor Anderson (28-22--50), Jenna Ruiz (16-21--37), Abby Barger (10-15--25), Julia Barger (9-13--22), Bella Weaver (12-10--22)
Goaltender: Maddie Nickell (14-3-1, 1.646, .930)
Notes: The Wildcats are making their ninth state tournament appearance • Eagan lost only one game before Christmas – 5-4 to Centennial on Nov. 25 • losses on the season came to Centennial, Roseau, Lakeville South, Wayzata and Farmington • Eagan has scored four or more goals in 15 games • the Wildcats have allowed two or more goals in only eight games • Eagan is 7-4 in one-goal games.

Eden Prairie Eagles
Record: 18-9-1
Coach: Jaime Grossman
Last state appearance: 2017
Best state finish: First (2006, 08, 16)
Road to state (Section 2AA wins): Bloomington Jefferson 4-0, Prior Lake 8-2, Shakopee 3-0
Leading scorers: Sydney Langseth (30-23--53), Crystalyn Hengler (18-21--39), Carrie Byrnes (10-15--25), Grace Kuipers (10-16--26)
Goaltender: Alexa Dobchuk (17-9-1, 1.79, .927)
Notes: The Eagles are making their third straight state tournament appearance and ninth overall • EP entered the playoffs on a three-game losing streak • Eden Prairie is 3-3 vs. Class AA state tournament teams • the Eagles have scored four or more goals in 11 games • Eden Prairie is 3-0 in neutral site games • the Eagles own a 30-percent power play and a 90-percent penalty kill • Dobchuk has played every minute of the season, posting eight shutouts • Hengler is a Ms. Hockey semifinalist • Dobchuk is a  Senior Goalie of the Year finalist • EP college commitments: Dobchuk (Colgate), Hengler (Minnesota), Kuipers (Princeton), Langseth (Minnesota State).

Edina Hornets
Record: 25-2-1
Coach: Sami Reber
Last state appearance: 2017
Best state finish: First (2017)
Road to state (Section 6AA wins): Armstrong/Cooper 14-0, Cretin-Derham Hall 5-0, Blake 4-2
Leading scorers: Lolita Fidler (22-42--64), Emily Oden (28-31--58), CC Bowlby (27-28--55), Aliyah Lance (22-16--38), Annie Kuehl (21-20--41)
Goaltender: Megan Smith (18-2-1, 1.32, .920)
Notes: The Hornets are making their fourth straight state tournament appearance and eighth overall • Edina is 3-0 in neutral site games • the Hornets are 2-2 vs. Class AA state tournament teams • losses on the season came to Centennial (3-2) and Eden Prairie (4-3), tie came to Maple Grove • Edina owns a 13-8 record at the state tournament • the Hornets have allowed two or fewer goals in 22 games, including the last 11 contests • Edina has scored four or more goals in 22 games • the Hornets own a 42-percent power play and have six shorthanded goals • Oden is a Ms. Hockey finalist • Hengler is a Ms. Hockey semifinalist • Edina college commitments: Bowlby (Dartmouth), Fidler (Harvard), Tella and Vivian Jungels (Minnesota), Kuehl (Princeton), Oden (Minnesota), Brooke Tucker (Northeastern).

Hill-Murray Pioneers
Record: 24-4-0
Coach: Bill Schafhauser
Last state appearance: 2017
Best state finish: First (2014, 15)
Road to state (Section 4AA wins): Irondale/St. Anthony 13-0, Roseville 6-0, White Bear Lake 4-0
Leading scorers: Abigail Boreen (27-37--64), Katie Kaufman (22-26--48), Haylee Blinkhorn (17-25--42), Morgan Helgeson (14-18-32), Mariah Keopple (10-21--31)
Goaltender: Ava Bailey (18-4-0, 1.08, .948)
Notes:The Pioneers are making their sixth straight and seventh overalll state tournament appearance • Hill-Murray’s losses on the season came to Blake, Edina, Lakeville South and Maple Grove • the Pioneers have allowed more than two goals in only four games, outscoring their opponents 141-31 • Hill-Murray has not allowed a goal in the last five games • the Pioneers have won 12 straight conference titles • the Pioneers have scored four or more goals in 18 games • Boreen is a Ms. Hockey semifinalist • Hill-Murray college commitments: Blinkhorn (Boston University), Boreen (Minnesota), Helgeson (Clarkson), Kaufman (Merrimack), Keopple (Princeton), Joslynn Olson (RIT), Nina Steigauf (Quinnipiac).

Lakeville South Cougars
Record: 19-9-0
Coach: Mark Johnson
Last state appearance: 2016
Best state finish: Fourth (2015)
Road to state (Section 1AA wins): Dodge County 6-1, Owatonna 7-0, Farmington 6-5
Leading scorers: Emily Fischler (21-12--33), Josie Saufferer (20-10--30), Lindsay Maloney (7-17--24), Allison McKinney (9-12--21), Kyah Orr (7-14--21)
Goaltender: Lexi Baker (16-8-0, 2.11, .911)
Notes: Lakeville South is making its fifth state tournament appearance • the Cougars are 2-3 vs. Class AA state tournament teams this season • South is riding a seven-game winning streak • the Cougars have allowed two or fewer goals in 19 games • Lakeville South was 7-5-0 before Christmas, but is 12-4-0 since • Baker, a Bemidji State commit, is a Senior Goalie of the Year finalist.

Class AA State Tournament Teams in the Let’s Play Hockey  Rankings
1. Edina
3. Centennial
4. Hill-Murray
5. Andover
10. Eden Prairie
11. Brainerd/Little Falls
13. Eagan
14. Lakeville South