Hockey powers set to collide

The puck just dropped and has barely felt the chill of the 2008-09 hockey season, yet fans will already get a chance to see the two top teams in the state face off. No. 1 ranked Edina will host No. 2 Hill-Murray, the defending Class 2A champs, Saturday in a matchup that will display some of the premier talent in the state. Both teams have looked worth their merit early on. Edina is off to a 2-0 start with wins over Buffalo (11-4) and Wayzata (4-1), while Hill-Murray kicked off its season Tuesday night with a 6-0 win over No. 15 Burnsville. Edina will be tested by Burnsville Thursday before hosting Hill-Murray two days later. Edina is known for its talented senior class of Marshall Everson, who is committed to Harvard, Anders Lee and Connor Gaarder. Lee, who led the state with 32 touchdowns as the Hornets' quarterback this fall, started the hockey season as the hottest player in the state with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists). Gaarder is also off to a solid start with five points (3 goals, 2 assists) and Everson has four points (2 goals, 2 assists). However, the Hornets will be without star senior Zach Budish, who will be out for the season due to an injury he suffered playing football. The Hornets have their sights set on capturing the school's first state title this year, and will get their first major test Saturday against a Hill-Murray team that's led by star forwards Isaac Kohls and Tyler Zepeda.