Moorhead Edges Edina, Advances to Championship with Last-Minute Goal

ST. PAUL, Minn. — In a thrilling clash at the Xcel Energy Center, Moorhead clinched a spot in the Class 2A boys hockey championship by defeating Edina 4-3 on March 7, 2025. Zac Zimmerman scored the winning goal with just 58.1 seconds left on the clock, propelling the Spuds to victory.

Moorhead, the top seed in the tournament, faced a formidable opponent in Edina, known for its strong history in state hockey tournaments. The game was intense, with Edina initially taking the lead thanks to junior forward Mason West, who netted three goals in the first period.

“He got off to a great start,” Edina coach Curt Giles said of West. “But it’s funny how it goes when teams start tightening up. The kids gave us 100% effort.”

Despite being in an early hole, Moorhead fought back with goals from Zac Zimmerman and Mason Kraft, a Mr. Hockey finalist, to close the gap to 3-2 by the end of the first period. Brooks Cullen, a Michigan State commit, tied the game with his goal at 12:04 of the second period.

As the clock wound down, Zimmerman’s late-game effort turned the tide, marking Moorhead’s first lead of the game. “Edina is a team we are really familiar with, but it’s been a while. Our team kind of dug in and played resilient,” said Moorhead coach Jon Ammerman.

Looking ahead, Cullen and Kraft are poised to win the championship that eluded their fathers’ teams three decades ago. “I don’t buy into the idea of them carrying the weight of past teams. They have a great shot at writing their own story,” Matt Cullen, part of the Spuds coaching staff and a former NHL player, said.

The win sets Moorhead up for a championship face-off against Stillwater, which advanced with a 4-0 victory over St. Thomas Academy. The match is anticipated to be an exciting display of high school hockey talent.

“Cal stood huge in there for us and gave us the opportunity,” Stillwater coach Greg Zanon remarked about senior goaltender Cal Conway, who recorded his second consecutive shutout in the tournament.

With both teams showcasing remarkable resilience and skill, the championship matchup promises to be a compelling culmination to the state tournament.