It was as if Sean Patterson didn’t want anyone attending Eden Prairie’s matchup with rival Edina in the Section 2 championship game to wonder if the Eagles were the better team.
The senior forward ended any doubt after just 12 minutes.
The second-team all-state selection scored six goals - including four in the first quarter - to propel top-seeded Eden Prairie to a 14-5 victory over second-seeded Edina on Wednesday at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School.
The victory sends the Eagles to the state tournament for the fifth season in a row and presents them with opportunity to capture their third consecutive state title.
Eden Prairie coach Ryan Ward said he didn’t give any pregame pep talks or emotional speeches to fire up Patterson. The Eagles captain simply understood the magnitude of the moment.
“He took it upon himself to play well and took what (Edina) was giving us,” Ward said. “They were pressing out our midfielders hard, so it was the (attackmen's) time to score.”
Edina’s pressure at the top of Eden Prairie’s zone in the first half opened up the corners for Patterson, who said his offensive explosion came courtesy of the Eagles’ sense of urgency - a feeling that was heightened after they recorded a loss to the Hornets in a regular season game on April 28.
“We know each other’s tendencies since we’ve played each other already this year,” Patterson said. “We wanted to play methodical and play through our offensive sets while not making any unforced errors.”
The methodical offensive approach helped Eden Prairie build a 5-1 lead at the end of the first quarter and take an 8-2 advantage into halftime.
Patterson wasn’t the only Eagles player to get in on the action. Fellow captain, junior J.D. Spielman notched all three of his points in the first half.
Spielman’s lone assist came off a goal by senior Nic Perkins, who finished the game with three goals and an assist.
Patterson said he trusts Perkins with the ball around the net and that the senior forward stepped up when the team needed him.
“We have been playing together forever,” Patterson said. “(Perkins) is able to find the open spot on the field and he is a great finisher inside, and that is him just playing to his strength, as well.”
Patterson, Spielman and Perkins didn’t give Edina (8-8) any breathing room in the second half. After failing to capitalize on several power-play chances earlier in the third quarter, the Hornets finally found the net midway through the period and narrowed the deficit to six goals when senior Jake Wolfe’s shot from 11 yards out beat sophomore goalie Matthew Wasson. It was as close as Edina would get.
Ten seconds later, Eagles midfielder Jake Myhre charged 30 yards down field and into Edina territory. The junior fired a shot from just outside the crease that beat Hornets goalie Patrick Jackson, ending any hope of an Edina rally.
The Hornets scored back-to-back goals with 90 seconds left to play, their only scoring flurry of the game.
Edina’s inability to piece together goals coupled with Eden Prairie’s attacking offense put the Eagles (13-3) in a position to focus on winning another state championship.
“We didn’t settle when we got one and then we got the second one last year,” Patterson said. “And now we are going to go for three.”
