Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy braced his boys hockey team for a one-goal final against Edina in the teams' third meeting this season, a slim margin that intensifies the magnitude of moments both good and bad.
Sure enough, the top-ranked Skippers held off the Hornets 2-1 in the Class 2A state tournament championship game Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center.
"Tonight, we kind of won it by plugging away and not panicking," Goldsworthy said. "That's the toughest team we've played all year and we've done it three times."
And won them all. Minnetonka beat Edina 4-0 and 1-0 during Lake Conference meetings. Those victories were part of a winning streak that reached 20 Saturday.
No. 1 seed Minnetonka (29-2) scored first, the Skippers' sixth consecutive, unanswered goal against the Hornets this season. Junior forward Hagen Burrows made his team's first power-play chance count. He unleashed the puck from a sharp angle and it hit the back of goalie Robbie Clarkowski and went in at 11:01 of the opening period.
For Burrows, regarded as the most dangerous of all the Skippers' fine forwards, the goal was No. 24 of the season.
The second period opened with No. 3 seed Edina (22-7-1) ahead in shots 14-10 but Minnetonka still holding a 1-0 lead.
Edina coach Curt Giles implored his players going into Saturday's game to pressure Minnetonka into making mistakes. The Hornets forced the issue to start the third period.
The pressure produced Bobby Cowan's fifth goal of the tournament and 17th of the season, a tying goal that came just 27 seconds into the third period.
But Goldsworthy believed in his team's mental fortitude. The Skippers entered the state tournament with a 6-0 record against teams in the field.
Once at the state tournament, Minnetonka escaped Hill-Murray with a 4-3 overtime victory. Defending champion Andover came next. The Skippers won 4-1 by closing hard in the third period.
So, a tie game early in the third period Saturday couldn't wreck their confidence. Minnetonka managed just two shots on goal through the first half of the third period, but the second one resulted in the game-winning goal from sophomore Ashton Schultz. His 14th goal of the season was also his first in five games. Minnetonka finished with 15 shots.
"We got a little bit of momentum going," Giles said. "And then, you make one mistake against Minnetonka, and it's not one of their guys that can beat you. It's one of six or seven guys that can beat you."
Skippers players who grew up wanting what they saw in 2018, a state championship, brought home the program's second title.
"I'd say it's pretty bleeping awesome," said senior goaltender Kaizer Nelson, who finished with 22 saves.
"I'll let you fill in the blanks there."
