For a minute there — well, 1 minute and 1 second to be exact — Warroad's collar on underdog Willmar in the Class 1A girls' hockey state quarterfinals loosened.
Two quick Willmar goals erased a three-goal Warroad lead in the second period, prompting Warriors coach Dave Marvin to call a timeout.
The regroup worked. Three consecutive goals by Warroad restored order and fueled a 7-4 victory Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center.
"Just taking a break," Marvin said of the timeout's purpose. "There were no magic words."
An enchanted feeling overtook Willmar (18-9-1), playing in its first state tournament since 2003. Ashley Larson and Tanna Christensen scored 1:01 apart to force the timeout by No. 2 seed Warroad (22-4-2).
"We were so excited," said Christensen, who scored off a faceoff.
Said Cardinals coach Eric Setrum: "You get a goal like that and get momentum going — you're feeling pretty good. The bench was electric."
Willmar erased a two-goal deficit in the Section 6 semifinals and shook off an early goal against in the section final. Could Warroad be next?