After a tight back-and-forth contest for two periods, Breck prevailed when the scoring picked up to defeat Delano 5-3 and win the Class 1A, Section 2 championship Thursday.
Top-seeded Breck, leading 2-1 after two periods at Parade Ice Garden, and second-seeded Delano combined for five goals in a five-minute stretch in the third period, with both teams responding to each score by its opponent. The Mustangs scored the first and last goals to clinch their sixth trip to the state tournament in seven years.
The Mustangs ended the Tigers' season in the section playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
"I didn't want to end that streak my senior year," Mustangs forward Chase Ellingson said. "I think our seniors especially were working our hardest out there."
Ellingson scored 35 seconds into the second period to put Breck up 2-1. The team survived a 5-on-3 Delano power play for 1 minute, 41 seconds in that period.
"That was big," Mustangs coach Les Larson said. "If they score, they get the momentum. We stopped them and I think we gained momentum there."
Senior Williams Blake scored five minutes into the third period to give Breck a two-goal lead, but the Tigers twice cut it back to one before the Mustangs' final goal.
Delano junior Brian Halonen scored two goals.
