For the second time in three years, Mounds View will play in the state tournament after beating Blaine in the Class 2A, Section 5 final.

Sophomore defenseman Kristen Cash scored with 8:40 left to give the No. 3-seeded Mustangs a 2-1 victory over the top-seeded Bengals on Friday at Roseville Ice Arena.

It was Mounds View’s second upset victory at sections this week. The Mustangs beat No. 2-seeded Irondale 2-1 on Tuesday.

Many expected Mounds View to make the state tournament a year ago, when it started 22-0-1 before losing two of its final five games. This season, the Mustangs carried the underdog label into sections after a 14-8-3 regular season.

“After the way last year ended for this group, they came into the offseason with a ton of motivation,” Mounds View coach Aaron Moberg said.

Sophomore Sydney Brodt’s goal midway through the second period gave Mounds View a 1-0 lead. Blaine tied the game less than three minutes later, but the Mustangs stayed aggressive and regained the momentum early in the third period.

“We’ve been in so many tight games all year,” Moberg said. “We just knew that we were going to find a way to get it done.”

For Blaine (20-4-2), Friday’s loss marks the latest in a series of disappointing defeats at sections. The Bengals, who haven’t been to the state tournament since 2001, lost to Mounds View 5-4 in the 2012 section final. As the No. 3 seed last year, they were upset 1-0 by Irondale.