After a scoreless first period, Warroad eighth-grader Genevieve Hendrickson got the Warriors started with a goal 1 minute, 36 seconds into the second period against Hibbing/Chisholm. They appeared to score again, but the goal was disallowed and the team had to regroup, coach David Marvin said.

Then junior Madison Oelkers scored a pair of goals, both assisted by senior Mariah Gardner.

“These two took over for us a little bit,” Marvin said of Oelkers and Gardner. “And that’s been a common theme when we’ve had success.”

The three-goal period broke open the game for No. 3 seed Warroad (18-8-2) en route to a 5-2 victory over Hibbing/Chisholm (17-11-1) on Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center.

Oelkers added two assists, and Gardner scored a goal and had four assists. Oelkers, with 81 points on the season, and Gardner, with 78, are both committed to Minnesota State Mankato.

Oelkers’ first goal of the game was a well-executed tip-in off a pass from Gardner. Oelkers had her stick in the right place for the tip as she drove with speed toward the net.

“If she’s carrying it in wide, I know [to] go to the net because she’ll find me and she’ll slip a pass through anyone’s legs just to get to my stick,” Oelkers said.

The Bluejackets came back twice in the third to get the game within two, with Mallorie Iozzo scoring on a 5-on-3 advantage to make it 4-2 with 3:50 left.

HEATHER RULE

The game was scoreless through one period before No. 3 seed Warroad (18-8-2) broke it open with a three-goal second period en route to a 5-2 victory over Hibbing/Chisholm (17-11-1) in the Class 1A quarterfinal Wednesday at Xcel Energy center.

Warriors senior Mariah Gardner scored a goal and four assists, while junior Madison Oelkers scored a pair of goals and an assist. Gardner now has 78 points for the season while Oelkers has 80 points.

The Bluejackets made it 3-1 with 9:10 left in the game on a goal from freshman defender Emma Lundell. They got within two again on a 5-on-3 advantage on a goal from senior Mallorie Iozzo with 3:50 left.  

It’s the third trip to state in the past five years for the Warriors. They will face No. 2 seed St. Paul United in the semifinal Friday, a rematch of last year’s semifinal game that United won 4-3. 

Check back later for more on the game.