Blake and Red Wing were scoreless through nearly two periods during their semifinal game Friday. Then Blake freshman Sarah Chute was left alone in the slot and got the puck through traffic to give her team a 1-0 lead with 1:07 left in the second.

“Someone had to do it,” Chute said. “It was great to get great momentum for our team.” 

The No. 2-seeded Bears carried that momentum throughout the rest of the Class 1A girls’ hockey semifinal at Xcel Energy Center and advanced to another state title game. The two-time defending champions are seeking their sixth state title.

Blake and Red Wing are no strangers in the state tournament. Blake won last year’s semifinal between the two in double overtime. After Friday’s game, Blake coach Shawn Reid said the Wingers outworked and outplayed his team in the first period. 

“Red Wing played an awesome game,” Reid said. “We had to pick up our work ethic.”

Blake senior Jordan Chancellor scored a pair of goals about a minute apart early in the third period.

Red Wing senior goalie Ashley Corcoran kept her team in the game by holding Blake scoreless until Chute’s goal. She faced 47 shots in the loss. Red Wing registered 19 shots on goal.

“We knew she was going to play excellent,” Red Wing coach Scott Haley said of Corcoran. “We needed a break or two. We needed to be perfect on our execution.”

Goaltenders for Red Wing and Blake were the stars for the first two periods of the Class 1A girls’ hockey semifinal Friday at Xcel Energy center.

The No. 2-seed Blake Bears and No. 3-seed Red Wing Wingers were scoreless, despite an even number of chances, going into the final minute of the second period.

But the Bears struck with 1:07 left in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman Sarah Chute was left alone in front and got a shot through from the right circle for her 10th goal of the season and first of the tournament.

That was all Blake needed to open up the game and earn a return to the state final game. Senior Jordan Chancellor scored a pair of goals about a minute apart early in the third period.

It looked like two periods would go by without a goal for either team. Red Wing senior goalie Ashley Corcoran kept her team in the game by keeping Blake off the scoreboard for nearly 34 minutes. Blake outshot Red Wing 47-19.

In last year’s state semifinals, Blake topped Red Wing 5-4 in double overtime.

Blake will play for its third consecutive state title Saturday afternoon.