Blake sophomore Sara McClanahan spent plenty of extra time this season working on the one skill she needed most in the Class 1A, Section 5 girls’ final against Breck.
 
After many practices, McClanahan — daughter of former NHL and Olympic player Rob McClanahan — would fire puck after puck at an open net, working on a quick-release shot and honing her command under pressure.
 
The work paid off Thursday in overtime when McClanahan got open ice and quickly fired before Breck goalie Jenna Brenneman could set up. 
 
The puck flew into the net, and McClanahan found herself at the bottom of a pile after scoring the winner in Blake’s 3-2 victory to claim the section title.
 
“I was in the moment,” McClanahan said. “All season my coaches have been telling me a quick shot is a lot better than a slow shot, and I oftentimes think about it too much. … I just shot it quickly, not really thinking about it.”
 
The outcome was identical to last year's section final, when Blake beat Breck 3-2 on a goal by Carly Bullock in the first minute of overtime.
 
After a scoreless first period Thursday, Breck’s Grace Zumwinkle and Blake’s Bullock each scored shorthanded goals in the second. But in what became a fast-paced period, Breck went back ahead only 16 seconds after Bullock’s goal, this time on Cheyenne Harris’s power-play goal.
 
Not to be outdone, Blake tied it with 3:23 left in the second on an unassisted score from Grace Vojta.
 
After a third period in which neither team could gain an edge, Blake coach Shawn Reid said he told his team to simply stay composed entering overtime. 
 
That’s the mentality McClanahan had. Her score ended what had been a classic Breck-Blake showdown — a complete gridlock until the end. Even the shots ended up 27 apiece, but Blake had the one that counted most.
 
“I don’t get tired of it, but you lose years of your life going through a Breck-Blake game,” Reid said.

First report

The score was tied at 2. The shot count almost even. Both teams had scored short-handed goals, and really, there was no separation between Blake and Breck for three periods in the Class 1A, Section 5 final.

That changed in overtime, when Blake’s Sara McClanahan got some space and took full advantage, scoring the winner in Blake’s 3-2 victory Thursday at Parade Ice Garden.

"I was in the moment," McClanahan said. "All season my coaches have been telling me a quick shot is a lot better than a slow shot, and I often times think about it too much. ... I just shot it quickly, not really thinking about it." 

The hard-fought game started with a dull first period where both teams went scoreless and Blake held a 6-5 shots advantage.

The second period was another story entirely.

Anna Zumwinkle went to the penalty box early in the period, giving Blake what it seemed would be a crucial power play. But it was Breck sister Grace Zumwinkle who put the first goal on the board soon after, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the period.

The short-handed goal became a reoccurring theme when Blake’s Carly Bullock scored almost five minutes later to even the game despite her team having only four skaters on the ice.

Breck answered 16 seconds later when Cheyenne Harris scored a power play goal. Both Zumwinkles earned assists on the score.

But Blake tied the game with 3:23 left in the action-packed period, this time on an unassisted score from Grace Vojta, who sent the puck flying easily past Breck goalie Jenna Brenneman.

By the end of the period, the shot count was tied at 16. And it was more of the same in the third period, when the teams each had chances, but neither showed a clear advantage.

The shot total ended up tied at 27, but with McClanahan's score, Blake had the one that counted most.