Top-seed Maple Grove (20-6-2) had a 2-0 lead through one period, before the 3-seed Cougars tied it in the second. Each team got their chances in the third period during what was a tight, physical game throughout. But with about 10 minutes left as time continued to tick down, the Crimson had more and more chances looking for the go-ahead goal.

“We were winning battles, we were getting shots on net,” said Maple Grove junior Stella Retrum. “We were just waiting for one to go in.”

About 40 seconds before Olson scored, Retrum rang a loud shot off the crossbar.

Maple Grove junior defenseman Emily Oakland took the initial point shot that was saved but created a bouncing-puck rebound in front for Olson to score her second of the game and 17th goal of the season. None bigger than that tiebreaking goal Friday.

“I saw the opportunity from the shot from the point from the defense,” Olson said. “And I said, ‘oh my gosh, here’s an opportunity.’ I did it. It was an amazing feeling.”

Still with plenty of time on the clock, the Crimson controlled things still when it got its second power play. Retrum, a Penn State commit, waited for the puck and took her shot, giving the Crimson breathing room with 2:23 left in regulation on her team-leading 31st goal of the season; Retrum has a point in every game since a shutout loss to Edina on Dec. 29.

The play was something else they work on “a million times” in practice, Retrum said.

“That’s where our power play’s supposed to go,” Retrum said. “And it just feels awesome. I knew my team was going to set me up.”

The Crimson went 2-for-2 on the power play, getting the first goal of the game with the advantage in the middle of the first period. Freshman Pim Wilhelmy scored her fourth goal of the season when she jammed the puck into the net while standing behind the goal line and just to the goaltender’s right. There’s that 'pound the post' at work again.

About four minutes after that, the Crimson crashed the net once again to double their lead. Senior Taylor Holm took the initial point-blank shot in front, and the puck bounced around in the crease as the goalie tried to find it. Olson found it first and pounded it into the net for her first tally of the game and the 2-0 lead.

But the Cougars found a response in the second period, getting on the board about four minutes into the second to cut into the deficit with a 2-on-1 opportunity. Seventh-grader Jaycee Chatleain passed the puck over to senior Megan Goodreau who buried the puck top-shelf for her team-leading 24th goal this season. The Cougars tied it 2-2 late in the second period on a Callie Cody shot.

Seeing that two-goal lead erased in the second period wasn’t all that concerning to the Cougars. After all, they came into the night outscoring their opponents 36-15 in the final period.

“’We’ve been here, and this has happened before. Let’s trust the process,’” said Maple Grove coach Jim Koltes, of the message to his team at the second intermission. “Third period’s been a good period for us.”

The Crimson have won 10 of their last 11 games overall this season. Koltes is a veteran coach but is in his first season leading Maple Grove girls’ hockey.

“The kids did an awesome job,” Koltes said. “Bought into everything we said… and they played really well.”

The loss for the Cougars (18-9-1) snapped a five-game winning streak to end its season. It defeated Maple Grove 4-1 in last year’s section final. Maple Grove, which also beat the Cougars in the regular season, improves to 3-1 against the Cougars in section finals since the Crimson joined Section 5 in the 2015-16 season.