An early deficit in a game from which the winner would advance to the girls’ hockey state tournament failed to unravel Burnsville.

Not after fighting through a season beset by injury and illness.

The resilient Blaze emerged with a 6-2 victory against Rosemount in Wednesday’s Class 2A, Section 3 championship game.

The teams split their two South Suburban Conference meetings this season. Their all-important third meeting took place on neutral ground at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights.

Upset-minded Rosemount, the third seed, went ahead just 24 seconds into the game on a goal from Madalana Donati. The goal grabbed No. 1 seed Burnsville’s attention.

“Once they got the first one in, we realized that it was game time,” junior forward Madisyn Krumholz said. “We needed to come out and prove to them that we were a good team and that we are here for a reason.”

Determination is the reason Burnsville reached the cusp of its second state tournament in three years. Coach Chris Lepper said at times this season only 12 skaters were available out of the combined JV and varsity rosters. Senior forward Sami Bowlby, who is committed to Quinnipiac University, missed 12 games.

The few, the proud.

After dropping a game to Rosemount in mid-December, the Blaze ignited. A 14-game winning streak maintained Burnsville’s standing as a top program.

“Once we saw that we were still winning even though we only had half our team, we knew once we had our full team that we would be unstoppable,” Krumholz said.

The Irish (19-9) weren’t fazed. They maintained the early momentum by killing a Burnsville 5-on-3 power-play opportunity. Officials waved off one potential Blaze goal.

Then Zoie Dundon made one stick, rifling the rebound of her own missed shot home for the equalizer. Just 44 seconds later, Bowlby made it 2-1 Blaze (22-5-1).

“It’s been really tough not being able to play my full senior season,” said Bowlby, sidelined by surgery for an upper-body injury. “But I’m so proud of all of these girls. It was so cool to see them persevere.”

Undaunted, Rosemount rallied to tie just 15 seconds later on Anna Shandorf’s goal. The teams took a 2-2 tie into the first intermission.

Krumholz, a ninth-grader on the bench two years ago when Burnsville last played in a section final, gave her team a lift and a cushion with consecutive goals in the second and third periods.

Her initial goal came moments after Burnsville failed to convert on its second of two power-play chances in the period.

“It was the boost we needed right then and there,” said Krumholz, who has 21 goals this season. “We knew we could take it from there.”