Spots of blood on Grace Sadura’s white Minnetonka hockey jersey were visible just below the medal her team earned for a section championship victory.

Both were signs of a battle well fought.

Sadura’s rebound goal gave her Skippers a 3-2 victory with 37.7 seconds remaining in overtime of Friday’s Class 2A, Section 2 championship game played at Braemar Arena in Edina.

“I just saw it sitting there and I hit it as hard as I could,” said Sadura, a junior forward. “I kind of closed my eyes, hoping it would go in. Thankfully, it did.”

Sadura’s power-play goal meant Holy Family Catholic of Victoria fell to Minnetonka one game short of the state tournament for a second consecutive year.

“They are a great team, and you have to give them credit for playing their hearts out,” Sadura said. “We’re going to state, but it could have been them.”

Several stellar regular-season meetings among top teams helped establish the girls’ hockey hierarchy this season.

Minnetonka showed well in a combined four games against Andover and Edina, the top two teams. Holy Family, meanwhile, crossed swords with fellow top-10 programs Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Hill-Murray.

Not since last season, however, had Minnetonka met Holy Family. Friday’s section championship game rematch packed a best-of-seven series’ worth of fast, fierce and physical hockey into four passionate periods.

“I knew it would be a dogfight,” Fire coach Randy Koeppl said. “A bounce or two or we’re on the other side of the deal.”

The fifth-ranked Skippers (22-6) drew first blood with a goal at 2:10 of the first period. Sophomore defender Lauren Goldsworthy’s shot from the blue line was on target.

The second period showcased two teams not willing to back down. Sadura and Holy Family’s Maddie Kaiser each received two-minute delay-of-game penalties for shenanigans in the faceoff circle. Sadura received an additional two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct when she taunted Kaiser.

“The second period was a little bit of a gong show,” Sadura said. “But we refocused on our goal, and that was going to state.”

Holy Family (22-4-1) tied the game at 1:05 of the third period with a goal from forward Shae Messner. Then Josie Hemp restored a 2-1 Minnetonka lead just 41 seconds later.

Josie Linn tied the game 2-2 by roofing a shot for a power-play goal at 10:46.

Sadura’s team-best 21st goal ended a game filled with great theater. Her right hand bled all game. A rowdy teammate celebration made it worse. Apropos of a game in which players weren’t safe from foes or friends.

“Every time you went in the corner, you knew you were going to get hit,” Sadura said. “We had to be tough and physical. We played our hardest and it went our way.”