Elk River/Zimmerman will finish its season as desired, in the Class 2A state tournament.

But for much of the season, slow starts in games were the Elks' nemesis. They were outscored in the first period eight times.

"I'd say through about three-fourths of the season we were struggling to get kids to come into games mentally prepared," coach Joe Heasley said. "Finally we told them, you've got to get serious."

The Elks dug in for the Section 7 playoffs, outscoring three opponents by a combined score of 11-1. They advanced to their third state tournament in four seasons. The Elks (20-8-0) open play at 6 p.m. Thursday against No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Minnetonka (26-1-1) at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Pulling an upset victory will require the Elks to start fast and stay with a deep Skippers lineup. The Elks, whose senior class includes players making their third state tournament appearance, must find a way to harness that experience against the first-timers from Minnetonka.

And two key players must be on their game: junior goaltender Tori Herrmann and junior forward Jonna Curtis. After they split time in net this season, Herrmann carried the Elks in the playoffs. She stopped 62 of 63 shots.

Meanwhile, Curtis provided the offense, scoring eight of the team's 11 goals. She scored 47 goals this season.

"She been unbelievable all season," Heasley said.