If there was one word to surmise the Upper Midwest High School Elite League Playoffs, it would be chaos.

With drama usually reserved for the state tournaments in March, Team Great Plains edged Team Northwest, the No. 1 seed of the playoffs 3-2 in Saturday’s semifinals.

Northwest took a 1-0 lead over Great Plains in the first period on a goal by Jax Murray, but the lead would be short-lived, with Great Plains scoring three times in a span of 4:47.

Carter Randklev, Mason Salquist and Beau Wilmer scored in succession for Great Plains, and the lead would hold as Northwest’s Griffin Ness pocketed a goal late in the second period to pull Northwest within a goal at 3-2.

Goaltender Gabe Holum made 35 saves in the win for Great Plains and Matt Fitzgerald made 28 for Northwest.

In the second semifinal, Team Southwest slipped past Team Southeast in thrilling fashion, advancing to the championship game with a 2-1 shootout victory.

Xander Lamppa put Southeast ahead 1-0 with a power play goal late in the second period, finally solving Southwest goaltender Justin Evenson after Evenson made 16 saves in the first frame.

Team Southwest’s Bram Scheerer tied the game at 1-1 with an even strength goal before the teams headed to the shootout, where Jackson Jutting and Sam Walker converted goals for Southwest.

Justin Evenson came through in the clutch for Southwest, stopping Southeast’s Roman Ahcan, Robbie Stucker and Lamppa. 

If the semifinals were any indication, the 3-2 Great Plains lead over Southwest after two periods of Sunday’s championship game was anything but safe.

However, Great Plains bucked the trend of tight games in the final, scoring three times in the third period to cement a 6-2 win over Southwest.

Bryden Stoskopf led Great Plains with two goals, while Carter Randklev, Brady Tatro, Braden Costello and Judd Caulfield scoring one goal apiece.

Collin Caulfield dished out three assists in the win for Great Plains.

Southwest’s goals were scored by Jack Jensen and Sam Walker, while Jared Moe turned away 43 shots in the loss.