Three games. Three overtime victories. Just like top-seeded Hermantown planned.

Well, four overtime victories, depending on how you view the game tape.

The Hawks (29-1-1) edged tournament darling Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake 4-3 in double overtime to claim their second consecutive state title on Saturday, albeit not without a little confusion in the process.

After junior Tyler Watkins snapped in what appeared to the game-winning goal in the second overtime of Saturday’s Class A title game, the Hawks proceeded with the celebration, only to collect their sticks and gloves minutes later after Ryan Sandelin was declared to be in the crease.

“I would’ve never forgiven myself if we didn’t win this game,” Sandelin said in the postgame press conference.

Fortunately for Sandelin absolution won’t be required, as senior defenseman Dylan Samberg’s shot off a face-off in the MAML zone snuck past Moose goaltender Tyler Klatt and touched off the real celebration for the Hawks. 

Samberg says that for several moments, his memory was blissfully blank.

“All of a sudden I heard the thud of the back of the net and everybody started cheering,” Samberg said. “My mind went into a blur after that.”

The Hawks completed yet another comeback en route to the title, as MAML took a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals by Casey Chiodo and Ben Ward, scored just 61 seconds apart.

Watkins scored his first goal of the game to pare the Moose lead to 2-1 entering the third, but the goal did nothing to taint the performance of MAML’s Klatt.

“The first period was a shooting gallery for them,” Moose head coach Eric Nelson said after the game. “They were all over us,” Nelson continued. “Tyler Klatt stood on his head.”

Klatt finished the game with 54 saves for the Moose (23-7-1), and his outstanding play throughout the tournament earned him a spot in the Wells Fargo All-Tournament team.

MAML’s Nick Zwack and Hermantown’s Jesse Jacques traded goals to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Moose, and Watkins tied the game at the 11:25 mark of the third period.

The gumption to trudge through three separate overtime games in four days physically took its tool on the Hawks, but head coach Bruce Plante said that the team’s heart carried them.

“It’s mostly the character of the kids,” Plante said. “It’s their mindset, it’s their heart, it’s their determination that keeps them going.”

Sandelin echoed his coach’s sentiment, adding that belief did its part in the championship.

“That’s the biggest reward, they guys never gave up,” Sandelin said. “We believed, and we got it done.”

St. Cloud Cathedral 2, Northfield 1 - Box Score

St. Cloud Cathedral and Northfield battled to a 1-1 tie through two periods before Crusader freshman Nate Warner broke the tie in the third, leading St. Cloud Cathedral (22-7-2) to a third-place finish in Class A.

Nicholas Kvernmo netted the first goal for the Raiders (21-7-3), which was answered by the Crusaders’ Jake Van Halbeck less than three minutes later in the first period.

A scoreless second frame was punctuated by both teams going 0-2 on the power play. Warner’s goal at the 8:58 mark of the third proved to be the eventual game-winner.

Goaltender Jake Levinksi and forward Jake Van Halbeck were named to the All-Tournament team for St. Cloud Cathedral. 

Delano 6, East Grand Forks 3 – Box Score

Andrew Kruse, D, Delano

Ben Meyers, F, Delano

Casey Kallock, D, East Grand Forks

Jake Levinski, G, St. Cloud Cathedral

Jake Van Halbeck, F, St. Cloud Cathedral

Dylan Samberg, D, Hermantown

Jesse Jacques, C, Hermantown

Ryan Sandelin, C, Hermantown

Ben Ward, F, Monticello

Charlie Voller, D, Monticello

Nick Zwack, F, Monicello

Tyler Klatt, G, Monticello