Sam Lindahl scored 44 seconds into overtime as Tartan edged White Bear Lake 12-11 in the Section 4 championship on Tuesday at Roseville High School to send the Titans to their first state tournament in program history.
“First time getting to the section final, first time getting to state,” Lindahl said. “It’s a big step for us."
The Titans (15-1) erased a four-goal deficit in the fourth quarter, displaying an ability to score quickly that had been stifled by the Bears during most title game.
“We know we can play with teams like this, we’ve been confident throughout the season,” Tartan coach Rick Dickinson said. “We just had to dig deep and realize that (the players) can score when they want to.”
Andrew Henderson led the Titans with four goals, and Robert Veitch added three, including the game-tying goal with just nine seconds remaining in regulation.
Tartan is ranked No. 9 in the latest coaches’ poll.
Joey Goudreau scored four goals for White Bear Lake (11-5), with Kyle Preslaski adding three.
Bears’ coach Brandon Husak said after the loss that his team ran out of energy on the field.
“I don’t think we had enough gas in the tank,” Husak said. “We knew that we weren’t really that deep, and we knew that (the Titans) were.”
White Bear Lake's second-leading scorer Jared Lueck left the game in the first quarter, but Husak refused to blame the loss on injuries.
“(Tartan) earned every bit of this (win),” Husak said.
Tartan poses for team photo with its Section 4 championship trophy Tuesday evening in Roseville. The Titans qualified for the state tournament for the first time with a 12-11 win over White Bear Lake. Photo by Drew Herron
