The boys from Breck High School are one victory from becoming the first team to win consecutive Minnesota state hockey championships in nearly two decades.
The Mustangs, though, are more concerned about the immediate future than the distant past.
Mike Morin scored two goals and John Russell made 15 saves to lead defending champion Breck to a 4-2 win over Warroad in the Class 1A semifinals at Xcel Energy Center on Friday afternoon, a rematch of last year's title game.
"We're looking at one more game," said coach Les Larson, whose team topped Warroad 7-3 in last year's championship.
The Mustangs will take the ice on Saturday to face Hermantown, a 7-6 overtime winner over Mahtomedi in the other semifinal.
Breck has also won state championships in 2000 and 2004. Hermantown is going for its second state title, the first coming in 2007. The teams did not play each other during the regular season.
The last repeat state champion was Bloomington Jefferson, which won titles in 1992, 1993 and 1994. No team has won consecutive titles since the Minnesota State High School League went to a two-class tournament in 1994.
"Last year was last year," Larson said. "We had to build our own foundation for this team."
Warroad got two goals from Brock Nelson, including the game's first score that gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead after the first period. Morin scored the tying goal on a power play early in the second, and the Mustangs took the lead for good on a score by Chase Nystedt halfway through the period.
Warroad, which last won it all in 2005, got off to a good start. Mr. Hockey finalist Nelson also scored in the third period, but Breck scored four goals in between his goals en route to a 16th straight win.
"We needed to come out right away and get on top," Nelson said. "We did that, but came up short at the end."
Morin added his second goal less than three minutes after Nystedt's go-ahead score, and Riley Borer made it 4-1 when he scored in the third. The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 36-3 in the postseason, using a rugged, muscling effort for this victory.
"Personally, I like that kind of game," Borer said. "They finish every check, and we were ready for it."
The Mustangs showed they're more than flash and dash, putting a body on Nelson throughout the game and keeping the Warriors from any second-chance shots.
"We come down here to win a championship and it's tough to swallow right now," said Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen.
