Tyler Scott was trying to describe his role on Breck’s top line when he glanced at Mustangs coach Les Larson and said, somewhat sheepishly, “As he says, the straw that stirs the drink.”

 

“He remembered something,” Larson chimed in while cracking a smile. “That was good.”

 

“Thanks,” answered Scott.

 

That sort of give and take has been evident all season for the No. 2-seeded Mustangs, who dismantled No. 3-seeded Thief River Falls 4-0 on Friday in the semifinals of the Class 1A state tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

 

Scott scored twice in the victory, which never seemed in doubt after Breck (26-3-1) took a 2-0 lead 4 minutes, 55 seconds into the opening period. The Mustangs outshot the Prowlers (23-6-0) by a 43-18 margin.

 

“That start was huge, I thought,” Scott said.

 

A senior co-captain, Scott opened the scoring 3 minutes, 24 seconds into the opening period when he used his skate to control a Chase Ellingson pass from behind the net and then unload a low shot into the goal. He scored again with with 34.7 seconds left in the second period to put the Mustangs ahead 3-0.

 

“He’s kind of the impetus, the catalyst on that line,” Larson said. “He’s the guy in the middle, he needs to realize when to keep the puck, when to carry the puck, when to move the puck.”

 

Scott, who cracked the varsity as a sophomore playing on the third line, now skates alongside a Mr. Hockey award finalist in Ellingson and William Blake, each of whom had hat tricks in during Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

 

“We’ve been trying a bunch of new things during practice, trying to read where everyone is going to be,” Scott said. “We try to find different spots where teams won’t expect us to be.”

 

Scott entered the tournament with 56 points, second only on the Mustangs to Ellingson’s 72. Larson said Scott wasn’t one of those youth hockey players tagged early for high school stardom.

 

“A lot of these guys aren’t double-A Bantams when they come to us,” Larson said. “Tyler was on the second Bantam team for Burnsville, and then he came to us.”

 

And now look at him. Two goals and three assists in the tournament. Points in all but two of the Mustangs’ 30 games this season. He’s also Hobey Baker High School Character Award winner. 

 

“Hockey is best known for the character of its players, you are looking at one of them,” Larson said. “Great kid.”

Tyler Scott scored twice, and linemate Chase Ellingson had a goal and an assist as No. 2-seeded Breck eased past Thief River Falls 4-0 on Friday in the semifinals of the state Class 1A tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

 

Breck (26-3-1) outshot Thief River Falls (23-7-0) 43-18 and limited Prowlers’ top scorer Ethan Johnson to just a couple quality scoring chances.

 

Scott, a senior forward, put Breck ahead 3-0 with 34.7 seconds left in the second period when his shot from the top of the left face-off circle appeared to carom into the goal of a Thief River Falls player’s shin pad.

 

Ellingson, a Mr. Hockey award finalist, set up Breck’s first goal and scored the second as the Mustangs surged to an early lead. Ellingson outmaneuvered two defenders behind the net to grab the puck and send it into the slot to an open Scott, who stopped the puck with his skate blade before firing low past Thief River Falls goaltender Kade Nelson to open the scoring 3:24 into the first period.

 

Junior defenseman Dalton Weigel found Ellingson unchecked in the slot just more than a minute later, and Ellingson whipped a shot over Nelson’s right shoulder to put the Mustangs ahead 2-0 just 4:55 into the first.

 

Carter Breitenfeldt’s power-play goal on a deflection late in the third period completed the scoring. 

 

Johnson, a senior who had a hat trick in the Prowlers’ 6-1 state quarterfinal victory over Princeton on Wednesday to give him 49 goals this season, had his best chance in the third period on a solo rush from center ice. A poke check by Breck sophomore goaltender Linden Olness halted the threat.

 

Olness made 18 saves for the shutout. Nelson stopped 39 shots for the Prowlers. 

 

Breck, ranked No. 2 in final state coaches’ poll, has reached the state tournament in seven of Les Larson’s eight seasons as head coach, winning championships in 2009 and 2010. The Mustangs also won state titles in 2000 and 2004.

 

Thief River Falls was ranked No. 6 in final state coaches’ poll.