Warroad senior Matt Hard dishes the puck, wins battles and brings physicality, according to his linemate Daimon Gardner. Hard also brought something else in Friday’s first Class 1A semifinal: an overtime winner.

His 23rd goal of the season came 2 minutes, 21 seconds into overtime, helping Warroad defeat Mahtomedi 5-4 in the boys' hockey state tournament at Xcel Energy Center.

“I just kept it low,” Hard said. “I think it bounced off his glove and went in.”

His power-play goal broke a tie that had been in place since about midway through the second period of the back-and-forth game.

It was 2-2 after one period, until third-seeded Mahtomedi (17-12-1) grabbed a 4-2 lead by the 55-minute mark of the second period when Brent Gulenchyn and Charlie Drage each scored his second goal of the game.

“We were reeling a little bit,” Warroad coach Jay Hardwick said. “I just told them we had to relax and play hockey, just keep going to the net, keep shooting the puck.”

With plenty of time left, the top line for second-seeded Warroad (26-3-2) went to work. First, Gardner finished off his second hat trick in as many games with a power-play goal. Then Jayson Shaugabay tied it up with a  solo-effort goal, taking the initial shot from his knees before burying his own rebound. Shaugabay also had three assists.

“It was a game of highs and lows, for both teams,”  Mahtomedi coach Jeff Poeschl said. “I guess that’s what makes it such a great game.”