“We needed (Bowlby’s goal),” Panthers coach Buck Kochever said. “That brought this team right back up. We came back with a great second period and then we hung on. . . . The girls worked so hard, and they persevered.”

The momentum, which had fallen decidedly in Northfield’s favor after Puppe’s power-play goal at the end of what had been a rough and mostly evenly-played first period, reversed course with Bowlby’s shorthanded score. Lakeville North emerged from the locker room for the second period with more confidence and energy than the Raiders, who were seeking a second consecutive section championship.

Northfield, powered by high-scoring forwards Puppe and Emerson Garlie, managed just three shots on goal in the second period as the Panthers took advantage of a couple of penalties and took a 4-1 lead into the third. Juniors Anna Tomas, who joined the Panthers this season along with Bowlby as transfers from Burnsville, and Ashley Wagenbach scored power-play goals and Shay Swanson added an even-strength goal in the second period to give Lakeville North a commanding lead.

But Northfield, which rallied to beat top-seeded Lakeville South 5-2 after being tied at 2-2 late in the third period in a semifinal last week, made one last frantic run.

Penalties on the Panthers helped pave the way. After Garlie’s goal 11:42 into the third cut Lakeville North’s lead to 4-2, Tomas and Wagenbach were penalized just seconds apart, giving Northfield a 5-on-3 power play for the third time in the game.

Puppe scored just 18 seconds after Wagenbach’s penalty to cut the lead to 4-3.

But, as she did in the first period, Bowlby took control again. And again, taking a puck off the stick of a Northfield attacker, Bowlby found herself clear for an open-net goal with just eight seconds to play, cementing Lakeville North’s place in the 2023 Class 2A state tournament next week at Xcel Energy Center.

“We teach our girls to go stick to stick,” Kochevar said. “She's scored a few goals like that this season. As she got free and took that shot, I just said, ‘Please, Lord, please.’ I was asking pretty much everybody for help.”

Lakeville North (21-7) last won a Section 1 title and advanced to the state tournament in 2014, when it defeated Dodge County 6-1 and went on to place third at state. The next season, the Panthers fell to Lakeville South in the section championship game.

Northfield, which made its first-ever state tournament appearance last season, closed its season at 20-8.