Entering the final game of the regular season tied on points with Devils Lake and Jamestown for the final two spots to make the state tournament, the Minot High School girls hockey team still had control of its own destiny Tuesday evening at Maysa Arena.

The Majettes (9-13-0, 7-13-0 N.D. League) continued their state tournament appearance streak with a 5-3 victory over a Mandan team (5-16-0, 4-14-0) being coached by former Minot High assistant coach Steph Hoard.

Since girls hockey was sanctioned by the NDHSAA for the 2002-03 season, Minot High has never missed the postseason.

“As hard as this is on the ticker, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” MHS head coach Weylin Wahlstrom said. “These girls have fought so hard this year. This is just the way the season is supposed to end for these girls… Today it wasn’t our best performance by any means, but we played with our hearts.

Alex Eisen/MDN The Majettes celebrate after Brenna Abrahamson (top left) scores the second goal of the game Tuesday against Mandan in Minot.

“There was a lot going on. It was girls hockey day with all the little kids down here and they were fired up. We are coaching against Steph (Hoard) who was a coach in our program just one year ago. There were a lot of emotions. But, we fought all the way through. Hats off to the girls.”

The penalty box was a crowded place in the first period with skaters making frequent visits. The Majettes ended up playing 5-on-4, 4-on-5, 4-on-4, 3-on-5 and 4-on-5. In total, eight penalties (five Minot, three Mandan) were called in the first 17 minutes.

Alyssa Aguirre took advantage of the extra ice — not on the power play, but shorthanded. The MHS junior forward weaved through Mandan’s defense, regathered a bouncing puck and beat Braves goaltender Autumn Sheetz down low on her glove side for the opening goal.

At the other end of the ice, MHS sophomore goaltender Amber Borkhuis was doing everything to keep the puck out. She made three point-blank saves in the first three minutes, then got a little creative.

With a puck slowly rolling toward the post behind her, Borkhuis heaved her goalie stick in a last-ditch attempt because she was way out of position. Luckily for her, the puck rolled just wide, and Mandan didn’t score shortly after when Borkhuis was quickly given defenseman Alyssa Enns’ stick to wield.

“We have relied a lot on Amber (Borkhuis) this year,” Wahlstrom said. “I’m really proud of her development this year. She has matured a lot as a goalie. I’m excited because she is still a young kid still, a sophomore. She has given us opportunities to win hockey games.”

In the second period, a pair of backhanded goals by Majettes’ Brenna Abrahamson and Carson Abrahamson were sandwiched between Mandan’s first goal by Margaux Kautzmann.

Minot High took a three-goal lead into the third period on a cross-crease pass from O’Malley Eslinger to Aguirre for her second goal of the game. It was Eslinger’s third assist of the game.

“We have worked with (Alyssa Aguirre) this year as a power forward and she knows it’s her job to put pucks in the net,” Wahlstrom said. “Tonight, she had opportunities and buried them.”

Eslinger wasn’t done finding her teammates. In the middle of the third period, Eslinger dished out her team-leading 14th assist of the season in style. Controlling the puck with a skate-to-stick move, Eslinger skated around Mandan’s net before centering the puck to junior Kaya Shaw for a simple power play finish in front.

MHS came into the contest only scoring five goals in its last five games — losing all five games. In each of the Majettes’ three regular season wins over Mandan, they managed to score five goals to win (5-2, 5-3 and 5-3).

The Braves scored a couple of goals by Kautzmann and Ashley Patrick, separated by a minute, to bring some tension back into the game late in the third period. But, Mandan ran out of time.

Despite being outshot (35-30 shots on goal) and taking nine total penalties, the Majettes celebrated when the final horn sounded.

“This means a lot,” Wahlstrom said about keeping the state tournament appearance streak alive. “We have a young team, and this is going to be a great experience for the girls that haven’t been to state… Our goal from Day 1 was give everything we got so we could play in late February. Here we are. I think that’s why the emotions were so high tonight.”

The NDHSAA girls hockey state tournament is being held Feb. 21-23 at the Scheels Arena and the Farmers Union Arena in Fargo.

The Majettes will be the No. 7 seed because Devils Lake went to Jamestown Tuesday evening and beat the Blue Jays in a shootout to clinch the No. 8 seed. The Devils Lake Firebirds will be making their second-ever appearance at state, heading back for the first time since 2004.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.