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GRAND FORKS — Warroad did not score an even-strength goal in the Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey championship game.

It didn't need to.

The Warriors scored four times on the power play to beat East Grand Forks Senior High 4-3 in double overtime Thursday night in The Gardens in Warroad.

The final tally came 3 minutes, 21 seconds into the second overtime, when Broden Hontvet buried a backdoor feed from the side of the crease, sending the Warriors' bench onto the ice to celebrate a third-straight section title.

"It had been a long time since Warroad has won one at home," Warroad coach Jay Hardwick said. "I'd won it in East Grand Forks and Thief River. It was a capacity crowd tonight. It was a great atmosphere. It feels really good to get over the hump. It's never easy to win the section title with the teams in our section. To do it on home ice was a little sweeter."

Warroad will head to St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center next Wednesday to play in a state quarterfinal.

Last year, the Warriors reached the state title game before losing in overtime.

"It's so hard to make it to state, especially where we're at," Hardwick said. "After the section, everything is gravy after that. I also told the boys after the game that we've been awfully close the last couple years. I hope they don't forget that. The older players know how it works down there. They know it's a bounce this way or that way. I told them we have some unfinished business I'd like to take care of."

The result was the reverse of what happened the last time the section final was in Warroad. In 2021, Senior High beat the Warriors in double overtime.

"I was having flashbacks to that year," Hardwick said. "It's two good programs that bring their best come playoff time. It makes both of us better. That's why Section 8 is so good when you have teams like this battling to get to state."

On Thursday, Warroad scored two power-play goals in the second period, one in the third and one in double overtime. They finished four-for-five on the advantage.

Hontvet and Murray Marvin-Cordes each scored twice and had an assist.

Senior High received goals from defenseman Grady Magner, forward Landon Jamieson and forward Jace Van Eps.

Although Warroad led 2-1 after two periods, the Green Wave rallied to take the lead in the third.

Jamieson and Van Eps scored even-strength goals 1:07 apart.

But Van Eps was called for a boarding major with 8:12 to go and the Warriors took advantage at the tail end of the power play thanks to Marvin-Cordes.

In the second overtime, Green Wave forward Brock Schultz was called for holding and Warroad took advantage again.

Hontvet was stationed at the right side of the crease, hauled in a pass from the corner, settled it on his stick and fired it home.

"Sometimes, the power play and penalty kill is the difference between winning and losing hockey games," Hardwick said. "Tonight was one of those games. All the work we put in on the power play in the last month and all year paid off."

The teams split regular-season meetings.

Warroad won the first 4-3 in overtime in Thief River Falls on Dec. 22. The Green Wave won the second meeting 6-3 in East Grand Forks.

The Green Wave finished the season at 18-9-1. The Warriors improved to 19-5.