One of the most dangerous teams that can be faced in the playoffs is the one with nothing to lose. 

The one who’s already pulled off a pair of upsets en route to the final round. 

The one who you’ve beaten twice during the regular season, and the one who would love nothing more than to end your year. 

Eagan faced down that exact team on Wednesday night and prevailed, slipping past Eastview 4-3 before a sizable crowd at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights to punch their ticket to the Class 2A State Tournament. 

“We played them twice this year and beat them both (times), and it’s the old cliche of beating (a team) three times is pretty tough to do,” Eagan coach Dan Wilson said after the game. 

Junior goaltender Maddie Nickell picked up her second win over the Lightning on Wednesday night with 28 saves, her third win during the postseason and the first that was not a shutout. 

Fellow junior Ashley Larson earned the other win over the Lightning, making 18 saves in a 4-2 win on Jan. 27.

Wilson said that having two upperclassmen goaltenders has been a source of consistent quality for his team. 

“We’re fortunate to have two junior goalies, and they’ve been solid all year long,” Wilson said.

Larson posted a record of 7-2-1 with a .923 save percentage and two shutouts this season for the Wildcats (22-5-2). 

Eagan’s Lauryn Roszak opened the scoring in the first period, but the Wildcats’ 1-0 lead was answered by Eastview Kati Quaintance to send the game into the second period knotted at 1-1.

Emily Cronkhite put the Wildcats up 2-1 early in the second before Mikayla Kelley scored twice for the Lightning (9-17-2) to make the score 3-2. Julia Barger tied the game for the Wildcats and Alyssa Hennessy scored with just six seconds remaining in the period for the eventual game-winner. 

With 22 wins this season, and four one-goal losses to Centennial, Roseau, Lakeville South, and Wayzata, Wilson said that he’s confident in his group’s ability to match up with the best teams in Minnesota. 

“This team has surprised us all year long,” Wilson said. 

“Even early on we played some good opponents that I thought we could play right with, so I like to think we can skate with just about anybody.”    

As the No. 6 seed, Eastview upset No. 3 seed Park-Cottage Grove and second-seeded Apple Valley to advance to Wednesday's final. 

There are seven freshmen and two eighth-graders on the Eastview varsity. 

Eagan's senior forward Taylor Anderson is committed to Minnesota-Duluth.

The Wildcats last made the trip to the state tournament in 2013.