The Robertson Cup is headed to the Bayou State. 

The Shreveport Mudbugs eked out a 2-1 win over Minot in the Robertson Cup Finals on Monday night, earning the title in the franchise’s second year of existence. 

“We knew we had to earn the bounces, and we earned them twice,” defenseman and team captain Dominick Procopio said after the game. 

“That’s just how it goes. I’m just ecstatic.”

Procopio, who is committed to UMass-Lowell, got the first lap with the cup, and as he lifted it aloft he let out a mix of war cry and dry sob, a combination of pure joy and exhausted relief. 

“I’ve lived for that moment for three years in this league,” Procopio said. “To finally get to that moment is surreal.”

Fourth-seeded Minot, which littered its road to the finals with upsets, took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by Nolan Sawchuk, who was named the All-Tournament team. Goaltender Samu Lonkila rejected 23 of 25 shots from the Mudbugs, concluding his run in the playoffs as one of the top netminders in the league. 

The Mudbugs tied the game at 1-1 on Brendan VanSweden’s third goal of the playoffs at the 6:17 mark of the second period, and the game-winner came from Cole Quisenberry, with Procopio and Ryan Burnett. 

Trailing 1-0 and facing the stone wall of Lonkila, Mudbugs head coach Karlis Zirnis said that his team refused to panic, and stuck to what’s worked for them all year. 

“We’ve believed all year long, and out mentality has been take it one game at a time and just keep working hard,” Zirnis said. 

“Let’s work hard, let’s work hard, let’s keep digging and there we are at the end of the year winning the whole thing,” Zirnis continued, adding that the Minoturos gave the Mudbugs all they could handle in the game. “That team battled. They gave us everything they’ve got, and I’m so proud of our guys battling through.”

Just before the team picture, Procopio needed no pause before answering a question about the team’s personality. 

“We’re hard, we’re fast, we’re son-of-a-guns to play against,” Procopio said while flashing a mega-watt grin. 

“That’s been our identity all year, and we did it enough tonight to pull out (a win) against an unbelievable Minot team that had a helluva season."