In Manheim Township's 2-0 victory over Lampeter-Strasburg last Monday, the Blue Streaks' speed advantage was evident.
Friday night, the Streaks had that same speed but this time, Red Land matched it.
With three unanswered goals in the third period, the Patriots skated past Township and into the Central Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League's Tier II title game with a 5-1 semifinal win over the Streaks at Twin Ponds West.
Red Land will play for the Viola Cup against Annville-Cleona, which defeated Elizabethtown 6-5 in overtime in another semifinal game played at Twin Ponds East Friday night.
The Tier II title game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at the Hersheypark Arena.
Red Land's John Conley scored what would be the game-winner midway through the second period, converting Sean Ryan's backhand pass.
The Blue Streaks (13-7-1) were afforded a pair of power plays early in the third period and skated with a two-man advantage for 41 seconds, but could not come up with the tying goal.
"If we just could have come up with something on that 5-on-3 … " said Township coach Glenn Frailey. "We did get some pressure but we just couldn't bury it."
Three minutes after Township's power plays, Dagan Magaro gave the No. 3-seeded Patriots (16-4-1) a 3-1 lead with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle and the deficit was too much to overcome for the Blue Streaks, the No. 7 seed.
Dylan Succa added a late power play goal for the Patriots, and John Geesey scored into an empty Township net in the final minute.
"Red Land's defense was very solid and big and physical," said Township captain Riley Loula. "They made it difficult for us to get into the (offensive) zone."
Magaro opened the scoring early in the first, tipping Geesey's shot past Township goalie Evan Shubrooks. Township got a tying goal from Kyle Hartranft, who sent a backhand shot over the blocker of Red Land goalie William Ott.
Shubrooks, who made 32 saves, picked up where he left off after shutting out L-S on Monday. He made some tough saves and kept the Blue Streaks within a goal of the lead until Magaro's second goal in the third period.
"It was almost like he flipped a switch when we went into the playoffs," Loula said of Shubrooks. "He was the MVP of each of our playoff games."
Annville-Cleona 6, Elizabethtown 5: Dylan Kapp scored the game-winning goal at the 2:52 mark of the overtime period to lift the Little Dutchmen.
James Scott scored a hat trick while Jake Brightbill added two goals to pace A-C.
Steven Dombrosky matched Scott's hat trick and teammates Brian Milici and Michael Van Horn added goals for the Bears.
Notes: Hershey will play Lower Dauphin in a rematch of last season's Tier I title game. In Friday's semifinals, Hershey defeated Cumberland Valley 8-1 and Lower Dauphin topped Central Dauphin 4-2.
E-mail: kfreeman@lnpnews.com