CAMBRIDGE — The Elmira Lancers did the math while travelling to Galt Arena Gardens.

“On the way here we said, ‘If we get lucky on a goal or two, then we’re going to score a couple of good goals too.’ So it’s a good thing that we got that lucky one,” said Lancers captain Lauri Reid.

“We got that goal and just went from there.”

That second-period goal by blueliner Maddie Holman played a huge role in Elmira’s 3-1 victory over the Southwood Sabres on Thursday. The Lancers claimed the Waterloo County girls high school hockey crown and ended Southwood’s two-year reign.

“I am so proud of the team this year,” said Reid, a fourth-year defender. “We’ve blended together very well. . . . I don’t know, it’s just a relief to finally win and beat Southwood.”

The game between the league’s two best teams lived up to expectations and featured excellent goaltending by Southwood’s Sara Mugford and Elmira’s Yi Wang.

With the teams skating to what looked like was going to be a scoreless first period, Southwood’s Laura Neu ripped a wrist shot past Wang to give the Sabres the lead and momentum.

Until Holman entered the picture.

With just over two minutes left in the second, the defender flipped a shot from just inside the blueline toward the Southwood net that went through all kinds of traffic and somehow managed to get past Mugford.

It didn’t touch a thing on its way in and Holman looked as shocked as anyone when her Elmira teammates mobbed her.

The momentum-shifter came just minutes after Southwood defender Jocelyn St. Clair had beaten Wang with a nasty slap shot but rang it off the post.

The Lancers came out flying in the third and were rewarded when Grade 9 phenom Kaitlin Doering fired a low slap shot past Mugford on a power play. Doering would seal the deal with just over two minutes remaining when she beat Mugford on a breakaway.

Despite the outcome, both teams advance to the Central Western Ontario championship in Brantford next week. They’ll be joined there by either Resurrection or Bluevale. Those schools squared off in a qualifying game on Thursday.

The Sabres are hoping for another shot at the Lancers in Gretzkyville.

“It’s a tough one but I think that will get us ready for CWOSSA because we want it even more now and hopefully we’ll see them again in the finals there,” said St. Clair.

“In the big picture, this is just a minor setback. We’re looking forward to next week for sure.”

Southwood had beaten Elmira in the final two years ago and last year Southwood downed Rez after the Phoenix had stunned Elmira in the semis.

In two earlier meetings this season, the Sabres scored a 4-2 win in Elmira and the teams skated to a 2-2 tie in Cambridge.

TROJANS, RENEGADES ADVANCE

Grand River and Forest Heights will meet in next week’s final series after both teams won their best-of-three semifinal series by 2-0 margins.

Derek Mathes had four goals and Kyle Scheifele added two in the Renegades’ 6-3 win over Resurrection, as Ryan Synder, Mitch McGowan and Matt MacDonald replied for the Phoenix.

Regular-season champion Forest Heights needed a shootout to eliminate Bluevale by a 2-1 score. Cole Chessell scored for the Trojans and Mark Hill replied for the Knights.