PORTLAND — Bronson Eldridge won’t lie: Holding on to a one-goal lead in the Class B South boys hockey title game is as nerve-wracking as can be.

The senior captain was looking to give his teammates any chance to breathe during the entire third period, and after Eldridge’s empty-net goal with 9.1 seconds remaining, the York co-op team exhaled deeply. And then the second-seeded Wildcats roared in celebration.

York/Biddeford/Old Orchard Beach is headed to its first state championship appearance as a co-op team after a 4-2 win Wednesday over Gorham/Massabesic at Cross Insurance Arena.

“This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had on an ice rink,” Eldredge said. “We’ve had bad luck, we’ve come in second place here before, we know how it feels being the other side, and a lot of respect out to Gorham. I mean, they’re a really good hockey team. They gave us a really good fight.”

York/Biddeford/OOB (17-4) will take on the Hampden co-op in the Class B final Saturday afternoon at Cross Insurance Arena. It’ll be the first state championship game appearance for York players since 2017, and the first for Biddeford players since back-to-back Class A runner-up seasons in 2018 and 2019.

Gorham/Massabesic, the No. 1 seed, ends the season at 16-5.

“So many things have to go right just to get to this spot,” York coach Peter Douris said. “We had to kill off a bunch of penalties again today. I thought we came out really strong, but that’s a really good team. You got to be on your game to beat them. They don’t give up. They just keep going and going, and they got some dangerous players, but it feels really nice.”

The Wildcats maintained control in the offensive zone early in the first period, and senior forward Brendan Dowling scored the opening goal at 2:45 off a feed from senior captain Josh Neal.

At 11:43, Gorham/Massabesic freshman Isaiah Waterman evened the score on a power play, with help from seniors Levi Wagner and Andrew Collins. It was the first goal allowed by the Wildcats in three playoff games.

The York co-op had trouble with penalties in a regional semifinal win over Kennebunk/Wells, so the tying goal was a reminder to “keep our emotions cool,” according to senior forward Brett Aceto.

Aceto restored the lead with 52.4 seconds left in the first after he regained possession deep in the Gorham zone.

At 1:17 of the second period, Eldredge won a faceoff and senior forward Henry Ober slotted the puck past goalie Grant Peters (22 saves) to make it 3-1.

Zach McCormick cut into the deficit, assisted by Jackson Altham, with 2:47 left in the second period, but the Rams could not capitalize on two other power-play opportunities.

York co-op senior goalie Connor Thibault (24 saves) stood tall with 13 saves in the third period.

“It could have gone either way,” Gorham/Massabesic coach Shawn Sullivan said. “That first period, they came out hard. We have a lot of young guys, too, and I think it was kind of an eye-opener for them at the start, but I think we really settled in. We had our chances, and Thibault had some great saves. Credit to York, obviously, they’re a tremendous team and well-deserving of it.”