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PORTLAND — With a five-minute blitz in the Class B state final, the York boys hockey co-op team went from a scoreless game to a three-goal lead.

From there, it was all about hanging on — and the Wildcats did. 

York/Biddeford/Old Orchard Beach claimed a 3-2 victory over Hampden Academy in the Class B state championship game Saturday at Cross Insurance Arena. The Wildcats scored three times in a span of 4 minutes, 48 seconds in the second period before surviving a furious comeback bid.

“This is the greatest moment of my entire life,” said York’s Bronson Eldredge. “I’ve been playing since I was probably 3 years old; I can remember skating around in my grandmother and grandfather’s front yard so vividly. This makes it all worth it.”

Eldredge had a goal and an assist for York, which also got goals from Henry Ober and Brett Aceto as well as 26 saves from Connor Thibault.

Wyatt Allen and Aiden MacFarline scored for Hampden, and Aiden Surren made 24 saves. 

The end of the first period couldn’t have come at a better time for York (18-4). Although the Wildcats had dominated in the early going by registering the game’s first five shots, Hampden outshot them 12-0 the remainder of the period.

Yet for all of that dominance, the Broncos (14-7-1) couldn’t get a goal, and York made them pay in the second period. Ober scored the first goal off a rebound at 3:40. Eldredge followed with a power-play goal at 6:59, and Acedo made it 3-0 at 8:28.

“I think we had a plan going (into the second period) to try and keep it as simple as we could — get pucks deep and keep working them,” said York coach Peter Douris. “We were able to break away with a few goals, but we knew they were going to come back, so we had to try and take care of all the little things.”

Hampden (14-7-1) did come back. Allen, who scored the overtime winner for the Broncos in the North final against Messalonskee, scored at 13:03 of the second. Then, after the Broncos pulled their goalie for an extra skater, Aiden MacFarline cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:28 left in the game.

Thibault, though, made a bevy of key saves in the period, including one in the final minute to keep the Wildcats in front. He got some of the loudest applause of any York co-op player as the Wildcats received their medals.

“When you have that increase in pressure, it’s just that mindset of, ‘I have to make that save’ because you have to step it up with the game on the line,” Thibault said. “It felt amazing (when the buzzer sounded). To win it with this group of guys, it’s just great.”

The title comes in the first year of a co-op between York, Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach. York was a standalone team last season, while Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach were part of a cooperative arrangement with Massabesic (which is now with Gorham).

“We tried to push that merger; (York/OOB) had what we needed, and we had what they needed, so we knew it would work out,” said Thibault, a senior at Biddeford. “Once we were able to do that, it really all came together.”

The result is now glory for both major pieces of the new arrangement after past standalone successes. York previously won a state title in 2011, and Biddeford won four championships (1977, 2007, 2008, 2010).

“I’ve known a lot of these kids from the time they were little, and it’s all for them,” said Douris. “It’s great to see, and it’s awesome for the community.”