The Interlake Saints boys soccer team is heading back to the Class 3A state tournament.

The Saints, who captured the Class 3A state title in 2015, registered a dramatic 2-1 comeback win against Chief Sealth in a winner-to-state, loser-out playoff game on May 14 at Interbay Soccer Stadium in Seattle. Saints’ sophomore Owen Gortner scored the go-ahead goal in the 74th minute of play, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish down the stretch. Gortner received a perfect pass from midfielder Austin Ball on the game-winning score. Ball came up the right side of the field before unleashing a ground-ball pass to a wide open Gortner in the center of the field.

“I was yelling for it as loud as I could,” Gortner said. “I just wanted the ball. When I put it in I couldn’t believe it. I was overwhelmed,” Gortner said.

Chief Sealth had three corner-kicks in the final two minutes of play but were unable to convert with the equalizer that would force overtime. Ball said the Saints are a battle-tested squad and weren’t fazed while trailing 1-0 at halftime.

“We know what its like to be in a tough game,” Ball said.

The Saints unleashed a bevy of shots on goal in the second half and knew it was just a matter of time until time they connected. The Saints tied the game at 1-1 on a Salah Hammad goal in the 60th minute. Before scoring in the 74th minute, the Saints hammered the Chief Sealth goal with three shots on goal before Gortner’s game-winner.

“The more close you get the more you feel like you are going to score,” Ball said. “We had been doing it the whole game. We knew one (a goal) was coming. It was great to finally get rewarded.”

Interlake head coach Dan Peterson said his team played much better in the final 40 minutes of action.

“I thought in the second half we did a really good job of playing at a better pace and a higher work-rate. We thought if we created enough chances we would get some goals and we finally did,” Peterson said.

Peterson said while his team does have state tournament experience, they are a youthful squad at the same time.

“We don’t have that many guys from last year’s team. I think these guys are really excited because for most of them it is new. We still have the excitement of being there,” Peterson said of the state tournament. “The guys that were their last year have kind of been a calming force which has been nice. We are looking forward to continuing to play in the playoffs.”