SAUK CENTRE -- Richie Norris scored midway through the third period to break a 4-4 tie and Willmar went on to defeat Section 4A rival Prairie Centre 5-4 in boys hockey Friday.
"It was just a lot of hard work by the Red Line," said Willmar coach Reed Larson. "Eric Bangen made an amazing backhanded pass and Richie one-timed it into the upper corner. It turned out to be the game."
The game's last nine minutes passed scoreless. Jon Mattison secured the win in the net with 14 saves. He took over for Kevin Maxfield late in the first period.
Willmar's Joel Jonsson scored twice in the first stanza, which ended 2-2.
Mitch Schneider got the Willmar goal in the third period which ended 3-3. Tyler Burns' second goal in the second minute of the third frame put Prairie Centre up 3-2, but Jordan Gauer's hard wrist shot after digging the puck out of the corner tied it 4-4 at 4:59.
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Willmar got off 33 shots to the host team's 19.
Willmar 5, Prairie Centre 4
Willmar (2-3)..................... 2 1 2 -- 5
Prairie Centre (1-6)........... 2 1 1 -- 4
FIRST PERIOD - PC: Austin Plaine (Travis Moller) 1:36 ... Wil: Joel Jonsson (unassisted) 10:42 ... Wil: Jonsson (Eric Bangen, Griffin Leitch) 14:01, pp ... PC: Plaine (unassisted) 15:16
SECOND PERIOD - PC: Tyler Burns (unassisted) 7:33 ... Wil: Mitch Schneider (Jordan Gauer, Josh Aslesen) 10:49, pp
THIRD PERIOD - PC: Burns (Plaine) 1:18, pp ... Wil: Jordan Gauer (unassisted) 4:59 ... Wil: Richie Norris (Bangen, Leitch) 8:44
Goalie saves - Willmar: Kevin Maxfield 1-*-*-1; Mattison 0-9-5-14 ... Prairie Centre: Marcus Tomsche 9-9-10-28
