Photo by Sam Thiel Marshall’s Talan Plante (7) skates up the ice during their Section 3A tournament game against Windom Area on Thursday. Marshall fell to Windom Area 7-1.

MARSHALL — The Marshall and Windom Area boys hockey teams split their regular-season series, with each team winning on the road in back-and-forth battles. So when the two teams squared off on Thursday, they knew things were going to be challenging, especially with seasons on the line.

But Windom Area had other ideas, though, and used a three-goal second period to highlight a 7-1 victory at the Red Baron Arena and advance in the Section 3A tournament.

With the loss, Marshall ends its season with an overall record of 14-12.

Despite the final outcome, Marshall coach Michael Weiss said he felt they battled hard, but credited Windom Area for bringing the energy and pressure early.

“I thought we battled tough and we tried to get some things going, but on a night like tonight, you’ve got to give Windom credit for really bringing it and stepping up their game,” Weiss said. “We just didn’t have the answer for the energy they brought.”

Windom Area jumped out to a quick start, getting a goal to take a 1-0 lead with 13:43 left before adding another goal a few minutes later to make it 2-0 with 8:42 left in the first period. That advantage held going into the second period, but the Eagles weren’t done there, as they got a goal in the early stages of the second to extend their lead to 3-0 with 13 minutes left. Windom Area kept attacking, and later made it 4-0 with a goal with 8:09 left in the second before adding another goal with 17 seconds left to push it to 5-0 after two.

The Eagles then got a goal with 14:49 left in the third to make it 6-0, but Marshall kept battling, as Zach Kramer got them on the board with a goal on the assist by Talan Plante and Parker Schmitt with 11:47 left. Windom Area had an answer, though, getting a goal with 10:31 left to bring it to the 7-1 final.

Windom Area outshot Marshall 35-17 on the game. Ezra Maurice and Gavin Welsh combined to record 28 saves in net for Marshall.

Saluting the seniors

Thursday’s game marked the final one for Marshall’s seven seniors. They are: Jared Reinsma, Braxton Meyer, Robbie Seanor, Wyatt Boerboom, Tucker Mauch, Gabe Sherman and Logan Deutz. Weiss said they all did a lot for the program over the years and they’ll be missed.

“They’ve provided a lot,” Weiss said. “It’s been a long two or three years for those guys with everything they’ve been through, with COVID and all of that and we said in the locker room that they’re leaving the program in a lot better spot than it was a year ago and set some new expectations for the group and hopefully we’ll see that shine through in the years to come.”

Windom Area 7, Marshall 1

Windom Area 2 3 2 — 7

Marshall 0 0 1 — 1

SCORING SUMMARY

First Period

Windom Area: Wyatt Haugen, 3:17 (LaCanne, E. Purrington).

Windom Area: Z. Espenson, 8:18 (Unassisted) (power-play).

Penalties

Marshall: Meyer, 10:18 (Interference, 2 min).

Second Period

Windom Area: B. Espenson, 3:59 (Unassisted).

Windom Area: E. Purrington, 8:51 (Rabbe, Koch).

Windom Area: Porath, 16:43 (Wriley Haugen, Wyatt Haugen) (short-handed).

Penalties

Windom Area: Z. Espenson, 15:01 (Interference, 2 min).

Marshall: Mellenthin, 5:35 (Tripping, 2 min).

Windom Area: B. Espenson, 0:48 (Cross-check, 2 min).

Third Period

Windom Area: Wriley Haugen, 2:11 (Koch).

Marshall: Kramer, 5:13 (Plante, Schmitt).

Windom Area: Koch, 6:15 (B. Espenson).

Penalties

Windom Area: B. Purrington, 10:12 (Hooking, 2 min).

Marshall: Plante, 5:23 (Cross-check, 2 min).

Marshall: Beernaert, 4:13 (Cross-check, 2 min).

SOG: Windom Area 35; Marshall 17.

Saves: Windom Area 16; Marshall 28.