Photos by Samantha Davis. Marshall's Mady Girard takes the puck back and looks ahead at the offense in the first period against New Ulm Saturday afternoon at the Red Baron Arena in Marshall. Below: The Marshall girls hockey team celebrates after defeating New Ulm 2-1 Saturday afternoon to advance to the Section 3A Championship. Junior Abbey Foley had both goals for the Tigers.

MARSHALL — The top-seeded Marshall girls hockey team is championship-bound after defeating No. 4 New Ulm 2-1 in the Section 3A semifinals Saturday afternoon at the Red Baron Arena.

“We are the closest team I have ever seen, where we all love each other so much,” Marshall junior Abbey Foley said. “From the oldest girl on the team, all the way down to the youngest seventh grader on our team. We’re all so close, and I think that’s what’s helped push us so far throughout the season and kept us so close.”

After a scoreless first period, Foley scored a pair of crucial power-play goals in the opening minutes of the second period to build up a lead. New Ulm came out hot in the third period and brought the game within a goal, but the Tigers’ defense stayed united to solidify the win.

“This feels really good,” Foley said about moving onto the championship. “But, we all know that we can’t stop working now. We have to keep pushing through, and it’s not going to be easy at all from here.”

Marshall overall had 36 shots on goal to New Ulm’s 12, seven of which came in the third period.

Foley’s first goal came two minutes into the second period after New Ulm was assessed a two-minute minor for tripping. Foley wrapped around the backside of the goal and tapped the puck to the back of the net while near the crease. Ava Kolander and Brooklyn Mauch were credited with assists on the play.

Three minutes later, after New Ulm was called for another tripping minor, Mauch received the puck from Mia Wichmann, who again found Foley in goalie territory to score another goal.

“We talked to them about being in front of that goalie and getting in her face. Both of those goals were right on the doorstep, rebound goals where she was just ready for it,” Marshall assistant coach Chris Foley said. “I think once they started to do that, we started to get more opportunities.”

There were 14 penalties assessed throughout the game, and half of them came in the second period. The Tigers had six to the Eagles’ eight, and all were minor.

After earning a bye into the semifinals as the top seed for the second year in a row, the Tigers came to face New Ulm after the Eagles defeated No. 5 Worthington 4-0 in the quarterfinals. Marshall and New Ulm met twice during the regular season, with the Tigers coming away with the win both times by an aggregate score of 12-1.

New Ulm goalie Ava Brennan had a 93.6% save percentage ahead of Saturday. Brennan forced Marshall to get creative with its shot selection after making four saves in the first two minutes of the game. She went on to save all of Marshall’s 17 shots on goal attempts in the first period. She finished with 34 saves on 36 shots faced, a 94% save rate

“She [Brennan] just stands on her head, and she’s always been a great goalie,” Marshall assistant coach Chris Foley said. “She’s a senior now, but she’s been good throughout the years.”

The first period quickly showed what was bound to be a competitive afternoon, with both teams going scoreless for the first 17 minutes. The intensity heightened in the second period, however, as both teams fought to get on the board. The Tigers’ effort on both ends allowed them to dominate the puck.

“I knew I had to do it for my seniors. For more games for them,” Foley said. “Also, my line mates do so much for me … I know I need to give back for them too, and do my part as well.”

New Ulm dialed up its offense midway through the second period and with a flurry of shots on goal. But, Marshall goalie Lily Stelter saved the attempts and didn’t allow a puck to get past her in the frame. Stelter saved 11 of the 12 shots she faced on the day

The Eagles started on a late rally in the third period and brought the game within one. Tristyn Wolner got the puck on defense and went up the rink unassisted to lay the puck in the back of the net in the third minute of the final period.

New Ulm continued to control the offense for several consecutive minutes and had a handful of good looks to the end.

“I think we were on our heels a little bit. We weren’t really playing our game, and I don’t think that we were really as aggressive as we needed to be,” coach Foley said. “It almost felt like in our brains, we were trying to just not give up a goal instead of going in, and when we play that way, we’re not at our best.”

In the final minute of the game, New Ulm pulled Brennan to put an extra body on offense, but Marshall staved off the Eagles and locked down on the puck to secure the win and continue its season.

Marshall was able to work around the Eagles’ defense and spent a majority of the first period in New Ulm territory. The Tigers had a string of shots in the final minutes, but the puck was either deflected by Brennan or hit the crossbar.

New Ulm was limited to just one shot on goal in the first.

Marshall (21-3-2) moves on to the Section 3A championship at Gustavus Adolphus College’s Lund Arena on Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

The Tigers will play No. 2 Luverne (18-6-2) for the second straight year in the championship. The Cardinals defeated Marshall last season 4-0 in the title match.

Luverne defeated third-seed Fairmont 6-1 Saturday night to advance.

“We have to work the whole game, and we cannot stop,” Foley said about moving forward. “It’s going to be tough no matter what.”

The section champion will earn a spot in the state tournament.

“Our mindset is the same as it always is: Next game up,” coach Foley said. “We’ve been telling them all year we believe we’re the hardest working team in the state of Minnesota. If we keep that mentality and go in it, we don’t really care who we play. We know we better fight that way, either way.”