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 first-ranked 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. The Tigers were able to withstand a late Eagles’ rally through a collective team effort on both ends of the rink.

“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 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 attempts to New Ulm’s 12, seven of which came in the third period.

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 with the top-seed, which is Marshall’s second straight year being awarded the first-seed, the Tigers came to face the Eagles after they 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.

Marshall defeated New Ulm 8-1 on Dec. 5, and again in a 4-0 shutout on Jan. 21.

The first period quickly showed what was bound to be a competitive afternoon, with both teams going scoreless for the first 17 minutes.

New Ulm’s goalie Ava Brennan is a key player for the Eagles, and had a 93.6% save percentage ahead of Saturday.

Brennan forced Marshall to get creative in its shot taking, and had 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 [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.”

Brennan finished the day with a 94% save percentage, allowing two of the 36.

The intensity heightened in the second period, both teams fighting to get on the board. The Tigers’ effort on both ends found some spark, which earned them control of the puck for a majority of the time.

Foley put Marshall ahead with her two goals in the first minutes of the second period, which ultimately saved the game for the Tigers.

“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.”

Foley’s first goal came two minutes in as she wrapped around the backside of the goal and tapped the puck to the back of the net in the crease. Ava Kolander and Brooklyn Mauch both assisted on the play.

Three minutes later, 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,” coach Foley said. “I think once they started to do that, we started to get more opportunities.”

New Ulm turned up its offensive dial up midway through the second period and hit a few consecutive shots. But, Marshall goalie Lily Stelter saved the attempts and didn’t allow a puck to get past her.

Stelter finished with a 92% save percentage, allowing one of the 12.

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 took its goalie out to put an extra body on offense.

But, Marshall was able to sustain the fighting Eagles and lock 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 top bar of the goal.

The Eagles had a few breakaways, but Marshall’s defensive line continued to quickly get the puck back to its offense.

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 the winner of No. 2 Luverne and No. 3 Fairmont, who compete Saturday night.

“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 winner from there will earn a spot in the state tournament.

If Marshall faces Luverne, it will be a rematch of the 2024 3A championship, to which Marshall fell 4-0.

The two have met twice in the regular season, each team taking a win. The Tigers won the first matchup 5-1 on Dec. 3 at home, then fell to the Cardinals 5-2 on Jan. 30 on their ice.

“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.”