Photos by Samantha Davis. The Marshall girls hockey team comes together for a group hug after the final buzzer in Saturday's Class A state consolation championship at TRIA Rink in St. Paul. Below: Marshall head coach Cassi Weiss (middle) and assistant coach Chris Foley (right) laughs with the team at the start of the final period Saturday afternoon. The No. 6 Tigers girls fell to No. 5 Proctor/Hermantown 2-1 and finish their season 23-5-2 overall.

ST. PAUL — Leaving it all out on the ice for the final game of the season, the No. 6 Marshall girls hockey team fell short to No. 5 Proctor/Hermantown 2-1 in the Class A state consolation championship Saturday afternoon at TRIA Rink in St. Paul in a competitive, hard fought battle.

“I’m so grateful to be here with these people and to make it this far with the record we have, and the way we progressed through the season. We did nothing but improve as we got closer to this moment,” senior Olivia DeGroot said. “It is so amazing to have the opportunity to be here with this team. These girls have done nothing but be positive, happy and like family all year.”

The final score was decided in the first period after the Mirage scored the game’s first two goals. Sophomore forward Brooklyn Mauch brought the Tigers within one in the final seconds of the first period, but Proctor/Hermantown’s aggressive defense limited Marshall’s offense the rest of the way.

Marshall was limited to 19 shots on goal to the Mirage’s 31. There were seven penalties given throughout the game, four belonging to the Tigers. All were minor.

“I think the emotions were running high from the beginning, because this is the end of the season,” Marshall assistant coach Chris Foley said. “There were maybe some nerves going on there, but just the emotions ran high. … ​​ That’s a good team we just played.”

Lily Stelter had another strong performance protecting the net, saving 29 shots and finishing with a 93.5% save percentage.

Marshall finishes its standout season 23-5-2, bringing the program to its first state tournament appearance since 2018 and fourth ever.

“To make it to 30 games and make it here [to state] is a huge thing,” DeGroot said. “I honestly wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”

The Tigers graduate defenders Mia Wichmann and DeGroot, and forwards Mady Girard, Kendal Beernaert and Aubree Metheny.

“It was definitely bittersweet, but really fortunate knowing that it was like our last game together,” Wichmann said. “This [trip to state] was really honoring. I feel like we definitely deserved this opportunity, because we all worked so hard since day one.”

Beernaert echoed Wichmann, agreeing with the emotions that ran through the day.

“Knowing it’s your last game and before getting on the ice, this is something to be proud of. But, it was also very emotional. All of us were crying when we got called up for starting lineups,” Beernaert said. “It’s an unreal experience … As a kid, you dream of going this far.”

The coaching staff commends the five seniors for the success the team has been able to reach this season and the standards they’ve set.

“I don’t know if the words are there to describe those seniors. The things they have done to bring along this entire team, it’s just something you don’t see,” Marshall assistant coach Derek Smith said. “Everyone at the end of the season says that you created a family and all the cliches. But, you look around that locker room … The girls are just crying, worrying that they won’t be together on Monday. It’s just the atmosphere that our seniors have created.”

Marshall kept its state tournament run alive after falling to the three-time reigning state champion No. 3 Warroad in the quarterfinals 4-0 on Wednesday before defeating No. 7 Fergus Falls 3-2 in overtime in Thursday’s consolation semifinals, with the game-winning goal coming from Girard.

The Tigers came to face the Mirage for the consolation title after Proctor/Hermantown lost 2-0 to No. 4 Academy of Holy Angels in the quarterfinals, but answered with 4-0 win over No. 8 River Lakes Stars in the consolation semifinals.

The Mirage took early control of the puck through its defense and scored its first goal three minutes into the first period after its offensive line all crashed toward Stelter simultaneously.

Proctor/Hermantown got its second goal seven minutes later at 11:48. Both goals were scored on power plays, with DeGroot first being assessed a minor for body checking and Brielle Felton-Krog was put in the box for tripping.

“You go out there on the ice, you screw something up or make a mistake, and you have 10 people telling you you got it,” DeGroot said of the team’s ability to lift one another up. “It’s nothing but positivity … It’s a family.”

Marshall began to spark up its offense, and Mauch had three of the Tigers’ seven first period shots on goal. The Mirage had nine shots in the first.

After two close calls, Mauch was able to send the puck to the back of the net unassisted after taking it up the rink herself and stickhandling past her defenders with 22 seconds left, to cut Marshall’s early deficit to 2-1.

Despite the one-goal deficit, Marshall entered the ice for the final period smiling and hugging one another.

“Even [head] coach Cassi [Weiss] talked about it … We’re down 5-0, down 2-1, up 6-0, and we bring the same mentality. We’re just having fun,” Foley said. “We’re going to smile, we’re gonna keep it loose … I think that’s why we all get along. It’s not only the girls, but the coaching staff, too. We get along really, really well, and it makes it easier for us and the team to be one.”

Smith added that Marshall has a different approach to preparing for games, adding to the uniqueness of the team.

“It’s funny about that, because going into section semifinals or the section championship and usually those big games, you see the [opposing team’s] girls with headphones on before the game, dialed in and not talking much,” Smith said. “Then our girls come into the rink singing and dancing as if it’s nothing … That’s just what this team is. They play their best when they’re laughing.”

After being outshot 13-5 in the second period, Marshall’s offense had a handful of good looks in the third, fighting to tie the game up. But, Proctor/Hermantown’s cohesive defensive efforts continued to withhold the Tiger’s pressure until the final buzzer.

Mauch finishes the season as Marshall’s leading skater with 48 goals and 35 assists for 83 points. Abbey Foley followed with 14 goals and 32 assists, while Peyton DeMuth netted 25 goals along with 19 assists.

Stelter finishes with a 90.7% save percentage on the season, playing all 30 games in the net. Overall, she saved 521 shots of the 574 that have been taken at her.

Throughout the entirety of the season, one attribute remained evident among the Tigers — The unbreakable bond shared between the team.

“From our seniors, down to our seventh grader, these girls absolutely love each other,” Smith said. “These girls just want to do it for each other, they’ll never make an excuse. That’s their biggest driving force, they want to go out there for each other … It’s just absolutely amazing to be a part of.”