FAIRMONT — A three-goal spurt in the second period gave Minnesota River a lead it would not relinquish.

The Bulldogs girls hockey team beat the Fairmont Area Cardinals 7-2 Tuesday night in Martin County Arena.

Keely Olness helped power the Bulldogs, accounting for three points on two goals and an assist.

Minnesota River jumped onto the scoreboard early when Anna Pavlo scored off an Emma Seaver helper at the 12:13 mark of the first period. Seaver controlled the puck down the ice then dished it to Pavlo off to her left, beating the final Fairmont Area defender before Pavlo wristed the puck into the left side of the netting.

Makenna Mueller followed with a goal of her own at the 4:05 mark when a scrum in front of the net caused the puck to leak out to the right side of the goal without a defender. Mueller tapped the puck into the open right side of the net.

The Bulldogs scored three times in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the second period.

Nicole McCabe scored off Olness’ assist when Olness found McCabe with a centering shot from behind the net and McCabe one-timed it into the bottom right corner of the net with 15:52 left.

Olness scored her first goal at the 14:55 mark when she powered through multiple defenders and fired a slap shot into the right side of the webbing.

Seaver scored at the 14:32 mark to end the quick run. Pavlo passed up the ice to Adrianna Bixby, who quickly dished it to Seaver for the goal.

Fairmont Area head coach Ashley Olson said the Cardinals struggled to play all 51 minutes.

“That was a really fast-paced game,” Olson said. “We played a solid period and a half and we just need to learn to play three full periods of hockey.”

Mackenzie Householder got the Cardinals on the scoreboard with 13:18 left in the middle segment.

Householder collected a loose puck in the left faceoff circle and fired the puck into the bottom left corner of the net.

Minnesota River got on the board again to open the third period when Olness scored unassisted at the 15:58 mark.

Tegan Roskop gave the Cardinals their second goal after fighting through defenders to wrist the puck into the bottom right corner of the net at the 15:44 juncture.

The Bulldogs’ final goal came on a penalty try.

A Fairmont defender was assessed a delay of game penalty with 1:28 left in the final period. Instead of taking the power-play, the Bulldogs ellected for Pavlo to take a penalty shot.

Pavlo went straight on toward the net, then deked right to left at the crease and got by the Fairmont Area goalie.

The Cardinals started their younger line each of the three periods. Eighth-graders Shaye Dietz and Bella Larson, freshman Hannah Goerndt and sophomores Macy Militello and Alexis Newville made up the starting line each period.

“We wanted to mix things up and match the lines that Minnesota River was playing too, keeping our top line with their top line,” Olson said.

Cardinals’ goalie Hadley Artz made eight saves in net, while teammate Rachel O’Connor had 22 in relief.

Goalie Madison Kisor made 29 saves to net the win for Minnesota River.

The Cardinals (1-4-1) travel to Waseca for a 5 p.m. game Thursday. The Bulldogs (5-4) go to Windom for an 11 a.m. game Saturday.

MR 2-3-2–7

FA 0-1-1–2

Scoring Plays

1st Period

MR–Anna Pavlo (Emma Seaver), 12:13.

MR–Makenna Mueller (unassisted), 4:05.

2nd Period

MR–Nicole McCabe (Keely Olness), 15:52.

MR–Keely Olness (unassisted), 14:55.

MR–Emma Seaver (Anna Pavlo, Adrianna Bixby), 14:32.

FA–Mackenzie Householder (unassisted), 13:18.

3rd Period

MR–Keely Olness (unassisted), 15:58.

FA–Tegan Roskop (unassisted), 15:44.

MR–Anna Pavlo (penalty), 1:28.

Shots on goal: MR 10-10-17–37. FA 14-11-6–31.

Saves: Hadley Artz (FA) 8, Rachel O’Connor (FA) 22; Madison Kisor (MR) 29.

Penalties: MR 2 for 4 minutes; FA 3 for 6 minutes.

Power-play chances: MR 1 for 3; FA 0 for 2.