STICK SAVE — Fairmont Area goaltender Hadley Artz makes a stick save during Big South Conference hockey action Tuesday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. Cardinal teammates Corene Moeller (right) and Brooklyn Murphy help clear the puck. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Anna Pavlo produced one goal and one assist, while goaltender Amilia Messer delivered a shutout to steer the Minnesota River Bulldogs to a 2-0 victory over the Fairmont Area Cardinals during Big South Conference girls hockey action Tuesday night.

Pavlo delivered the set-up pass to Macie Portner, who found the webbing with her shot to stake the Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead at the 3:04 juncture of the opening period.

Pavlo then generated the Bulldogs’ proverbial insurance goal by cashing in an assist from Zetta Haugen at the 10:50 mark of the second period for a 2-0 lead.

Messer and Fairmont Area netminder Hadley Artz then proved perfect during the third segment as Messer turned away 11 Cardinal shots during the final 17 minutes, while Artz stopped all 11 Bulldog blasts.

Messer recorded 22 saves to net the victory between the pipes, while Artz chalked up a game-best 36 stops on the outing.

Fairmont Area (2-2-1) is scheduled to travel to Waseca on Thursday night for another conference contest.

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Boys Hockey

Fairmont Area 8, Minnesota River 6 — Brock Lutterman generated three of his game-best four goals during the third period to help the Cardinals rally from 5-4 deficit during Big South Conference hockey action Tuesday night in Le Sueur.

Trailing 5-1 in the second segment, Lutterman and teammate Luke Kester delivered back-to-back goals at the 4:32 and 12:40 junctures, respectively, to narrow Fairmont Area’s gap to just one goal heading into the final 17 minutes of regulation.

Lutterman then drilled a shot into the webbing to draw the Cardinals even on the scoreboard at 5-all during the early stages of the third period.

Brendan O’Keefe netted his second goal of the game for the Bulldogs to put the home team up 6-5 on the scoreboard, but Lutterman combined with Hank Artz, Hudson Artz and Nate Rakness to put the Cardinals’ season-opening on ice with three unanswered goals down the backstretch. Lutterman completed his hat trick off a Hank Artz pass before smacking home Hudson Artz’s delivery for a 7-6 margin. Rakness then found the twine in the late stages for the two-goal victory.

Lutterman and Alexander Moeller combined for a double-assist on Tyson Pankow’s first-period goal for Fairmont Area, while Hudson Artz set up younger brother Hank Artz’s goal later in the opening segment.

Cardinal netminder Carson Johnson turned away 28 shots to earn the win between the pipes.

Fairmont Area (1-0) plays host to Albert Lea at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. The Cardinals’ original game with Waseca on that night has been postponed.

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Scoring Plays

1st Period

MNR–Reice Narum (Travis Kotek), 1:34.

FA–Tyson Pankow (Brock Lutterman, Alexander Moeller), 6:04.

MNR–Drew Simonette (Brooks Reicks), 12:23.

FA–Hank Artz (Hudson Artz), 13:21.

MNR–Simonette (Judson Narum), 14:20.

MNR–Brendan O’Keefe (Simonette, Dylan Hunt), 16:51.

2nd Period

MNR–Diego Hettig (Alex Schaffer), 2:59.

FA–Lutterman (unassisted), 4:32.

FA–Luke Kester (unassisted), 12:40.

3rd Period

FA–Lutterman (unassisted), 2:49.

MNR–O’Keefe (unassisted), 8:14.

FA–Lutterman (Hank Artz), 9:33.

FA–Lutterman (Hudson Artz), 12:45.

FA–Nate Rakness (unassisted), 13:30.