HOLDING — Fairmont Area’s Eli Anderson (9) manages to clear the puck despite getting held by New Ulm’s Dawson Kraus (10) during Big South Conference hockey action Thursday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — New Ulm forward Austin Uecker took the ice at Martin County Arena in Fairmont on Thursday night with three goals and four assists to his credit in three games played.

Add five more points to Uecker’s impressive seasonal totals.

Uecker erupted for a game-leading four goals and dealt one assist, while Josh Gulden contributed two goals and two assists to maintain the Eagles’ undefeated record (4-0) on the strength of a 9-2 Big South Conference hockey triumph over the Fairmont Area Cardinals.

In fact, Uecker finished the game in nearly identical fashion in which he started it — with back-to-back goals.

Uecker converted a double-assist from Kaden Larson and Evan Griebel into the contest’s initial goal before converting one of the Eagles’ three power-play goals off the second of Larson’s game-best three helpers.

Jace Schaefer scored off a Dawson Kraus pass to stake New Ulm to a 3-0 lead before Hudson Artz found the webbing for the hometown Cardinals. Artz cashed in a power-play goal off an assist from Nate Rakness to whittle Fairmont Area’s gap to 3-1 after one period in the books.

Gulden reeled off back-to-back goals to open the second frame before Hartley Aust countered for the Cardinals. Aust tallied an unassisted goal to narrow the deficit to 5-2.

Uecker, however, widened the final margin of victory with a pair of goals with the Eagles ahead 7-2. Uecker netted a shorthanded goal off assists from Gulden and Larson to close the middle period. Uecker then added a power-play goal from Gulden in the third.

Cardinals goaltender Ilana Moeller made 19 saves between the pipes, while Eagles’ goalie Dawson Sellner chalked up 30 saves for the win.

Griebel and Larson each contributed one goal to the Eagles’ winning performance during the second segment.

The Cardinals generated a 32-28 edge over the Eagles in shots-on-goal during the conference clash.

Fairmont Area (1-3) travels to Worthington on Tuesday night for another conference game.

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Girls Hockey

New Ulm 8, Fairmont Area 1 — Madalyn O’Connor and Michelle Smith each delivered two goals and one assist to engineer the Eagles’ Big South Conference victory over the Cardinals on Thursday night in New Ulm.

Julia Helget earned a playmaker for New Ulm by distributing a game-best three assists to complement one goal.

Mackenzie Householder prevented a shutout by producing an unassisted goal for the Cardinals during the second period. Householder found the webbing with her shot at the 4:05 juncture.

Afton Hulke, Jada Rahe and Brooke Arneson added goals for undefeated New Ulm (6-0).

Rachel O’Connor turned away a game-leading 32 shots on net to top Fairmont Area (2-4-1), which is scheduled to travel to Minnehaha Academy for a 1 p.m. Saturday for a nonconference outing.