TRIPPED UP — Fairmont Area defender Alexander Moeller (4) slaps the puck away while inadvertently tripping up Marshall forward Braxton Meyer during Big South Conference hockey action Thursday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Marshall defender Talan Plante nearly doubled his assist total, while Tigers forward Jared Reinsma added to his team-leading point production to pace a 7-1 hockey victory over the Fairmont Area Cardinals on Thursday night.

Plante, who entered the Big South Conference clash with five assists to complement four goals, doled out a game-best four assists — including at least one in all three periods.

Reinsma, who held the Tigers’ top spot of 12 points on the strength of four goals and eight assists, contributed two goals and two helpers to Marshall’s balanced offensive performance.

Zach Kramer converted Chase Mellenthin’s assist into an early Tigers’ lead 6:14 into the opening segment before Plante displayed his deft passing skills to help set up Wyatt Boerboom’s goal at the 9:53 mark for a 2-0 edge.

Plante and Corbin Beernaert then combined on a double-assist behind Reinsma’s power-play net-finding blast at the 12:28 juncture. Sean Nwaiga delivered an unassisted goal a little more than a minute later to stake the Tigers to a 4-0 lead after one frame.

Plante utilized more of his handiwork to set up Logan Deutz’s goal just 12 seconds into the middle segment to extend Marshall’s margin to 5-0.

Reinsma, who joined Plante for the double-helper on Deutz’s quick goal, then played the trigger man for Braxton Meyer’s power-play goal 3:32 into the second period to create running time at 6-0.

Fairmont Area’s Thomas Claeys, however, prevented the home team from being shut out by cashing in an assist from Brock Lutterman to find the webbing 8:23 into the third frame.

Reinsma then capped the game’s scoring by converting Plante’s precision pass into a goal with 6:47 remaining in regulation for Marshall (4-3).

Fairmont Area goalie Carson Johnson recorded a game-best 49 saves between the pipes.

Fairmont Area (1-5) plays host to La Crescent-Hokah at 1 p.m. Saturday at Martin County Arena in Fairmont.

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Girls Hockey

Marshall 3, Fairmont Area 1 — Junior netminder Hadley Artz eclipsed the 2,000 career save plateau on Thursday night, but the Cardinals lost a narrow 3-1 Big South Conference decision to the Tigers at Red Baron Arena in Marshall.

Artz, who finished with a game-best 30 saves, reached the historic mark with her second stop of the contest.

Aubree Metheny and Kalyn DeVlieger generated unassisted goals in the opening 17-minute segment to stake Marshall to an early 2-0 lead on the scoreboard. Metheny found the webbing at the 5:38 juncture before DeVlieger lit the lamp at the 9:22 mark.

Artz and Marshall goaltender Belle Deutz turned away 12 and six shots on goal, respectively, during the second period to keep the game’s score at 2-0 heading into the final frame.

Alexis Newville then sliced the Cardinals’ deficit to 2-1 by finding the twine off a double-assist from Emily Sokoloski and Shaye Dietz to open the third segment. Newville scored Fairmont Area’s only goal 1:49 into the final frame, but Tessa Gannott answered for the Tigers with a goal off an assist from Leah Schaefer just 3:13 into the third.

Artz and Deutz shut out their respective opposing offenses for the final 14 minutes of regulation.

Fairmont Area (3-6-1) travels to Windom Area on Monday night for a 7 p.m. conference game.