ELUSIVE MOVE — Fairmont Area’s Mackenzie Householder (9) controls the puck and skates around New Ulm’s Madalyn O’Connor (2) during Big South Conference hockey action Tuesday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. Fairmont Area’s Alexis Newville (far left) and Karissa Newville (16), along with New Ulm’s Ashley Schaefer (3), watch the action. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — New Ulm forward Madalyn O’Connor captured her second hat trick of the season as the Eagles took down Fairmont Area, 6-1, in the Cardinals’ regular-season home finale at Martin County Arena on Tuesday night.

The victory also allowed the Eagles to increase their winning streak to four games as the Big South Conference closes in on the start of the playoffs.

The first and second periods saw the teams trade goals, with the Eagles getting on the board first before the Cardinals found the back of the net in the second to make it a 1-1 contest, despite the Eagles outshooting the Cardinals 24-5. However, a five-goal onslaught in the third by the Eagles would allow them to continue their undefeated record in Big South games this season.

“They’re a good team, we made a little bit of an adjustment trying to get out of our defensive zone and put some more pressure on their offensive zone,” Cardinals head coach Eric Householder said. “In the third period, the puck wasn’t bouncing in our favor… the puck luck wasn’t ours tonight.”

The three-goal performance allowed O’Connor to tie for the team lead in points on the season with 42, with forward Julia Helget picking up the assist on two of O’Connor’s goals to also reach a season total of 42 points.

Joining O’Connor and Helget with multi-point games would be defender Afton Hulke, who scored a pair of goals in the third period, to increase the Eagles’ lead, along with forward Michelle Smith as she nabbed a goal and an assist on back-to-back scoring plays in the third.

The lone tally from the Cardinals would come from forward Mackenzie Householder in the second period as she capitalized on a shot from long distance to even the score at 1-all going into the final frame.

Eagles goaltender Ava Brennan earned her 18th win of the season to tie Luverne’s Cheyenne Schutz and Andover’s Courtney Stagman for the state lead, making six saves on seven shots. Cardinals goaltender Hadley Artz made 31 saves on 37 chances in the loss, although she made 23 saves on 24 shots through the first two periods.

“Hadley definitely kept us in it,” Householder said. “In the first and second period, she played a really good game, probably one of the best I’ve seen her play.”

Fairmont Area (6-11-2) will play in its penultimate game of the regular season on the road against Worthington in a Big South matchup on Thursday night, while New Ulm (18-3) travels to Waseca in another conference game on Thursday night.

New Ulm 1-0-5–6

Fairmont 0-1-0–1

Scoring Plays

1st Period

NU–Madalyn O’Connor (Julia Helget), 4:15.

2nd Period

FA–Mackenzie Householder (unassisted), 8:54.

3rd Period

NU–Madalyn O’Connor (Julia Helget), 2:31.

NU–Afton Hulke (unassisted), 3:44.

NU–Madalyn O’Connor (Malorie Anderson, Evelyn Sellner), 7:43.

NU–Afton Hulke (Michelle Smith), 10:38.

NU–Michelle Smith (Jada Rahe, Emma Brudelie), 10:51.

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Boys Hockey

New Ulm 4, Fairmont Area 2– New Ulm forward Austin Uecker captured two goals and an assist to guide the Eagles to a Big South win over the Fairmont Area Cardinals on Tuesday night in New Ulm.

Eagles forward Evan Griebel captured a goal and an assist in the win, as forward Braxten Hoffmann contributed a second-period goal.

For the Cardinals, defenseman Eli Anderson led the team offensively with a goal and an assist, with fellow defenseman Thomas Claeys finding the back of the net as well to open the scoring. Forwards Hartley Aust and Nate Rakness contributed an assist each.

Eagles goaltender Bryer Hoffmann claimed the win with 23 saves on 25 chances, with Cardinals goaltender Carson Johnson making 31 saves on 35 shots in the loss.

The Cardinals (4-11) will next play on Friday night at home against Redwood Valley in another Big South game, while the Eagles (14-5) remain at home to face Luverne in another conference matchup on Thursday night.

Fairmont 1-1-0–2

New Ulm 0-2-2–4

Scoring Plays

1st Period

FA–Thomas Claeys (Eli Anderson, Hartley Aust), 8:22.

2nd Period

NU–Evan Griebel (unassisted), 1:12.

FA–Eli Anderson (Nate Rakness), 3:07.

NU–Braxten Hoffmann (Austin Uecker, Blake Soukup), 9:58.

3rd Period

NU–Austin Uecker (Bryer Lang, Evan Griebel), 12:25.

NU–Austin Uecker (unassisted), 16:05.