MAKING A MOVE — Fairmont Area’s Barret Scholl (left) skates around Luverne’s Blaik Bork during Big South Conference hockey action Monday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — In a battle of two sets of Cardinals, Brock Behrend’s hat trick was all the Luverne boys hockey team needed in a 7-1 victory in a Big South Conference showdown Monday night at the Martin County Arena in Fairmont.

“I came out slow the first two periods. I had to dial it in the third and went out shooting,” Behrend said. “Definitely the third one (goal) was pretty sweet. I never scored a goal like that in the bumper slot position. I just go out there and shoot the puck.”

All three scores from Behrend came in the third period, with two consecutive unassisted goals from the slot 2:24 and 5:12 into the period extending Luverne’s lead to 4-1.

Behrend also scored at the 9:57 mark with assists by Owen Sudenga and Blaik Bork. Behrend took advantage of a tipped pass at the hash mark for the 6-1 lead.

Fairmont Area gained the early 1-0 advantage 11:57 into the first period on a power play as senior Kaiden Musser scored his second goal of the year with an assist from Hartley Aust.

“Lincoln Becker was the key part of the play. The puck bounced in and went off the board. I took the shot on the right side,” Musser said. “I was creeping up on a defense spin, I found open ice and did a toe-drag shot. It went in. I learned personally you have to watch tv and watch people play to be able to do that in a game after coming back from a broken leg year.”

Going into the lockerroom trailing 1-0, Luverne proved once again why it is one of the best second-period teams, outscoring their opponents 35-10.

Brady Bork tied the game up 10:21 into the second period with an assist from Elliot Domagala. Luverne would take a 2-1 lead 11 seconds later as Domagala would score his first of two goals.

“The first one we were in the ‘D’ zone. I got frustrated that we were in there for a little bit. I flew the zone. My lineman gave me a perfect breakout pass,” Domagala said. “My second goal was a nice one-timer right in the slot. I been struggling on the one-timer this year and got a few of them the past couple games and hope to keep it going.”

Inside the net, Carson Johnson had 37 saves for Fairmont Area and Tyler Arends had 20 for Luverne.

“We couldn’t capitalize. We couldn’t get the puck in the net. I wish I could have had a couple of the odd-man rushes back. I am usually solid on odd-man rushes. They have some good shooters and when they shoot they usually make it in,” Johnson said. “I knew they are a solid team. Once their certain players get the puck. They either get a screen or get a tip off it or shoot and they are pretty accurate.”

Fairmont Area (4-8) plays host to Morris/Benson Area at 5 p.m. Friday night in a nonconference game at Martin County Arena in Fairmont.

Girls Hockey

Windom Area 2, Fairmont Area 1 (OT) — Defender Shaye Dietz’s unassisted goal in the third period helped the visiting Cardinals force overtime, but Marissa Becker netted the game-winner in the extra period for the Eagles on Monday night in Windom.

Trailing 1-0, Dietz produced the Big South Conference game’s equalizer at the 4:43 juncture of the final period of regulation.

Becker, however, converted an assist from Presley Dockter into the game-winning net-finding shot at the 6:41 mark of overtime.

Marenna Bang staked the Eagles to a 1-0 lead by finding the twine off a pass from Kennedy Dronen at the 10:43 mark of the second segment.

Goaltender Hadley Artz delivered a game-leading 42 saves to keep the Cardinals within striking distance throughout the game.

Windom Area avenged a 4-3 regular-season loss to Fairmont Area on Dec. 30.

Fairmont Area (4-9-2) plays host to Morris/Benson Area at 7 p.m. Friday night at Martin County Arena.