DOUBLE-TEAM ­— Fairmont Area’s Connor Gronewald (14) and Jace Prindle (middle) apply double-team defense on Waseca’s Jude Gehring (34) during Big South Conference hockey action Thursday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — “We (coaching staff) shuffled our lines tonight and moved (freshman forward) Cash Lynch up to our first unit and the move paid dividends,” said Waseca boys hockey mentor Chris Storey.

Lynch doled out a game-best two assists and netted one goal, while teammate Hunter Anderson ended the visiting Bluejays’ 7-2 victory over the Fairmont Area Cardinals in identical fashion to the way he started it — with a goal at Martin County Arena during Big South Conference ice action Thursday night.

“We’ve got six freshmen on our varsity and they had a productive game,” Chris Storey said in reference to the youthful and skilled group’s collective two goals and five assists on the contest.

Ironically, Lynch proved the ultimate playmaker on back-to-back Waseca goals within an 18-second span to offset Jace Teveldal’s initial goal that staked Fairmont Area to the early 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.

Teveldal alertly intercepted an errant clearing pass, rushed the left slot and drilled an unassisted twine-finder by Waseca netminder Carter Martens for a goal at the 6:06 juncture of the first frame.

Lynch, however, released the initial shot that Fairmont Area netminder Carson Johnson knocked away only to have Hunter Anderson swat home the carom for the equalizer at the 4:35 mark.

Lynch struck again quickly off the ensuing face-off by delivering a pass from the point to Brayden Hesch-Priem for an odd-angled goal from the right endline for a 2-1 margin at 4:17.

The Bluejays then inadvertently knocked the puck past their own goalie to open the second period, with the Cardinals’ Lucas Sommers getting credit for the short-handed goal by skating stride-for-stride with the Waseca player.

Freshman Henry Huttemier then snapped the deadlock by tapping a low trickler across the goal line off a double-assist from Jayden Gehring and freshman Griffin Storey at the 10:26 juncture.

Lynch then recorded his lone goal on the night by skating shoulder-to-shoulder with a Fairmont Area defender on a left-side rush before flipping a backhander inside the left pipe for a 4-2 lead with 9:19 to go in the middle segment.

Freshman Beckett Srp then triggered three consecutive Waseca goals during the third period to put the game out of reach. Srp set up Jayden Gehring’s around-the-pipe laser before teammate Keaton Roeker’s dip-and-rip move extended the Bluejays’ lead to 6-2 with 14:38 to go in regulation.

Anderson converted Waseca’s only power-play goal out of six chances off an assist from freshman Otto Schoenrock for a one-timer at the 10:59 mark.

Carson Johnson produced 19 of his game-best 49 saves during the first period to help keep the Cardinals within striking distance via a 2-1 deficit.

Martens tallied 17 stops to earn the win for the Bluejays.

Fairmont Area (0-2) travels to Bud King Ice Arena tonight for a nonconference game against host Winona.

Waseca (2-1) hits the road to Blue Mound Ice Arena on Saturday for a 3:45 p.m. conference clash against host Luverne.

Waseca       2-2-3–7

Fairmont    1-1-0–2

Scoring Plays

1st Period

FA–Jace Teveldal (unassisted), 6:06.

WAS–Hunter Anderson (Cash Lynch), 4:35.

WAS–Brayden Hesch-Priem (Cash Lynch), 4:17.

2nd Period

FA–Lucas Sommers (unassisted), SH., 15:10.

WAS–Henry Huttemier (Jayden Gehring, Griffin Storey), 10:26.

WAS–Cash Lynch (unassisted), 9:19.

3rd Period

WAS–Jayden Gehring (Beckett Srp), 15:57.

WAS–Keaton Roeker (unassisted), 14:38.

WAS–Hunter Anderson (Otto Schoenrock), PP., 10:59.

Shots on goal: Waseca 21-16-19–56; Fairmont Area 7-6-7–20.

Saves: Carson Johnson (FA) 49; Carter Martens (WAS) 17.

Penalties: Fairmont Area 6 for 12 minutes; Waseca 1 for 2 minutes.

Power-play chances: Waseca 1 for 6; Fairmont Area 0 for 1.

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Girls Hockey

Waseca 8, Fairmont Area 0 — Ryley Bartz generated a game-best hat trick and teammate Maizee Storey collected two goals and two assists to power the Bluejays to a shutout victory over the Cardinals on Thursday night in Waseca.

Izabela Slechta contributed one goal and one helper to Waseca’s winning ways, while Emma Huelsnitz and Katlyn Schueler chipped in one goal each.

Cardinals’ goaltender Ilana Moeller collected a game-leading 43 saves between the pipes, while Bluejays netminder Ilamay Draheim notched nine stops to net the win.

Fairmont Area (0-5) plays host to Rochester Century at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at Martin County Arena in Fairmont.