On paper, the Albert Lea High School boys’ hockey team was the favorite against Rochester Mayo.

On the ice, it was anybody’s game.

The Tigers finally claimed it in overtime.

Jon Breuer scored 2:49 into the extra session as Albert Lea defeated Mayo 4-3 in a Big Nine game at the City Arena Thursday night.

The goal was the second of the game for Breuer, a sophomore who also had two assists, as the Tigers improved their record to 6-5 in the Big Nine and 10-9 overall while the Spartans fell to 5-6 and 6-13-1.

Albert Lea coach Roy Nystrom, a teammate of Mayo coach Lorne Grosso at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, said it was a typical Tiger-Spartan clash.

&uot;It’s probably the 70th time we’ve played Mayo in the 30 years we’ve been coaching against each other, and most of the time it has been really tight with a dramatic finish, and this one was too,&uot; said Nystrom.

While Nystrom praised the play of Breuer, who has been suffering from a hip pointer, he said it was another team win.

&uot;The guys all went out there and played their hearts out,&uot; said Nystrom. &uot;Everyone on this team contributes and plays their role, and they certainly deserved to win tonight.&uot;

Breuer put the Tigers on the board at 11:58 of the first period, with assists to Tony Dugstad and Casey Schumaker.

Josh Tubbs made it 2-0 at 6:48 of the second. Adam Boelter and Breuer assisted.

The Spartans pulled within a goal with a power-play score at 10:11 of the second and tied it 4:05 into the third.

Tony Dugstad scored what appeared to be the game-winning goal at 11:19, assisted by Breuer, but the Spartans knotted it again with another power-play goal, this one at 12:11.

Boelter and Josh Tubbs assisted on Breuer’s overtime goal.

Matt Tubbs was in goal for the Tigers, making several outstanding saves. Both teams had 21 shots on goal.

The Albert Lea junior varsity lost 2-1 in overtime. Beau Larson scored for the Bengals.

The Tigers’ next game is Monday against arch-rival Austin, the Big Nine leader. It was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was moved because of the ALHS girls’ hockey section tournament game Tuesday.