Red Wing girls’ hockey beats Albert Lea 4-3 in section semis

The Red Wing Wingers girls’ hockey team ended the Albert Lea Tigers state tournament hopes Tuesday with a 4-3 win in Red Wing.

“It was a great game,” Tigers coach Paul Willet said. “I’m really proud of our kids. They played really well tonight and were playing their best hockey at the end of the season. Tonight’s game could have gone either way.

The No. 1-seeded Wingers outshot the No. 4 Tigers just 27-25 but were better on the power play. The Wingers scored on 2-of-7 power plays while the Tigers scored on 1-of-6.

The Wingers’ Reagan Haley scored the game’s first goal 5 minutes and 44 seconds in the opening period.

The Tigers responded quickly as Anna Anderson scored the first of her two goals at the 7:45 mark off an assist from Mariah Leach.

The Wingers regained the lead in the first period when Paige Haley scored on a power play at 10:57 before Anderson scored again at 16:07 off assists from Leach and Lauren Draayer to tie the game 2-2 at the first intermission.

The Tigers took their only lead of the game at 5:51 in the second period off a power-play goal from senior Sophia Jepson. Jepson scored right as the Wingers’ Elle Anderson was released from the penalty box following a two-minute minor for body checking.

The Wingers’ tied the game at 10:08 off a power-play goal from Emily Stegora and made the final 4-3 at 16:21 in the second off Haley’s second goal.

The Tigers outshot the Wingers 10-9 in the scoreless third period.

The Wingers will play Northfield at 5 p.m. Friday in the section finals at the Owatonna Four Seasons Center.