The Albert Lea boys’ hockey team found itself in a high scoring shootout Wednesday night when it hosted Northfield in a Big Nine Conference showdown.

Despite being up 5-2 after the first two periods, the Tigers allowed the Raiders to creep back into the game with two third-period goals. In the end, however, the Tigers held strong to hold off the Raiders, winning 5-4.

Sophomore Blake Ulve scored the first goal for the Tigers just over two minutes into the game; senior Cole Wentzel assisted on the goal. The Raiders knotted the game back up only 20 seconds later with a goal of their own.

Ulve scored his second consecutive goal at the five-minute mark to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead — this time the assist coming from senior Carson Goodell and junior Campbell Cichosz. However, the Raiders came right back with a goal of their own to tie the game at 2-2.

Albert Lea capped off a big first period with a goal from senior Colby Peterson with under two minutes left in the period; in on the assists were Ulve and sophomore Logan Barr. Senior Jaxon Heilman was in the net for Albert Lea, saving nine of Northfield’s 11 shots.

The Tigers built up their lead in the second period with two more goals. Both came off the stick of Cichosz — the first in the third minute of play assisted by junior Culley Larson and Goodell, and the second unassisted with three minutes left in the period. Heilman was perfect in the period, saving six shots.

Northfield stormed back in the third period, scoring two goals within one minute of each other to put the score at 5-4 with over 10 minutes of game left. After the early shakeup, Heilman and the defense found their footing, closing out the game without another goal.

The Tigers move to 15-8-1 on the season and have just one game remaining before the section tournament is seeded