It was standing room only Friday night at the Amery Ice Arena for the Section 1 final between the top seeded New Richmond Tigers and “visiting” host Amery Warriors. Who sits for a sectional final anyway. The fans got their money’s worth as this one came down to the wire, with the Tigers advancing to state with a 3-2 win.

In a game featuring two of the best goalies in the state, Avery Starzecki for Amery, and Blake Milton for New Richmond, the skaters were going to have to earn every goal. And nobody expected to see very many of them. That’s why it was surprising that four goals were scored in the first period.

New Richmond got on the score board first. After a scramble in front of the Amery net, where Starzecki stopped the first two shots, Bjorn Bahneman was able to sneak one past him.

Cayden Meyer evened it up for Amery two minutes later with a wrist shot from low on the right side.

Maxwell Mike give Amery a 2-1 lead after some slick puck movement, with a wrist shot from the right face-off dot with 4 minutes left in the first.

New Richmond answered back with a power play goal. Catcher Langeness found Bahneman open on the back door and fed him the puck for an easy tap in.

Shots on goal were in favor of the Tigers, 15-6.

The second period featured plenty of action, and plenty of shots, but it mainly featured the two stingy goalies. New Richmond double the Warriors shot counts 14-7 in the frame.

The score remained knotted at two until Easton Schmit put New Richmond up 3-2 halfway through the third. Schmit took a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle that hit Starzecki in the mid-section and somehow trickled through.

The Warriors amped up the pressure and had a power play opportunity with 1:13 left in regulation. But the Tigers defense was too stiff, allowing Amery only two shots on goal.

Final shots on goal were 36-15.