The Fond du Lac High School and St. Mary’s Springs boys hockey teams spent most of the game trying to push each other around in a physical battle. But it was a sequence of wide-open hockey that tilted the scales in favor of the Ledgers, who won 3-2 Saturday night at the Blue Line Ice Center.

Trevor Ebertz finished his three-point night with a rebound goal almost 7 minutes into the third period and Springs’ defensive effort was good enough, with one blip, to hang on for the win. The teams tied 4-4 in December.

“It was intense with all the fans there,” Ebertz said. “Especially when you tie them the first time it felt nice to come out and get the ‘W’.”

Springs led 2-1 after two periods, but opportunities presented themselves early in the third.

First, Fondy freshman Jack Nejedlo was taken down on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. He tried to sneak his backhand shot around Springs goalie Andrew Riehl’s stick side, but it didn’t work and Riehl made one of his 36 saves.

A few minutes later, both teams had a chance to put the puck in the net. But Fondy goalie Charlie Blagoue stoned Springs on a point-blank chance only for the Cardinals to have their 2-on-1 break on the other end end with a Riehl save.

The Ledgers turned around and finally capitalized. Tyler Grebe took a quick slap shot after picking up the puck in the left faceoff circle. Blagoue made the save but the puck bounced backdoor to Ebertz who shoveled it into the clear net.

“It was huge, especially with a one-goal lead,” Ebertz said of the goal. “That gave us all the momentum and from there we kept with it.”

Fondy coach Ryan Sarazin admitted that was a big moment in the game.“That’s hockey, isn’t it fun? When it goes your way, it’s more fun,” Sarazin said. “That’s what the swing was. A 2-on-1 one way, then chaos on the other end. It was a game of who was going to capitalize when you get that opportunity.”

Nejedlo scored with 3 minutes left on a screened wrist shot near the blue line, but the Ledgers played fundamental defense the rest of the way and earned its third win in their past four meetings with Fondy.