BISMARCK -- The underdog Dickinson boys hockey team flew out of the gates for their state-qualifier game against Williston at the West Region Tournament.
Unfortunately for the eighth-seeded Midgets, Coyotes senior Jake Axtman was on his game.
Axtman finished with three goals and two assists and helped the second-seeded Coyotes avoid the upset with a 6-3 victory on Saturday afternoon at VFW Arena.
"We came out hard, we came out flying the first period," Dickinson coach Tom Folske said.
Dickinson senior Kevin Burke opened the scoring with an unassisted goal with 2:44 left in the first period and the Midgets took a 1-0 lead into the second period.
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After Sheldon Kihle and Axtman scored back-to-back goals within 11 seconds of each other midway through the third period, Dickinson senior Blake Reis fired back with a power-play goal with 4:46 remaining to tie the game at 2-2.
However, Axtman put the Coyotes (18-3-1) ahead 3-2 heading into the third period.
"We got in a little trouble in the second period and got behind the eight ball a little bit," Folske said. "The third period, they just finished it off."
After Dickinson senior Cole Frenzel tied the game at 3-3 just 2:52 into the third period, Jordan Nelson took a pass from Axtman on a power play and scored what prove to be the game winning goal exactly 2 minutes after Frenzel tied the game.
Burke, Frenzel and Reis each finished with one goal and one assist for the Midgets, who ended their season at 6-19.
Dickinson goaltender Joel Otto stopped 23 shots on goal.
"The seniors realized this was their last shot and they played that way and they all contributed today," Folske said.
Dickinson 1 1 1 - 3
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Williston 0 3 3 - 6
FIRST PERIOD: 1. D, Blake Reis, 14:16.
SECOND PERIOD: 2. W, Sheldon Kihle (Jake Axtman), 9:19. 3. W, J. Axtman (Adam Kringen, Jordan Nelson), 9:30. 4. D, Kevin Burke (Cole Frenzel, Reis), 12:14 (pp). 5. W, J. Axtman (Cote Dickerson, Nelson), 14:17.
THIRD PERIOD: 6. D, Frenzel (Burke), 2:52. 7. W, Nelson (J. Axtman), 4:52 (pp). 8. W, J. Axtman, 6:52. 9. W, Casey Gardner (Alex Hanson), 16:53 (en).
SAVES: D, Joel Otto 7-9-7--23. W, McCade Evanson 7-5-6--18.
RECORDS: Dickinson 6-19-0. Willston 18-3-1.
