NEW ULM — Abbigail Simons’ power-play goal with just over a minute left in the game Saturday broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the 10th-ranked Class A Dodge County Wildcats to a 2-1 win over New Ulm in a nonconference girls hockey game at the New Ulm Civic Center.

Mya Hornick had New Ulm’s lone goal in the game on an assist from Tristyn Wollner.

Dodge County goaltender Faith Humphrey stopped 17 of 18 New Ulm shots.

New Ulm goaltender Ava Brennan was stellar in the nets for New Ulm (3-5). The junior stopped 56 of 58 Wildcats shots in the game.

Despite the loss, New Ulm coach Jeremy Reed said there were a lot of positives to take from the game.

“It was not the outcome that we wanted but there were a lot of positives to take away from this,” he said. “Coming into the game, we understood the task at hand and I was super proud of our compete level and work ethic. There is a lot here to build off of.”

Dodge County (8-1) came into the game averaging 6.5 goals per game.

And if not for the New Ulm junior in goal, it may have hit its average.

Brennan, who faced just four shots in New Ulm’s win over Fairmont Tuesday, stopped 18 of 19 shots in the first period Saturday, only allowing a goal by Maysie Koch at the 5:51 mark of the opening period.

Otherwise, Brennan was unbeatable.

“She was dialed in today,” Reed said about Brennan’s performance. “She had some unbelievable saves today — in that second period she got peppered (20 shots). She played outstanding.”

It was also a period where New Ulm had just five shots but one of them found the back of the Wildcats’ net.

With Dodge County on the attack, Wollner bounced a clearing pass off of the sideboards that found Hornick near center ice.

She broke in on Humphrey all alone and lifted a backhander by her with just 50 seconds left in the second period to tie the game.

“We were defending most of that second period when we were short-handed (killing two Dodge County power plays) and to be able to come away after that period tied brought a lot of life to the bench,” Reed said.

New Ulm, despite being outshot 38-12 after two periods, was tied. Eagles defenseman Afton Hulke thought that may have frustrated Dodge County.

“You could tell they were frustrated,” she said. “They took penalties and we were hoping to capitalize on them.”

The Eagles did have a power-play opportunity early in the third period but did not score.

Dodge County, who was 0 for 4 on their earlier power plays in the game, used its fifth power play for the win.

“That last game-winning goal that they had was a slow bouncer that they had and moved around,” Reed said. “It went off of two different sticks — and dribbled in. It was a tough one for her because she played outstanding.”

New Ulm hosts Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the New Ulm Civic Center.