File photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Landon Barstad (18) skates with the puck during a home boys hockey game this season at the New Ulm Civic Center.

NEW ULM — Bryer Hoffmann stopped 41 of 43 Minnesota River shots and Bryer Lang scored a power-play goal at the 4:01 mark of the third period as New Ulm came away with a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs Thursday night in a Big South Conference hockey game at the New Ulm Civic Center.

Brock Welmann and Brody Nordby had first period goals for the Eagles, who improved to 6-1 overall and 6-1 in the conference.

Melvin Sellner, Kaden Larson, Ian Brudelie and Austin Uecker had assists for the Eagles.

Kelken O’Keefe and Riley Kamm had goals for Minnesota River, now 3-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Ayden Chitist stopped 19 of 22 New Ulm shots in the game.

“This is a big conference win and a big section win for us,” New Ulm coach Ryan Neuman said. “I told the guys after the game that any win is a good win, no matter how we get it done. To win one of these games in December in a game that we did not play our best but we still came out and got the win is going to build character on the team.”

And the Eagles can thank Hoffmann in the nets.

New Ulm had taken a 2-0 lead after the first period as both teams had nine shots on goal in the opening 17 minutes.

But in the second period, the Bulldogs fired 17 shots on Hoffmann compared to just four for the Eagles.

Goals from O’Keefe and Kamm tied the game in the second period.

But it could have been a lot worse if not for the play of Hoffmann in goal as New Ulm was stymied in their own end for most of the period.

“We just stopped moving our feet,” Neuman said about that second period. “We were lazy — we got caught watching. You can’t do that. Credit to Minnesota River — they are a good hockey team.”

Hoffmann, who was pressured all of the second period and had to come up with some big saves, said his team came out slow in the second period.

“They were working harder than us,” he said. “They wanted it more.”

But the Eagles refocused in the third period, scoring the eventual game-wining score on a Bryer Lang power-play goal at the 4:01 mark of the third period.

“Our power play has been clicking this year,” Neuman said. “We have made some adjustments. We have had to move some people around. We capitalized on our only power play of the game.”

When asked if he has ever won a game being outshot by 21 shots, Neuman said he couldn’t recall one.

“I cannot remember the last time we have been outshot that bad in a conference or section game,” he said. “But Bryer played a hell of a game tonight — he kept us in it He did a great job.”

New Ulm plays at Southwest Christian Saturday.