Photo by Brady Dennis New Ulm’s Jaxon Saenz celebrates after a goal to tie the game during a Big South Conference boys hockey game against Minnesota River on Tuesday night at the New Ulm Civic Center.

NEW ULM — Melvin Sellner’s goal just under two minutes into overtime lifted the New Ulm Eagles to a 2-1 win over Minnesota River Tuesday night at the New Ulm Civic Center in a Big South Conference boys hockey game.

Jaxon Saenz recorded his first varsity goal. Bobby Rewitzer and Saenz each added an assist on Sellner’s game-winner.

Eagles netminder Colton Anderson was strong in net for New Ulm as he stopped 29 of 30 Bulldog shots in his first varsity start.

“Back-to-back games for us in overtime hockey,” New Ulm head coach Ryan Neuman said as his team rebounded from a 6-5 overtime loss to Waseca a week ago. “And we were off to a slow start — it took us a couple of periods to get going, but in the third period we played well and took the momentum away from them. And that momentum carried over into the overtime.”

The Eagles, who play at Windom Thursday before hosting Hutchinson Saturday at 2 p.m. at the New Ulm Civic Center, fell behind 1-0 in the second period when Riley Kamm beat Anderson at the 8:25 mark.

But it took the Eagles less than two minutes to tie the game when Saenz broke in all alone on Bulldogs goalie Connor Messer and lifted the puck by him at the10:30 mark for an unassisted goal.

“When he gets alone with the goaltender, he can score,” Neuman said about the freshman Saenz. “He used his speed and beat their goalie wide with a good move — he is a pretty good goalscorer.”

The score remained that way thanks to the play of Anderson, who made some great saves in the game as the Eagles were outshot 30-17 after three periods.

“He [Anderson] did a great job in his first varsity start,” Neuman said.

That set up Sellner’s game-winner with some more New Ulm youth coming through.

“Sellner’s goal came off assists from two freshmen in Saenz and Rewitzer so it is huge when they are involved like that offensively,” Neuman said. “We are going to get better as the season goes with our youth.”

New Ulm is now 1-1 on the season.