Of their last eight games — seven wins — the New Ulm Eagles boys hockey team has outscored opponents 66-12 including four shutout wins, including an 11-1 road win Thursday at Fairmont in a Big South Conference game.

“We have had some games against lesser opponents,” New Ulm head coach Ryan Neuman said. “But we beat a AA team in Chaska and we beat a Litchfield-Dassel Cokato team (8-4)that had beaten some teams that are in our section.

Offensively, the Eagles have been led by Hunter Larson who has three hat tricks this season, putting him at a team-leading 24 goals. Carson Uecker, who also has three hatties, is close behind with 22 goals, with Jaxon Saenz at 13 goals.

Larson leads the team with 47 points, while Uecker, who also had a three-goal night Tuesday, is at 36 points.

“Hunter and Carson have been playing well for us,” Neuman said. “We have two lines that are scoring goals and that is huge for us. These lines have been together — having Hunter and Carson separated a little bit has given each of them the ability to shoot the puck more. And we are not an old team by any means — two senior forwards and one senior defenseman.”

And the Eagles have two solid goalies in Colton Anderson who has a 2.35 goals-against average and Blaine Arneson who has a 2.74 goals against.

“Blaine played very well in the last two games for us — he has given us a chance to win and when Colton has had a chance he has played pretty decent — we have been rotating the two of them,” Neuman said.

Neuman said that the Eagles will be the underdog in some later games this season.

“We play Rochester Lourdes, Albert Lea, Luverne — the Luverne game (at Luverne) will be huge for us when it comes to section seeding — we could be seeded anywhere from two to five and if we beat Luverne I do not know what that would do.”

Neuman said that the players on the team are buying into the system.

“They are all unselfish players and with a young team that is something we preach,” he said. “We are building that culture of Eagles hockey.”

The Eagles, 12-7, will hit the road and take on Rochester Lourdes in another nonconference meeting on Tuesday.