One way to gauge the importance of a high school hockey game is to count the number of fans leaving the rink to visit the parking lot in between periods.

The boys' section final showdown between Somerset and River Falls at the Somerset Ice Arena on Saturday must've been a big one. Hardly anyone was outside frolicking in the seasonably warm end-of-February weather during period breaks. The few guys that were should buy their wife flowers for holding their place. The verbal “place back” protocol was not applicable Saturday afternoon.  

"My wife won't save my seat and someone will take it if I leave," one River Falls' fan was overheard saying.

"Even my standing room spot on the glass will be gone," said another fan. “I’m not moving. I’m staying right here.”

It was must-see hockey on a Saturday afternoon. The game between the section’s top two seeds would not disappoint.     

"We were locked in and we were ready to play," said senior captain forward Cal Usgaard.

The Spartans cruised past West Salem 6-1 Thursday Feb. 20. Somerset skated past a tough Baldwin-Woodville club 3-1 on Tuesday, Feb. 25 with two goals in the third period to punch their ticket to the section finals. River Falls outshot Viroqua 45-14 in the first round, but, like a gimpy ankle clinging to tape to hold it together, the Wildcats clung to a 1-0 lead mid-way through the second period until the final horn. Wildcat goalie Daniel Linn notched his third straight shutout between the pipes.

Round two was much easier, as River Falls breezed to a 6-2 win over Regis/Altoona/McDonnell. The Wildcats outshot the Rams 56-26 as Calvin Schrank, Nolan Hoepfl, and Jaxson Flanagan each tallied two points apiece.

It set the stage for a jam-packed ice arena for the section finals and a trip to the state tournament.

Somerset had beaten River Falls 2-1 during the regular season in late January. The Wildcats could only muster 19 shots on conference goalie-of-the-year junior Carson Belisle and his .939 save percentage this season. River Falls Head Coach Tim Beres wanted to create some more opportunities.

"I was trying to match what they brought and attack them with speed," said Beres. "Their top line is their workhorse and that's what they got. It’s a chess game and I have to go with the flow of the game and who's hot."

This decision meant some line changes and through the first period, Beres' plan was working well.

"I think we outplayed them the entire game and we controlled the puck down on their end," said Beres. "We controlled the blue lines, but their goalie was hot."

The Wildcats outshot the Spartans 19-7 in the first period but the score was tied at 1-1 heading into the break. Jaxon Flanagan scored for the Wildcats and was assisted by Anthony McPherson and Riley Usgaard.

"We had some odd man rushes where we should've buried it (the puck) and we left some rebounds out there," said Riley Usgaard. "Their goalie was legit."

The increased speed and urgency of the game and a trip to the state tournament was evident as the Wildcats were flying up and down the ice.

"This is the fastest I've seen them (Wildcats) skate all year," said one bearded elderly gentleman standing by the plexiglass near the Wildcat student section.

The Wildcats’ Chase Rudolph slammed in a slapshot from the right side at the 7:30 mark in the second period with an assist from Mason Rappel. Rudolph slid on one knee with a crowd-pleasing fist pump as he glided along the blue line. Rudolph jumped into the plexiglass to hit the student section "Celly Button" sign, short for "celebration."

As quick as the 'Cats went on the prowl, they were sent back in the house. Rappel was called for holding at 8:34 in the second and just under a minute later on the power play, the Spartans' top scorer, 6'3" sophomore Devin Richardson, banged the puck into the back of the net to tie it at 2-2.

River Falls had a 34-15 edge in the shots on goal stat after two periods.

"We could've won by quite a few goals, but their goalie played great," said senior Calvin Schrank. "He (Belisle) definitely kept them in the game. They rallied around him and found a way."

Fans were treated to some free hockey, as both teams were held scoreless in the third period; however, 1:50 into the overtime period, Somerset's Wyatt Olson scored the game winner and sent the Spartans to the state semi-finals. In the blink of an eye, the game, the season, and for most Wildcat seniors, their hockey career was over.

"Watching that puck go in net and knowing that it's all over was tough," said Schrank, "but I wasn't out there and didn't have any control over it and that was even tougher."

"That's the hard part of coaching," said Beres. "I have to be comfortable with the decisions I make and learn from them if they aren't the right ones. The real success comes down to being respectful, being a good teammate, and working hard and I think our young men did that. I'm so proud of them and how hard they played. That game is one of the reasons I think hockey is the greatest game on Earth."

The Wildcats finished the season 14-13, the first season above .500 they've had since the 2010-11 season. The fourth-place Big Rivers Conference finish is also the best in the last 14 years. The 8-6 BRC record is the second best in program history.

"These guys set the expectation this year that this is what it takes to play high school hockey," said Beres. "It's going to take a lot of work, but we are going to be a perennial good team."