Saturday afternoon’s girls’ hockey win was a significant one on multiple levels for the Aberdeen Cougars.

The 3-2 victory over the Mitchell Marlins at the Odde Ice Center gave the Cougars a shot of confidence, following a shutout setback on Friday night (the team’s fourth straight loss), it showed the local squad can close off a game at the finish, and it allowed the team to gain a measure of revenge after losing to Mitchell 2-0 earlier this season.

“It’s a team that I knew we could beat,” said Aberdeen coach Amy Munsterman-Wills, “so it felt good actually going out there and doing it.”

After giving up three first-period goals on Friday night, the coach was looking for a better start and received just that as the Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on Saturday.

“A lot of that was coming off of (Friday) night too,” she said, “and bringing more intensity and picking up the pace a little bit and keeping up that pressure.”

Kaylee Dixon scored Aberdeen’s first goal on assists from Olivia Sandvig and Addyson Keller.

Chloecherie Heagley, known to her teammates as “Cheech,” then extended the margin later in the period on an assist from Rachel Siefken.

“I passed it back to Rachel Siefken and she got a shot,” Heagley said. “Leah Kranzler was there for the rebound. All of the girls were on Leah and the goalie was out, and I got a shot off of (Leah’s) rebound.”

The Cougars then pushed the margin to 3-0 early in the second period when Calley Gage found herself in front of the net when the puck came her way. She put it in the back of the net with an assist from Ashton Hadrick.

“I kind of got lucky with a bounce and how Asthon threw it on net,” Gage said, “and I just got lucky for where I was and that I was by the net, and I was able to pressure the goalie.”

The three-goal performance was a big difference from when the Cougars failed to score against the Marlins the first time.

Gage said a big part of it is the young squad is figuring out how to play with each other.

“I think we’re a little bit more put together, and working as a team,” Gage said. “We had practices where we built a bond and we know where everybody’s kind of going to be. We have a little bit more chemistry than we did before.”

One of the new parts of the squad this is eighth-grader Heagley.

“I think it’s just a new challenge for everyone,” she said of blending the players together.

She talked about the difference between last season and this year.

“U14 is just for fun,” Heagley said. “Varsity is where I actually compete. It’s my competitive game.”

The Cougars still had work to do despite being up three goals. The Marlins got one back in the second, and another in the third with 12 minutes remaining.

However, the Cougars were able to rally together and prevent a game-tying goal, finishing off the win.

“I think that’s just kind of building up some of our resilience too,” Munsterman-Wills said, “even getting scored on, but not letting that bring us down and then scramble, nope it’s lets keep it up and lets hold it. We did better with that today.”

And as a result, gained a shot of confidence with the victory.

“I think we needed this motivation to kind of get through it,” Gage said. “I think we were kind of getting a little bit down.”

The Cougars will try to use that motivation when they host Sioux Falls at noon today at the Odde Ice Center, the team’s third game in about 42 hours.

“This is the warmup for (Sunday’s) game. … I think it will be a lot similar to (Friday’s) game with Brookings, that intensity,” Munsterman-Wills said, “so I’m hoping that was as good wake up call for all of us.”

Mitchell Marlins 0 1 1 – 2

Aberdeen Cougars 2 1 0 – 3

First Period: 1, AC, Kaylee Dixon (Olivia Sandvig, Addyson Keller), 7:25; 2, AC, Chloecherie Heagley (Rachel Siefken), 3:06.

Second Period: 3, AC, Calley Gage (Ashton Hadrick), 15:32; 4, MM, Taylor Sorben (Livaya Mimmack), 11:55.

Third Period: 5, MM, Sorben (Mimmack), 12:07.

Shots on Goal: Mitchell Marlins 23; Aberdeen Cougars 31

Goalies: Mitchell Marlins, Addyson Longhenry (9 saves), and Kayley O’Connor (19 saves); Aberdeen Cougars, Chloe Vikander (21 saves).

Mitchell Marlins 0 1 1 – 2

Aberdeen Cougars 2 1 0 – 3

First Period: 1, AC, Kaylee Dixon (Olivia Sandvig, Addyson Keller), 7:25; 2, AC, Chloecherie Heagley (Rachel Siefken), 3:06.

Second Period: 3, AC, Calley Gage (Ashton Hadrick), 15:32; 4, MM, Taylor Sorben (Livaya Mimmack), 11:55.

Third Period: 5, MM, Sorben (Mimmack), 12:07.

Shots on Goal: Mitchell Marlins 23; Aberdeen Cougars 31

Goalies: Mitchell Marlins, Addyson Longhenry (9 saves), and Kayley O’Connor (19 saves); Aberdeen Cougars, Chloe Vikander (21 saves).