MINOT, N.D. (NewsDakota.com)  – It has been five years since the Jamestown Blue Jay boys hockey team made it to the State Tournament. That drought is over.

The Jays scored two goals in each of the first two periods and held on for a 4-2 win over Bottineau-Rugby in a state qualifying game Saturday in Minot at the West Region Tournament.

Devin Hoffman scored his second goal of the tournament and team leading 23rd of the year at the 7:01 mark of the first period. Alex Senf would add his third of the tournament and 18th of the year 8 1/2 minutes later to give the Jays a 2-0 lead after one period.

Easton Hagen would score his first varsity goal early in the second period to open up a 3-0 for Jamestown. Corey Nelson would close out Jamestown’s scoring with his third of the season with just under four minutes to go in the period with his team short handed.

Bottineau-Rugby would make things interesting with two goals 1:14 apart in the third period on a power play with Hoffman in the penalty box for a five minute major.

But Matthew Schneider would make the lead stand up leading the Jays back to the state tournament for the 19th time in program history and third time under coach Matt Stockert.

Stockert said after the game, he is happy for his team, especially the seniors.

 

 

Jamestown improves to 13-10 on the season and will head to the state tournament as the number three seed out of the west. They will play Fargo Davies, the second seed out of the East, in the second game on Thursday.

Coach Stockert says they are not worried about who the play, just how they play.

 

 

The Jays last played Fargo Davies last season and lost 4-1. Coverage of the Jamestown/Davies game will begin at 2:15 with the pregame and the faceoff at 2:30 Thursday from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks on 1400 ESPN Jamestown.