FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Jamestown Blue Jays began the State Tournament as the four seed out of the West Region. They finished 5th overall and with the best finish out of the West Region after their 4-3 victory over Minot Saturday afternoon.

It didn’t start out in favor of the Blue Jays, however. Minot’s Jack Plemel scored 22 seconds into the game.

Jamestown didn’t let the lead last very long.

At the 1:58 mark Jamestown’s leading scorer Nolan Nenow scored on Jamestown’s first shot of the game to tie it up.

On the second shot of the game Jamestown’s Jace Thompson put one past Minot’s Tre Sortland to give Jamestown the first lead of the day. Offensively, the game could only go down from there. Jamestown mustered up only four shots in the 1st period and combined for 17 over the last two for a grand total of 21 shots. Minot produced 20 more shots than the Jamestown Blue Jays but Sr. Riley Gerhardt playing in his last game stood the test. Gerhardt stopped 38 of 41 shots on target.

Over the last two periods the teams alternated goals. Minot’s Riley Opperude scored a power play goal at the 2:49 mark when the Magicians had a 5 on 3 advantage. Then Nenow scored his 2nd goal of the day to reclaim the lead for the Jays. Next it was Minot’s turn when Nicholas Murphy scored to tie the game up at the 2:59 before Thompson scored less than two minutes later to put the game away for good.

Thompson and Nenow each had two goals and an assist while Jamestown’s Hunter Nelson assisted on three of the four goals.

The Jays capture 5th place at the 2020 State Tournament. It’s the best finish for Jamestown in the last 20 years.