The Aberdeen Cougars scored twice in the first six minutes and made those goals stand up in a 2-1 girls’ hockey victory over Oahe Friday night in their final home game of the season at the Odde Ice Center.

Rachel Siefken and Ema Rehder notched first period goals for the Cougars, and it looked like Aberdeen was off to a high-scoring affair early.

But the goals would have to stand, as Aberdeen was unable to find the net the remainder of the way despite a 43-14 advantage in shots.

“We take the win,” said Aberdeen coach Rob Weinmeister. “Sometimes it doesn’t always go the way you want or expect, and you have to find a way to win. I think we did that tonight. Even at the end, holding off the pressure they were trying to create. That’s something we can learn from and move forward.”

Oahe’s Brylee Kafka cut Aberdeen’s lead in half with her own first-period goal. Kafka’s goal came at the 8:29 mark of the opening stanza.

Weinmeister said there were plenty of learning opportunities to take from the win.

“I would have liked to have had more (goals) so it wasn’t so close a game, but I think it was one of those things where we were putting it in to their goalie,” he said. “Their goalie covers a lot of the net when she goes down. That’s where we have to have our head up and shoot for the spots that are open.”

Despite the lopsided shot totals, Weinmeister said he would have liked to have seen a more concentrated effort at the net.

“I don’t think we were generating a lot of good shots, per se,” Weinmeister said. “And when we did get a decent shot off, we didn’t have anyone there to rebound, because there were rebounds, but we were just too spread out. For as young a team as (Oahe) has, they have some good speed. They would take (the puck) out and then we would have to come back and collect.”

Aberdeen will have little time to dwell on the game, as the Cougars head to Brookings today and to Pierre Sunday for the final two league games of the regular season.

Oahe Capitals 1 0 0 – 1

Aberdeen Cougars 2 0 0 – 2

First period: 1, AC, Rachel Siefken (Alyssa Roehrich), 14:56; 2, AC, Ema Rehder (Madeline Sandvig), 11:50; 3, OHE, Brylee Kafka (Emily Nemec, Sara Bierne), 8:29.

Second period: No scoring.

Third period: No scoring.

Shots on Goal: Oahe Capitals 14; Aberdeen Cougars 14.

Goalies: Oahe Capitals, Abagail Stewart-Fromm (41 saves); Aberdeen Cougars, Chloe Vikander (13 saves).