The top-seeded Wingers dispatched the second-seeded Trojans 5-2 at Four Seasons Centre Thursday in the Section 1A title game with their high-powered offense and spared spectators any dramatics with a workman-like victory.

Playing in the section championship has become an annual event for members of the team and this year’s championship felt like another game for some.

“It just seemed like a normal game to me,” junior defenseman Paige Haley said. “It didn’t seem like a section final, which is nice because in past years it seemed like we were playing for a section final, but this just seemed like another game. Everyone was calm, everyone knew how to handle it.”

The celebration remained subdued for the Wingers after the game but it wasn’t without emotion. Senior defenseman Elle Anderson shed some tears following the victory, but they were tears of joy.

“It made me emotional because I was so excited to go because I don’t want my high school hockey career to be over so it was exciting tears because I just didn’t want it to end,” Anderson said.

Nicole Schammel scored three goals while Haley and Reagan Haley added goals in a game where 10th-ranked Red Wing (19-7-2) took control early.

The Wingers have a roster loaded with leftovers from previous section title appearances and that experience showed. But despite the wealth of experience Red Wing boasts, Scott Haley worried about the first period.

“The period that probably scared me the most was the first,” Haley said. “I think they were a plus-three in the first this season. They were a negative-11 in the second.”

Haley didn’t have much to worry about after the puck dropped.

Reagan Haley scored 4 minutes, 7 seconds into the first period on a shot from the right circle during a power-play.

Then Schammel turned in a spectacular goal as she split New Prague’s defense in a tight space and finished top shelf to give the Wingers a 2-0 lead at 12:28 of the first period.

“She’s a gifted goal scorer and that’s what she does,” Wingers head coach Scott Haley said. “I don’t know what more to say. She’s just got a knack to score.”

Schammel put the Wingers up 3-0 with her second goal 2:27 into the second period and added her third at 12:32 of the second. Red Wing dominated the period and outshot the Trojans (12-14-2) 16-4 to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

New Prague pumped in a power-play goal from Dani Kocina on a breakaway 47 seconds into the third period to gain some life. Brittany Sticha scored with 1:48 left to play to make it 5-2. The two goals served as the only blemishes for the Wingers on an otherwise dominant performance. Red Wing finished with 32 shots on goal and Lisa Nibbe made 21 saves in goal for the Wingers.

Red Wing gave up just two goals in the section tournament in two games and that kind of stout defense is what the team needs for the state tournament. The Wingers scored an average of 5.3 goals per game, but allowed 3.4 goals per game in the regular season.

“We’re going to get our three-plus goals,” Scott Haley said. “I honestly feel that way no matter what. … It’s just a matter of keeping them from scoring.”

Now with a return trip to state following a consolation championship last season Red Wing is prepared for a more fruitful state tournament.

“We’re little bit more hungry,” Anderson said. “We’re hopefully going to start off better than we did last year.”

The Wingers lost in the first round 5-2 to Eveleth-Gilbert. Red Wing will being the state tournament Wednesday and will learn its opponent and game time Sunday after seeding is completed.