The final score was closer than the shots-on-goal disparity -- 53 to 8 in favor of the winning team -- indicated.

Thief River Falls, making its state tournament debut, defeated South St. Paul 4-1 Friday in the Class 1A girls’ hockey semifinal at Xcel Energy Center.

The Prowlers got on the board early when senior Emily Bergland scored her 31st of the year off a rebound just 56 seconds into the game. The No. 1-seed in the tournament took the lead over the No. 4-seeded Packers and kept pressuring throughout much of the game.

Tthe Packers' best chance in the period came about six minutes later when the puck was on the goal line but didn’t sneak into the net behind Thief River Falls goalie Frances Marshall before she froze it.

Junior Briana Jorde scored with less than two minutes left in regulation to seal the game for the Prowlers.

South St. Paul junior forward Corbyn Jenkins picked a good time for her first goal of the season. She put home a deflected shot from the point early in the third period to cut the deficit to one.

The Packers' senior goaltender Sydney Conley had to be sharp as she faced 53 shots in the game. She stopped a two-on-none chance from Thief River Falls just before her team’s goal in the third period.