News Photo by Leslianne Johns Ethan Walker skates with the puck before scoring in the second period of Saturday’s game at Northern Light Arena. Alpena played Jeffers, coming out on top with a 4-3 win in overtime.

ALPENA — The Alpena Wildcats pulled off a dramatic comeback to defeat the Jeffers Jets 4-3 in overtime in their final regular season home game on Saturday.

Alpena took an early lead in the first period when Clark Weir found the back of the net with 4:23 remaining. The Wildcats held onto their 1-0 advantage heading into the second period, but Jeffers wasted no time responding. Just nine seconds into the second, Benton Rajala evened the score, assisted by Brit Heinonen.

Forty-seven seconds later, Heinonen struck unassisted, giving Jeffers a 2-1 lead. The Jets continued to press, and with 9:22 left in the period, Griffin Heinonen extended their advantage with a goal assisted by Max Nordstrom.

Despite falling behind 3-1, Alpena continued to battle.

With 1:43 remaining in the second period, Ethan Walker cut into the deficit with a goal, assisted by Gavin Winterstein and Lucas Weir, bringing the score to 3-2.

“It was good to see the kids not give up, keep working hard, and make the easy plays to get back in the game,” Alpena head coach Ben Henry said.

As time wound down in the third, Jeffers called a timeout with 1:31 left, looking to hold off Alpena’s final push. The Wildcats then pulled goaltender Parker Schuldt in the last minute to create an extra attacker advantage.

“Parker was playing great all game, but we needed a goal,” Henry said. “There wasn’t a lot of time left, so it was all or nothing.”

The move paid off when Trevor Worth delivered the equalizer with 19.4 seconds remaining, assisted by Ethan Walker, sending the game into an eight-minute overtime.

The Wildcats sealed the win in dramatic fashion when Garrett Hamp scored the game-winner in overtime.

“Garrett’s been the backbone of our team for the last couple of years,” Henry said. “He’s a great player on and off the ice, and I’m glad to see him get the game-winner in our final regular season home game.”

Reflecting on the victory, Henry praised his team’s resilience.

“It was a great win, and it shows that we can play with the best of them,” he said. “A comeback victory against one of the best teams in the state is a huge hill to climb, and it shows the kind of depth we have on this team. We’re looking to make great strides moving forward into the playoffs, and I’m excited for the Wildcats to be back at home on Friday against Tawas.”