He couldn’t have been more correct.

Junior Evan Christensen scored the game-winning goal with 7:44 remaining as Jamestown beat RBM, 3-1, to capture the Western New York High School Club Hockey League Mixed Division title Monday at KeyBank Center.

“It feels amazing. This is the first championship I’ve won at KeyBank Center. It feels great to share these memories with the boys,” senior captain Jack Brinkley said. “We fought hard all game, RBM played a solid game and their goaltender kept them in it the whole time.”

Brinkley and sophomore Michael Gerace also scored for the Raiders, who will carry the championship momentum into this weekend’s New York State High School Club Hockey tournament at Northwest Arena.

Jamestown’s Evan Christensen beats his defender just before scoring the game-winning goal in the Raiders’ 3-1 victory. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“I was just hoping to win and go home with a smile on my face,” said Christensen, who was named Jamestown’s Most Valuable Player. “Shots on goal were tough today, but we got them to the net when we needed them.”

Jamestown carried the play early and finally broke through midway through the first period. RBM goaltender Andrew Warner was caught out of position and Raiders junior Jackob Guimond slid a pass through the crease, under the goaltender’s pads. Brinkley was waiting on the back post, gathered the puck and flipped it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“We definitely set a tone with our physicality, our speed and our size,” Christensen said.

Penalties then began to catch up to Jamestown, which committed three in the opening 17 minutes. Eventually, RBM took advantage as senior Nick Wood cleanly won a faceoff forward, cut to the front of the net and beat Raiders goaltender Jack “Eddie” Yost with a backhand to knot the game, 1-1.

“I think there was a little frustration that set in there. We just needed to calm down and stay 5-on-5,” Bergman said. “We got into a little penalty trouble … it’s a coach’s nightmare. You have certain guys you want out there on the penalty kill and on the power play, then you have a lot of guys who just sit there and their legs get tight.”

Jamestown Raiders captain Jack Brinkley scores the first goal of Monday’s game.

Back at even strength, Jamestown began to cycle all four of its lines and take the play to RBM.

Guimond nearly gave the Raiders a lead at the 11:30 mark of the second period when he took a clean cross-ice feed from Brinkley. Guimond’s shot glanced off the near post, then the back of Warner’s skate before hitting the far post and sliding harmlessly away.

Jamestown had several more chances to break through in the second period, only to be turned away by Warner each time. Lucian Talbett, Declan Brown and Jed Hirliman each had chances in alone on Warner, but RBM’s senior goaltender was better each time.

“I expected to maybe capitalize on a few more opportunities, that was definitely our weakness today,” Bergman said. “There were a good seven, eight, 10 goals that were just laying there that we have to put away.”

Finally, Christensen gave the Raiders a lead with 7:44 left in the third period. Gerace picked up a pass along the boards and tried a long cross-ice pass to Christensen that missed the junior’s stick. Not giving up on the play, Christensen beat his defender to the puck, negated icing, then neatly chipped the puck past Warner for a 2-1 lead.

The Jamestown Raiders, pictured in front, from left: Cooper Spielman, Jack “Eddie” Yost, Jackob Guimond, Ryan Schrecengost, Luke Tota, Tristan Spillane, Brendan Hirliman, Lucian Talbett, Dylan Bergman, Jackson Roth and Josh Brown, celebrate their WNYHSCHL Mixed Division Championship on Monday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. In back are: head coach Jimmy Bergman, assistant coach Bruce Hokanson, Devin Wolfe, Evan Bishop, Jed Hirliman, Will Turner, Michael Gerace, Evan Christensen, Chase Jones, Alex MacCallum, Declan Brown, Zach Padd, Jack Brinkley, assistant coach Chris Henderson and assistant coach Jeremy Hirliman. P-J photos by Matt Spielman

“I just missed the pass, but their defense was playing slow the whole time and we knew we could beat them wide,” said Christensen, who lost an edge on the goal and crashed into the end boards. ” … It felt awesome down on the ice there and getting back up.”

“It was a great, hard-working play. It was going to be an icing, he beat the icing, he beat the defender and he took it right to the net,” Brinkley said of the goal. “That right there was wanting to win the championship and wanting to put the team on his back.”

After another tense four minutes, Jamestown finally got a two-goal lead as Josh Brown’s shot from the point rattled around in front of the net until Gerace put home the rebound for a 3-1 lead.

“Once we got those two quick ones,” Brinkley said, “we were pretty excited.”

The Raiders killed off the final three minutes and then celebrated in the crease around Yost as they avenged a Super Sunday loss to RBM just two years ago when Brinkley was a sophomore.

“A big win like this is always nice to roll into the weekend, Bergman said. ” … Obviously our game plan worked so if they keep believing … I think we can have a good ride this weekend.”

In 2018, Jamestown rallied a couple of weeks later when it won the state title, which just happened to be played at home inside Northwest Arena that year as well.

“Coming off this big win is going to be really good for us going into states at home,” Brinkley said. “We’ll have that extra confidence. We are really hoping for another banner.”

NOTES: Warner was named RBM’s MVP. … Orchard Park beat Canisius, 3-2, in the Large Division final. … East Aurora/Holland beat City Honors/Cardinal O’Hara, 4-3, in overtime of the Small Division title.