MANKATO — The Austin girls hockey team gave No. 10 ranked Mankato East one of its best games of the year, but the Packers fell short 5-3 on the road Saturday.

Carley Grunewald tied the game at 3-3 early in the third period, but the Cougars (9-0 overall, 7-0 Big Nine) took a 4-3 lead just 39 seconds later when Maddie McCarger scored.

“We skated with them all right,” Austin head coach Denny Bray said. “But they’re a great defensive team and they were quicker to the corners.”

Austin’s Carissa Johnson scored her first career varsity goal to make it a 3-2 East lead in the second period.

The three goals scored by the Packers (2-9 overall, 1-6 Big Nine) are the second most the Cougars have allowed all season.

SCORING SUMMARY

Austin 1 1 1 — 3

East 2 1 2 — 5

First period

(M) Kalli Steinberg 10:10

(A) Carley Grunewald (Kennedy Thompson) 11:55

(M) Rebekah Kolstad (Maddie McCarger, Savnnah Quandt) 12:52

Second period

(M) Kylie Paulson (Amanda Broman) 12:05

(A) Carissa Johnson (Chloe Summerfield) 13:09

Third period

(A) Grunewald 3:54

(M) McCargar (Mariah Kragh) 4:33

(M) Broman 13:29