Playing in the Bethel Tournament against Twin Cities’ competition was supposed to give the Packers an idea of where they are as a team in relation to some of the state’s best.

Friday, December 31, 1999

Playing in the Bethel Tournament against Twin Cities’ competition was supposed to give the Packers an idea of where they are as a team in relation to some of the state’s best.

The three-day tournament did just that and the results are not what Coach Kris Fadness had hoped.

After Thursday’s 67-52 loss to Mounds View in Thursday’s third-place game, Fadness said it’s time for his Packers to, gulp, "regroup."

"We didn’t play well at all," said Fadness of the team’s latest loss. "It was our worst performance of the year. We came out flat from the beginning of the game."

Austin (4-4) trailed 34-17 at halftime.

"We’d like to have excuses," said Fadness, "but we just didn’t play well."

Fadness pointed to one surprising issue that hurt the Packers, who finished 1-2 in the holiday tournament.

"Defensively," Fadness said, "we’ve got some discipline issues. We were flying around (against Mounds View), going for ball fakes, shot fakes."

A week ago, Fadness said the team’s defense was its strength to date.

One bright spot from Thursday’s game was Brent Holck.

Holck, the team’s shooting guard, scored a season-high 17, including three three pointers. It was the first time this season Holck reached double figures.

"He was a positive," Fadness said. "He really got into the flow of the game."

Only Brian Elwer joined Holck in double figures, scoring 11.

Mounds View’s Trent Perry scored 36 against Austin; 17 of those coming easy in the fourth quarter when Austin was pressing.

Austin has a week of practice to regroup before playing on the road in Mankato East on Jan. 7

East is undefeated and ranked No. 4 in Class AAA, the highest state-ranking for a Big Nine basketball team.

BETHEL TOURNAMENT

Championship

Minneapolis Henry 77, Minneapolis North 54

Third Place

Mounds View 67, Austin 52

Fifth Place

Blaine 56, Edina 50

Seventh Place

Roseville Area 52, Simley 44

Boys’ Hockey

Austin wins finale

After two straight tournament losses that put permanent dents in Austin’s previously undefeated record, the Packers rebounded on Thursday in the fifth-place game of the Granite City Classic in St. Cloud.

Austin downed Sauk Rapids 5-4 in overtime.

The Packers took a 3-1 lead into the third period, before surrendering three power-play goals to fall behind 4-3.

But the Packers’ resolve proved tough as Austin scored the final two goals of the game.

Austin (6-2) also overcame a missed penalty shot that would have won the game with 14 seconds left in regulation.

Five different Packers scored goals, including David Lorenzen, who notched the game-winner off an assist from Brent Cummings.

Cummings, Nick Bowe and Brandon Schaefer scored the goals that put Austin up 3-1 in the first period.

Cummings also assisted on Chris Lynch’s game-tying goal in the third period.

Kyle Olson made 18 saves for the win.

Austin fired 35 shots on goal. After having just 17 shots in a tournament-opening loss to Cloquet, Austin peppered 88 shots over its final two games.

GRANITE CITY CLASSIC

Championship

St. Cloud Apollo 2, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 1

Third Place

Bemidji 8, St. Cloud Cathedral 1

Fifth Place

Austin 5, Sauk Rapids 4 (OT)

Seventh Place

Bismarck Century (ND) 3, St. Cloud Tech 2