Early in the week, when asked if he was looking past Mankato West and ahead to Mayo, Denny Laumeyer spoke honestly.

Friday, January 21, 2000

Early in the week, when asked if he was looking past Mankato West and ahead to Mayo, Denny Laumeyer spoke honestly.

"It’s hard not to look ahead," said the Austin boys’ hockey coach.

On Thursday, Laumeyer’s Packers played like they were looking forward to Saturday’s home matchup with the Spartans.

Austin buried the West Scarlets early, taking a 5-3 first period lead, before going on to win 7-3.

The win lifted Austin to 11-3-1 on the season, 8-1-1 in the Big Nine. Mayo, Austin’s 4 p.m. late dinner partner on Saturday, is 5-0 in the Big Nine.

It’s Laumeyer’s hope that Austin is firing on all cylinders against the faster Spartan squad – something the Packers did against West.

Austin got two goals from both Andy Klapperick and David Lorenzen in the first period to go with one from Nick Bowe. (Lorenzen finished with two assists and four points.)

"We played really strong offensively," Laumeyer said. "We were a little loose defensively."

But Austin’s D held up. The Packers finished with a 30-17 shot advantage. Kyle Olson picked up the win in the nets; he’s 10-2-1.

Jamie Knudtson, with a power- play goal in the second period, and Asham Bell, shorthanded in the third, closed out the scoring.

Austin scored two power-play goals while killing off four power- play opportunities.

"We count on our special teams," Laumeyer said. "We want to score one power play goal a game and not allow any.

"If we can do that, then we feel we can beat teams 5-on-5."

Can they beat Mayo?

"They’ve got quick forwards," said Laumeyer, who watched the Spartans beat Albert Lea a couple of weeks ago. "Their defense moves the puck well."

That defense is led by Andy Canzanelo, a senior and Division I recruit of Colorado College of the WCHA.

"He’d good with the puck," Laumeyer said. "He’s the engine that drives them. We’ve got to put a body on him and contain him."

Austin’s own puck-handling defensemen, team leader Nate Hansen, is questionable for the game with an ankle injury.

But, "it’s such a big game," Laumeyer said, "that I know he wants to go."

Earlier in the week, Lorenzen, the team’s top point-man with 28 points, called Hansen’s absence "hard to deal with."

"He’s such a huge factor for us," Lorenzen said.