The Packers couldn’t hit their stride until it was too late as they lost 3-1 to the Minneapolis Novas in the first round of the Austin Merchants Holiday girls hockey tournament at Riverside Arena Monday.

Austin (6-7-1 overall) came out of the gates sluggish and they allowed 52 shots on goal throughout the contest.

“We had a very poor first period, the second period wasn’t much better, and the third period we had a little giddy up and go in our skates,” Austin head coach Denny Bray said. “You’re not going to win hockey games when you allow 52 shots.”

Austin goalie Audrey DeVries racked up 49 saves, and all three Novas goals were scored on rebounds. Austin attempted just 20 shots on goal and had only one solid put-back opportunity, when Kirsten Stanek was denied early in the second period.

“We’ve got to be reacting and not thinking. We didn’t react very well today,” Bray said.

Austin, which trailed 1-0 heading into the second period, had another chance to score early in the second frame but Novas goalie Hannah Hilden-Reid thwarted a Carley Grunewald breakaway attempt when she left the net to jump on the puck before Grunewald could get to it.

The Novas took a 2-0 lead when Chloe Behm knocked in a rebound shortly after Hilden-Reid’s stop but the Packers pulled to within 2-1 when sophomore Vanessa Talamantes knocked in a slap shot on a pass from Abby Gallaher with nine minutes left in the second period.

“She was in the right position and she played that perfect,” Bray said of the shot.

DeVries helped Austin fight off a Minneapolis power play at the end of the second period when she deflected four straight Novas’ shots to close the session.

Austin didn’t have any shots to tie the game in the third and Minneapolis made it a two-goal game when Cecilia Hardecker knocked one in with 14 minutes left in the game.

The Packers pulled the goalie for the last two minutes and came up short on a couple of opportunities.

Austin will now play Tartan in the consolation round Tuesday at 9 a.m. in Riverside Arena.

Novas 1 1 1 — 3

Austin 0 1 0 — 1

First period

(M) 11:15 Sondra Ciesielski (Elizabeth Laakso)

Second period

(M) 5:21 Chloe Behm (Cecilia Hardacker, Ciesielski)

(A) 7:37 Vanessa Talamantes (Abby Gallaher, Kennedy Thompson)

Third period

(M) 2:48 Hardacker (Ciesielski)

Power plays: Austin — 0-for-5; Minneapolis — 0-for-2

Shots on goal: Austin — 20; Minneapolis — 52

TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP

Results from Austin Holiday Invite Monday at Riverside Arena

Northfield 3, Tartan 2, OT

Northfield got an overtime goal from Shannon Vesledahl with just over three minutes left in overtime to beat Tartan 3-2 Monday.

SCORING

First period

(T) 10:04 Karson Reither

(N) 14:01 Annie Pumper (Shelby Stark, Riley Seitz)

Second period

(T) :29 Chelsea Regan

Third period

(N) 5:04 Sarah Behr

OT

(N) 1:54 Shannon Vesledahl (Becca Schultz, Hannah Pilger)

Willmar 6, Albert Lea 4

Willmar topped Albert Lea 6-4 by scoring four of the last five goals of the game.

Rebecca Fresse scored twice for Willmar.

SCORING

First period

(W) 7:39 Rebecca Freese (Carlie Freese, Erin Sheehan)

(AL) 11:29 Lauren Klick (Madi Passingham)

(W) 13:39 Rebecca Freese (Samantha Thompson, Brittney Serbus)

(AL) 14:13 Sohphia Jepson (Passingham)

Second period

(AL) 8:12 Jepson (Lauren Draayer, Passingham)

(W) 11:57 Kayte Cole (Jennie Mattison) (PP)

(W) 14:03 Alexandra Sing (KyLee Hulscher)

Third period

(W) 13:42 Mattison (Cole)

(AL) 15:50 Klick (Draayer)

(W) 16:51 Cole (Mattison, Rebecca Freese)

New Prague 4, Northern Edge 1

New Prague got two goals from Shannon Meyer and Lindsay Paschke to beat Northern Edge 4-1.

SCORING

First period

(NP) 1:55 Shannon Meyer (Brittany Sticha)

Second period

(NE) 4:06 Alexis Vinger

(NP) 14:30 Lindsay Paschke (Hallie Paschke) (PP)

(NP) 16:55 Meyer

Third period

(NP) 7:31 Lindsay Paschke (Hallie Paschke, Jamie Bisek)

Tuesday’s schedule: Austin vs. Tartan, 9 a.m.; Albert Lea vs., Northern Edge, 11 a.m.; Northfield vs. Minneapolis Novas, 1:30 p.m.; Willmar vs. New Prague, 5 p.m.; shootout at 7 p.m.