It was a long time coming for Aaron Dooley and it was a long time coming for the Austin boys hockey team.

The Packers shook off two years of Big Nine frustration by knocking off Mankato East 6-5 in Riverside Arena Thursday night.

“I think it’s huge. It gets that monkey off their back. So far, we’ve won the games that we were supposed to, but this one was a big confidence booster for these guys,” Austin head coach Tim Peterson said. “Our first line was fantastic. They tied up their first line and kept them away from open chances in the last minute and a half (when the Cougars pulled the goalie).”

Dooley, a senior goalie, sealed the game by making three saves in the last 20 seconds, including one where he was face down on the ice and had to reach up to make a glove save.

“I just kind of jumped and hoped I caught it,” said Dooley, who was a freshman goalie on the last Austin team that won a Big Nine contest two years ago. “It’s nice to not have 80 shots allowed and win a game. We can say it was a group effort and it’s the first time this year we’ve played a full game. We competed with a Big Nine team and we haven’t done that for years.”

Mankato East (9-10 overall, 1-7 Big Nine) pulled to within 6-5 when Dan Billiar slipped one past Dooley’s five-hole with two minutes left in the game.

“The first game (an 11-4 Cougar victory) they scored like eight goals really high so I was trying to get out a little bit,” said Dooley. “I moved my stick and that one got under me.”

The game’s deciding goal was scored by Austin’s Adam McMasters when he got free on a power play and knocked a slap-shot across the goalie into the back of the net on a power play with just under five minutes left in the game.

“I was just trying to beat him wide and create a scoring chance,” McMasters, who had two goals and an assist on the night, said. “I thought I saw a little bit of the corner and I got a good shot off and luckily it got in. It wasn’t the goal I was expecting to win the game, but you take what you can get.”

The second period was a wild one for both teams as nine goals were scored and Austin (7-11 overall, 1-8 Big Nine) came out of it with a 5-4 lead. Mankato East took a 1-0 lead when Billar scored and the Packers countered with a quick response that saw Marcus Stoulil, Joe Siegfreid and Isaac Gorman all score goals in a one-minute span.

“We went down one, but we answered quick. Once we got that, I think it helped them mentally and they realized we’ve got the ability to do this,” Peterson said.

Stoulil, a freshman, added another second period goal for Austin to put them up 5-3 with three minutes left in the second period.

“Usually the second period isn’t our best period, but we came out and played hard,” he said. “I got my shots. The second one was kind of lucky, it hit two skates and went off the goalie.”

With six games left on the Packers’ schedule, Dooley, who had 49 saves, is hoping his squad can finish with added enthusiasm.

“It’s hard for our team, because we haven’t necessarily won and once we get ahead we don’t know what to do. We finally realized how to win and we’ve just got to keep going,” he said.

Mankato East 0 4 1 — 5

Austin 0 5 1 — 6

First period

No scoring

Second period

(M) 3:07 Dan Billiar (Zach Hermer)

(A) 3:59 Marcus Stoulil

(A) 4:15 Joe Siegfreid

(A) 4:50 Isaac Gorman (Adam McMasters)

(M) 5:54 Taylor Ries (Bo Borchardt, Zach Hermer)

(A) 10:36 McMasters (Gorman)

(M) 11:24 Taylor Ries (Dan Billar, Hermer)

(A) 14:00 Stoulil

(M) 16:29 Janne Viiala (Hermer, Ries)

Third period

(A) 12:10 McMasters (Stoulil) (PP)

(M) 15:00 Billar (Hermer)

Shots on goal: Austin — 32; Mankato East — 54