Boys hockey: Second period slump dooms Packers

Published 11:21 pm Thursday, January 7, 2016

Austin goalie Noah Bawek makes a stop in the second period Thursday night in Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Austin goalie Noah Bawek makes a stop in the second period Thursday night in Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

The Austin boys hockey team let a rough defensive stretch get the best of them as they lost 7-2 to Albert Lea in Riverside Arena Thursday.

The Tigers (5-7 overall, 4-5 Big Nine) turned a 1-0 first period lead into a 5-0 second period lead when they scored four goals in a span of four minutes to take over.

Austin’s Jace Greenman brings the puck up ice against Albert Lea’s Max Brick during the third period Thursday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Austin’s Jace Greenman brings the puck up ice against Albert Lea’s Max Brick during the third period Thursday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

“The momentum was down and our guys tried battling back. It’s hard to dig out of a hole that deep,” Austin head coach Erik LaRock said.

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Isaac Arnold and Kory Potach each scored a goal for the Packers (2-7-1 overall, 0-6 Big Nine), but it was too little, too late.

“Defensively we didn’t play tell tonight and we did not protect our goalie,” LaRock said. “We can play right with them, but the game of hockey is defense first and we didn’t play that way tonight.”

SCORING SUMMARY

AL 1 4 2 — 7

Austin 0 1 1 — 2

First period

(AL) Michael Savelkoul (Austin Dulitz, Sam Chalmers) 16:42

Second period

(AL) Foster Otten (Mitchell Evans) 1:13

(AL) Chalmers (Jack Pulley) 4:29

(AL) Otten (Pulley, Mitchell Evans) 4:45

(AL) Pulley (Otten, Noah Karge) 5:01

(A) Isaac Arnold 11:52

Third period

(AL) Pulley (Karge, Chalmers) 4:00

(AL) Evans (Otten, Pulley) 11:15

(A) Kory Potach 15:19

Shots: Austin — 30; AL — 40