Boys hockey: Packers can’t shake off late momentum shift in loss to Raiders
Published 10:00 pm Thursday, December 8, 2016
- Austin goalie Noah Bawek reaches out and forces Northfield’s Devon Jirik’s shot to go wide of the net during the second period Thursday night in Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Austin boys hockey team showed that its strong start this season is no fluke as it battled back and forth for much of the night against one of the better teams in the Big Nine.
The Packers had some chances, but they couldn’t catch a break as they lost 2-0 to Northfield in Riverside Arena Thursday.
Austin’s Dylan Svoboda follows his shot on Northfield goalie Ryan Bielenberg during the first period Thursday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Raiders (3-1-1 overall, 3-0 Big Nine) took a 1-0 lead when Jacob Halvorson scored early in the second period and Halvorson made it 2-0 when he scored early in the third period during a five-minute Northfield power play.
“It’s not where we start, it’s where we finish,” Austin head coach Jason Merritt said. “That’s probably the best team in our section and we were down 1-0 in the third period. We didn’t give up and we competed, but we can’t rest on that. We have to build on it.”
The Packers (2-1 overall, 1-1 Big Nine) looked to have tied the game at 1-1 twice, but Austin had two goals called off due to offsides. One came near the end of the second period and the other came right before Northfield’s big power play goal in the third.
Austin’s Bryar Flanders controls the puck during the first period Thursday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Merritt liked how his team responded when all momentum was against the Packers early in the third.
“That’s huge for us to only give up one and once we killed that penally we were in the game,” Merritt said. “We actually had a couple of chances and we created our own breaks. We had a couple of calls, the offside that wasn’t an offside that cost a goal and in the third period when it was offside. The kids should hold their heads high.”
Noah Bawek had 38 saves for the Packers.
SCORING SUMMARY
Northfield 0 1 1 — 2
Austin 0 0 0 — 0
First period
No scoring
Second period
(N) Jacob Halvorson (Jackson Cloud, Griffin Loecher) :51
Third period
(N) Halvorson (Loecher, Nicholas Kvermo) (power play) 2:33
Shots: Austin — 21; Northfield — 40
Power plays: Austin — 0-for-6; Northfield 1-for-6
Austin’s Tyler Hoban plays the puck against the boards in front of Northfield’s Griffin Loecher during the first period Thursday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
