A pair of youngsters stepped up as the Austin boys hockey team kept up with Owatonna (13-8-1 overall, 9-4-1 Big Nine) for much of the night and tied the Huskies by a score of 2-2 in Packer Arena Monday.

Sophomore Garrett Schaeffer tied the game at 2-2 with a power play goal off an assist from Bubba Grunewald in the second period for Austin (6-15-1 overall, 5-11-1 Big Nine).

Sophomore Ben Stark scored on a penalty shot to cut Owatonna’s lead to 2-1 earlier in the second period.

The Packers have now gone 2-1-1 in their last four games as they start to hit their stride.

“It’s a flip of the coin. If we flip heads we show up and we play hard and if we flip tails, we don’t,” Austin head coach Jason Merritt said. “When we play hard for three periods, we’re competitive. This tie is good for us. I don’t know the last time we beat or tied Owatona. Hopefully we’re hitting our stride come playoff time.”

Austin played with just eight forwards from the third period on and it had to kill a five-minute power play in overtime, where each team had a goal called back.

Ryan Flanders had 45 save for the Packers.

“They kept going hard and rolling hard and competing. It was a good game,” Merritt said.