Austin boys’ hockey team felled by Rochester Mayo 8-4

Both the Austin Packers and the Rochester Mayo Spartans boys’ hockey teams were looking for their first win of the 2019-2020 campaign Tuesday night in a Big 9 Conference matchup at Riverside Arena, and a three-goal second period helped the Spartans double up the Packers 8-4.

Caleb Ree put Austin in front 1-0 with a goal at 1:27 of the first period, with assists to Gavin Johnson and Cameron Johnson, but Mayo rallied back with a power play goal sandwiched by two even strength tallies to take a 3-1 lead when Roger Olson scored with only :16 left in the period to cut the Mayo lead to 3-2 at the end of one.

Ree tied the game with another goal early in a period, this one at 1:10 of the second to knot the game at 3, but the Spartans rallied back again with two goals by Will Weick at 5:38 and 8:12 to take a 5-3 lead.  A goal by Cooper Henderson :59 seconds after Weick’s second goal increased the lead to 6-3 at the end of two, and a power play goal by Javan Hodge at 3:28 of the third boosted the score to 7-3.  Garrett Schaefer cut the Mayo lead to 7-4 with a goal 10:21, but Bryce Baker added a short-handed goal late in the period for the 8-4 final.

Brayden Klapperick turned away 33 shots between the pipes for the Packers, while Max Cothern made 20 saves for Mayo to pick up the win.

Austin will be off until December 26th when they will take on LaCrescent/Hokah in the first round of the Lancers’ holiday tournament, with face-off at 7:00 p.m.