Austin Packers girls hockey team downed by Windom 10-6 Saturday

The Austin Packers girls hockey team was looking to get on the winning track Saturday afternoon versus the Windom Eagles in a non-conference matchup at Riverside Arena, but in the game that featured nine goals scored in the third period alone, the Eagles were able to outgun the Packers for the win by a score of 10-6.

Windom jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, with the second goal scored by Madelyn Schumacher at 16:12, but Austin’s Arianna Barrera halved that lead with an unassisted goal 25 seconds later at 16:37 to make the score 2-1 at the end of one period.  Marenna Bang gave the Eagles a two-goal lead again with a tally at 4:34 of the second period to make the score 3-1, but Sara Wangen cut the lead to 3-2 with a goal for the Packers at 7:58 of the period, with an assist to Barrera.  Windom was able to keep the lead at one goal until later in the period when Reagan Haugen scored at 14:51 and Mataya Hall tallied unassisted at 16:24 to give the Eagles a 5-2 lead at the end of two periods.

Marenna Bang notched her second goal of the game only 11 seconds into the third period to put Windom ahead 6-2, but the Packers rallied back with a pair of goals for Wangen to give her the hat trick, the first unassisted at 2:09 and the second on the power play with assists to Peyton Squire and Lauren Bowe only 22 seconds later to trim the Eagles lead to 6-4.  Regan Haugen tallied her second goal of the game for Windom at 8:29 of the period to make the score 7-4, but again, Austin would not go quietly as Wangen’s fourth goal of the game, an unassisted tally at 11:19 cut the deficit back to two goals at 7-5.  The Eagles had an answer, however, and they put the game away with three unanswered goals in a span of 4:31 of the third to take a 10-5 lead.  Arianna Barrera added her second goal of the game, an unassisted tally with :17 left in the game for the 10-6 final.

The Eagles outshot the Packers 27-23 for the game, and netminder Chole Schaal made 17 saves in facing 27 shots Saturday afternoon, while Windom goalie Fiona Robillard turned away 17 of the 23 shots she faced to earn the win in net.

With the loss, Austin is now 0-4 on the season, and the Packers are back in action in the Big 9 Conference in Albert Lea Tuesday night versus the Tigers, with face-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m.