Post-Bulletin, Austin MN
ST. CLOUD — Both games in the opening round of the Turkey Trot Tournament, hosted by the St. Cloud Apollo Icebreakers, wound up as ties on Friday.
The Austin Packers finished in a 3-3 tie with the host Icebreakers in the first game of the day to start the four-team weekend event. Sartell and St. Francis then wound up in a 1-1 tie after neither team scored in overtime of the late game.
Austin played Sartell this afternoon, and the Icebreakers play St. Francis later (Saturday). All of the four teams came into the final round of the tournament with one point after the pair of ties.
"The title might come down to total goals scored," coach Denny Bray said. "We need to beat Sartell, and score more goals than the Icebreakers or hope they get another tie."
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There was no scoring in the first period between Austin and St. Cloud Apollo. The host team then broke through with a pair of goals in the span of 35 seconds in the second period.
With her team facing a two-goal deficit, senior captain Catherine Wagner got the Packers offense started with a goal just inside the final five minutes of the second period.
Spurred on by Wagner’s initial goal, the Packers offense kept things rolling in the third period. Carley Grunewald scored for the Packers near the midway point of the third period and tied the game.
Ashley Arhart, off a pass from Wagner, then scored to give the Packers a 3-2 lead with 4:30 left in regulation. Just seconds later, the Icebreakers answered with their last goal and the game went into overtime.
The Packers had only one shot, and the Icebreakers managed a total of three shots-on-goal in the overtime session.
"Our defense played a solid game," Bray said. "We were perfect on the penalty kill and killed off six of their power play opportunities. That included a 5-on-3 during one stretch, so I was happy with the defense. Our goalie Audrey (DeVries) played a good game with 30 saves. It would’ve been nice to get the win, but the girls played well on the road."
Austin (2-1-1) is unbeaten in its last three.
AUSTIN 3, ST. CLOUD 3
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SCORING BY PERIODS
Austin 0 1 2 0 — 3
Icebreakers 0 2 1 0 — 3
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring — Icebreakers, Kelsey Lucia (Julia Stiegel), 10:05. Icebreakers, Blair Curtis (Stiegel), 10:40. Austin, Catherine Wagner (Ashley Arhart, Ashley Crump) 12:14.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring — Austin, Carley Grunewald 9:52. Austin, Arhart (Wagner, Grunewald), 12:34. Icebreakers, Megan Schwegman (Emily Reugemer), 12:50.
Shots on goal — Austin 19, Icebreakers 33.
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Goalies — Austin, Audrey DeVries (33 shots, 30 saves). Icebreakers, Lucy Gaetz (19 shots, 16 saves).
Penalties — Austin 6-12; Icebreakers 2-4.
