An uncharacteristic slow start only brought out the best of the Austin girls' hockey team.

The Packers, after falling behind 1-0 to Onalaska, Wis., fought back with physical play in front of the net and successfully defended their Weyerhaeuser Invitational title with a 3-2 victory in Saturday's championship finals at Riverside Arena in Austin.

Kristin Faber scored two goals and Courtney Hughes slotted the game-winner just 33 seconds into the third period as the Packers overcame an upstart Hilltoppers squad. Onalaska knocked off Dodge County in Friday's first round and outskated the host Packers for a 1-0 first-period lead.

Austin (3-2-0) scored its first two second-period goals in five games to get back to a 2-2 tie, and Hughes' go-ahead goal lasted 14:27 of the final frame. Faber won a face-off and Hughes raced the puck up the ice past four defenders and through the goalie's five-hole for the game-winner.

"That was by far our best second period of the year," said AHS coach Denny Bray. "We finally got that monkey off our back. They knew they had to get over that hump and with that second-period energy they got it done."

Faber scored both of her goals in the second period to push the Packers to a 2-1 lead. She took a Hughes wrap-around pass and stuffed it home at 4:59 for the 1-1 tie, and 1:24 later she tallied her team-leading sixth goal. Tracy Petersen sent the puck on net from the blue line, Jessica Petersen deflected it in front and Faber found the back of the net.

Jessica Petersen was given the game puck from her Packer coaches for her complete effort on the ice Saturday afternoon.

"She played a splendid game, she works her heart out," Bray said.

Petersen leads the Packers with four assists.

"That was the best second period we've had all year," Jessica Petersen said. "We skated harder. We wanted to get that (tying) goal."

Onalaska tied the game at 2-2 on power-play goal by Alysia Wick at 12:40 of the second period, and the Packers overcame another Hilltopper power-play to skate into the second intermission in a tie. Onalaska was 1-for-5 on the power play, converting only on a 4-on-3 with Wick's goal.

Packer sophomore goalie Justine Wiste turned away all 12 shots she saw in the third period for her second victory. In all she stopped 30 of 32 Hilltopper shots.

In the third-place game Saturday, Mankato West routed Dodge County 6-2.

Austin gets back to Big Nine Conference play Tuesday for its first road game. Faribault (1-3-0, 0-3-0) hosts the Packers at 7 p.m.

Summary:

Onalaska110--2

Austin021--3

First Period--1, ONA, Kaitlyn Williams (Alysia Wick), 2:20. Penalties--Kati Radford-Garcia, AUS (slashing), 14:10; Radford-Garcia, AUS (roughing), 14:10; Julie Scott, ONA (roughing), 14:10.

Second Period--2, AUS, Kristin Faber 5 (Courtney Hughes), 4:59. 3, AUS, Faber 6 (Jessica Petersen, Tracy Petersen), 6:23. 4, ONA, Wick (Megan Chown), 12:40 (pp). Penalties--Kari Olson, ONA (hooking), 8:20; Hughes, AUS (roughing), 11:21; Sara DeVries, AUS (hooking), 11:39; Tiffany Hanson, ONA (interference), 12:00; T.Petersen, AUS (interference), 12:40.

Third Period--5, AUS, Hughes 2 (Faber), :33. Penalties--Brenda Nguyen, AUS (checking), 2:36; Amy Ruth, ONA (interference), 6:32.

Shots on goal--Onalaska 11-9-12--32; Austin 12-13-5--30.

Power-play Opportunities--Onalaska 1 of 5; Austin 0 of 3.

Goalies--Onalaska, Jaime Ustby (25 shots-23 saves), Jessi Koller (11:21 second period, 5-4), empty net (13:28 third period, 0-0); Austin, Justin Wiste 2-1-0 (32-30).

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at :mailto:sports@austindailyherald.com.