The Austin girls hockey team closed out its home regular season schedule with one of the toughest teams its played all year as it lost 9-1 to Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids in Riverside Arena Monday.

The Packers (13-10 overall) pulled to within 5-1 early in the third period when Chloe Summerfield scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway, but the Panthers (18-4-1 overall) scored four goals over the last seven minutes of the game to make the final score a lop-sided one.

Mara Overby had 59 saves in the loss for Austin.

“They’re a good team. They’re a different caliber team than we’re used to playing,” Austin head coach Brett Vesel said. “I thought we played extremely hard and I thought our effort was outstanding. It was the kind of effort that we need to beat the teams in our section. I thought it was a great game for us to understand the tempo we need to play at.”

The Packers, who have lost three straight games, now have two more games left in the regular season, before they begin the playoffs next week.

“I feel really good about our effort. We just need to start putting the puck in the net a little more,” he said.

SCORING SUMMARY

SLP/CR 3 2 4 — 9

Austin 0 0 1 — 1

First period

(S) Mallory Corrigan (Brandi DelCastillo) 9:57

(S) Taylor Turnquist (Bryna DelCastillo) 10:23

(S) Kamryn Crawford (Liz Zarate) 11:32

Second period

(S) Hannah Schultz (Turnquist) (power play) 11:25

(S) Turnquist (Lily Hacket, Bryna DelCastillo) 14:19

Third period

(A) Chloe Summerfield (short handed) 6:27

(S) Bryna DelCastillo (Brandi DelCastillo, Liz Zarate) 9:54

(S) Hackett (Schultz) (power play) 12:07

(S) Corrigan (Megan Ganley) 14:24

(S) Maddie Blomquist 16:49

Shots: Austin — 14; SLP/CR — 68

Power plays: Austin — 0-for-2; SLP/CR — 2-for-4