The Austin boys hockey team continued to experience second period woes as it lost 5-3 to Red Wing in Riverside Arena Thursday.

The Packers (6-8 overall, 3-6 Big Nine) were out-shot 16-4 in the second period, but they still had a chance to get back in the game when they had a power play while trailing 4-2 late in the second. The Wingers (6-6 overall) were able to seize momentum at that point when Tyler DeFore converted a short handed goal to make it a 5-2 game going into the third.

“That’s our season so far in a nut shell,” Austin head coach Jason Merritt said. “We play well in the first period, we don’t know what we do wrong in the second period and then we have to battle back twice as hard to get back in the game. For us it’s Jekyll and Hyde and we have to find out what happens in between periods.”

Dylan Svoboda brought the Packers within 5-3 with an early power play goal in the third period, but Austin was denied on multiple chances near the net in a third period that saw it hold a 14-7 shot advantage.

The Wingers were able to score three goals in the first period to take a 3-2 lead by forcing turnovers and getting looks deep in Austin territory.

“Our defensemen our young, but we’re 14 games into it,” Merritt said. “We’re pinching at the wrong time and we’re not being physical enough. Everything’s a stick check instead of a body. We’re running around chasing the puck like we’re squirts and it cost us.”

Noah Bawek had 28 saves in the loss for Austin and Jack Dankert and Bryar Flanders each netted one goal.

SCORING SUMMARY

RW 3  2  0  —  5

Austin 2  0  1  —  3

First period

(RW) Jackson Maroushek (Ryan Swanson) 1:24

(A) Jack Dankert 2:57

(RW) Maroushek 6:14

(A) Bryar Flanders (power play) (Tanner Hoban) 9:43

(RW) Tyler DeFore 14:08

Second period

(RW) Macklin Maroushek (Swanson) 12:16

(RW) DeFore (short handed) 15:04

Third period

(A) Dylan Svoboda (power play) (Hunter Guyette, Nate Murphy) 3:30

Shots: Austin — 32; Red Wing — 33

Power plays: Austin — 2-for-7; Red Wing — 0-for-2