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The Austin girls hockey team is still trying to grow on the run as the Packers did some things right, but found out some new things to fix as they lost to Mankato West 7-2 in Riverside Arena Thursday.

The Packers (1-3 overall) pulled within 5-2 when eighth grader Alexcia Austin scored in the second period, but the Scarlets (2-1 overall) held the Packer offense in check for the rest of the night.

“There are some things that we still need to work on,” Austin head coach Denny Bray said. “They had a few two on one and three on one rushes on us; sometimes we got caught up on that defensive zone too much; our back checking needs to be a little bit better; we’re not shooting soon enough, and we’re not attacking the net. I could go on, but we’re so young. We’re probably the youngest team in the Big Nine.”

Senior Alyssa Vlasaty put the Packers on the board with a first period goal that brought the team within 2-1, but West quickly went back up 3-1 when Marleigh Gorman scored her second goal of the first period.

After the Packers had won just three games in the past two seasons combined, Bray knows his team still has to work on gaining confidence and learning to compete.

“I think this was a game that we could’ve played closer. I’m never happy with a loss, but we’ve just got to get back on the ice and change some things,” Bray said. “We’ve got to get them a winning attitude. This team has lost for three years and it’s tough. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

SCORING SUMMARY

Austin 1 1 0  –  2

West 3 3 2  –  7

First period

(MW) Marleigh Jordan (Penelope Gorman) 3:16

(MW) Maree Zimmerman (Ella Olson) 12:08

(A) Alyssa Vlasaty (Giselle Hinks) 12:08

(MW) Gorman (Jordan, Maleah Giesen) 12:54

Second period

(MW) Charlotte Kirschner (Claire Roering) :46

(MW) Giesen (Maree Zimmerman) 3:15

(A) Alexcia Austin (Lauren Bowl, Jade Bastyr) 5:33

(MW) Giesen (Gorman, Roering) 6:29

Third period

(MW) Shelby Jones (Alivia Stransky) 1:54

(MW) Anna Olsen (Jordan, Giesen) 11:34