The high-flying Owatonna Huskies (15-4-1, 10-2) took it to the Packers at Riverside Arena.

Wednesday, February 02, 2000

The high-flying Owatonna Huskies (15-4-1, 10-2) took it to the Packers at Riverside Arena. The Huskies were coming off a 7-1 win over the Mayo Spartans when they took to the ice. The Huskies are now on a 12-game winning streak after their 9-2 thrashing of the Packers and look to be the top team of 13 in Section One. They took off after they got their number one goalie, Kristin Kettwig, got back in the nets.

Owatonna scored just one minute into the game. Lindsay Macy got the goal. She came into the game as Owatonna’s leading scorer.

Three minutes later the biggest play of the game took place. Along the boards in the Austin end of the rink. Macy collided with Austin’s leading scorer, Rhianna Jacobs. Jacobs lay on the ice while Macy skated off screaming in pain.

Austin coach Denny Bray demonstrated what happened. "Macy came in with both of her arms up high," Bray showed and told. "She hit Rhianna in the helmet. Rhianna then fell backwards landing on her head. Where it hurt though was her right leg. She most have somehow gotten a charley horse."

Jacobs was helped off the ice but got back into the game five minutes later but not at 100 percent. Macy suffered a broken wrist.

Her teammates, however, sucked it up and took control of the game. The line of Ashley Jenkins, Sarah Belmore, Holly Noble stepped it up big time. Jenkins picked up six points in the game on three goals and three assists. Noble had four points on a goal and three assists and Belmore three points on two goals and one assist.

"We really picked up the slack after losing our leading scorer," Owatonna coach Mas Fukushima said. "That line of Belmore , Noble and Jenkins had a fantastic game. We put that line together about three weeks ago."

After one period of play the Huskies led 3-0. Austin then looked like it would finally break the Huskies hex on it by scoring the first two goals of the second period. The Austin girls have never beaten the Owatonna girls in the four years they have been playing against each other.

Jacobs had a big rush at the beginning of the period that resulted in a goal. She stick handled around a couple of defenders and cut to the center of the ice to go in alone against the Owatonna goalie. Three minutes later it was Courtney Hughes scoring. She was well positioned in the slot while the puck was being battled for in the corner. The puck squirted loose right to her and she rammed it home.

The Packer momentum was short-lived as Owatonna scored 37 seconds later on the next rush up the ice. It was Jenny Oldefendt scoring the goal on the rush to make it 4-2. She would then put Owatonna up 5-2 at the 11:24 mark.

That goal was quite disheartening for the home team. They suffered a let down and let in two more goals in the last minute of play in the period.

"We opened up the flood gates," Austin coach Denny Bray said. "We made some defensive mistakes and pretty much assisted on a couple of those goals. We then came back in the third period. We didn’t get down and played well."

The highlight for the home team in the final 15 minutes of play was staving off a five-on-three advantage halfway through the period.

Austin (11-10, 8-5) closes out the regular season with a trip to Mankato on Friday. Game time for the varsity is 7:30 p.m.

Owatonna 3 4 2 – 9

Austin 0 2 0 – 2

First Period – 1, Owatonna, Lindsay Macy, 1:00. 2, Owatonna, Ashley Jenkins, 9:20. 3, Owatonna, Sarah Belmore (Holly Noble, Jenkins) 13:35.

Second Period – 4, Austin, Rhianna Jacobs, 1:56. 5, Austin, Courtney Hughes, 5:02. 6, Owatonna, Jenny Oldefendt (Jenny Ihlenfeld) 5:39. 7, Owatonna, Oldefendt (Cassie Knopp) 11:24. 8, Owatonna, Jenkins (Noble) 14:21. 9, Owatonna, Belmore (Noble, Jenkins) 14:53.

Third Period – 10, Owatonna, Jenkins (Belmore, Kelli Madson) 6:41. 11, Noble (Jenkins) 12:30 (sh).

Goalies – Owatonna: Kristin Kettwig 17-19, Austin: Fedoryk 20-29.

Shots on Goal – Owatonna 11-7-11 29, Austin 4-7-8 19.