In the end, they just ran out of gas.

The Packer girls hockey team couldn’t hold on to a lead in a 4-2 loss to Faribault at Riverside Arena Monday.

The Falcons (15-6-1 overall, 11-3 Big Nine) scored the last three goals of the game to get the victory. Shelby Salmonsen gave the Falcons the lead half-way through the second period when she knocked in a rebound and she scored again four minutes later to make it 3-2 on a power play slap-shot off a pass from Jackie Johnson, who was standing under the net.

After staving off a five-minute Faribault power play to open the third, the Packers (10-12-2 overall, 6-8-1 Big Nine) had a couple of chances to tie the game, but Faribault’s Mackenzie Knack put it away with a rebound score on a power play late in the third.

“Penalties hurt us again big time. You can’t spend half the third period in the penalty box,” Austin head coach Denny Bray said. “I told the girls to learn from this experience so they’ll be disciplined and avoid dumb penalties (in the tournament).”

While they held off Faribault for their five-minute power play, which was the result of a boarding call on Vanessa Talamantes, Bray said the Packers used most of their energy during that stretch to keep Faribault away from the net.

“You’re covering a lot of ice with just four people and I could see that the wind was out of our sails after those five minutes,” Bray said. “We were really tired at the end of the game and you could see it.”

Austin took the lead in a wild second period that saw both teams put up a combined 33 shots.

Ashley Crump tied the game with a 20-foot slap-shot around Faribault goalie Hanna Seitz, who had 27 saves, and Kennedy Thompson gave Austin a 2-1 lead with a slap-shot just over a minute before Salmonsen tied the game.

“They’re one of the top teams in the state and they have a lot of speed,” Bray said of Faribault. “We back-checked so they didn’t get a lot of odd man rushes on us. We played a very good game against a very good team. That’s probably the best forechecking I’ve seen this season.”

Senior forward Kirsten Stanek took home the game puck for the Packers, as she had a very active night.

“Kirsten was solid on the penalty kill and power play and she played one solid hockey game,” Bray said.

Audery DeVries had 36 saves for Austin.

Austin will play its regular season finale at Mankato East this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Packers will open the Section 1A tournament Friday, Feb. 12.

Faribault 1 2 1 — 4

Austin 0 2 0 — 2

First period

(F) 15:53 Cady Walker (Taylor Salmonsen, Kallen Knott)

Second period

(A) 2:25 Ashley Crump (Carley Grunewald)

(A) 6:10 Kennedy Thompson (Crump)

(F) 7:36 Shelby Salmonsen (Kirstin Sirek)

(F) 11:42 Salmonsen (Jackie Johnson) (PP)

Third period

(F) 11:20 Mackenzie Knack (Johnson, Miranda Krenske)

Shots on goal — Austin: 29; Faribault: 40

Power plays: Austin: 0-for-6; Faribault: 2-for-6