Worthington did Austin the favor by scoring first, and the Packer girls' hockey team took care of the rest.

Austin scored three times in a span of 40 seconds after Worthington broke the ice, and the Packers skated to a 4-1 win in the first round of Section 1A action Tuesday night at Riverside Arena.

Courtney Hughes scored twice during the string of Austin goals, which eventually amounted to four goals in less than three minutes. Worthington, the No. 13-seed, scored 1:22 into the third period on a breakaway opportunity, but the fourth-seeded Packers had an answer.

Hughes scored at 2:52 -- just 1:30 after Worthington's go-ahead goal -- and Jessica Petersen added a goal 20 seconds later. Hughes made it 3-1 Austin with her second goal of the game at the 3:33 mark.

Taylor Jenkins capped the scoring for the Packers with a goal a 5:42 of the third, and both teams skated even the rest of the way.

"We just kept that line out there," Austin coach Denny Bray said of Kristin Faber's line. "Their goalie was playing out of her mind, but we weren't really giving her any tough shots."

The Packers outshot Worthington 51 to 17, including a barrage of scoring opportunities in the second period that amounted to nothing. But once Austin broke through, there was no stopping them.

"There was no way we were going to lose to them," Hughes said. "Once we got the first one that pumped us up more, gave us more endurance to go out and get it."

Austin put 22 shots on goal in the third period, four of which passed by Worthington goalie Danielle Koopman when she seemed to be in control of the crease. The Packers' late flurry in the second period did not damage Koopman's shutout, but her team's go-ahead goal only got Austin rolling.

The Trojans scored first on a goal from Jenna Ahlberg at 1:22 of the third period. She stuffed home a rebound of an Amanda Duitsman breakaway shot that Austin goalie Amy Snyder successfully stopped.

Austin responded and put the game away just as soon as it seemed Worthington had a shot to win it.

"In the first period I didn't think we played very well, and even in the second period we came out a little slow," Coach Bray said. "But you could see it changing there when we had the puck in our zone for maybe 10 minutes."

"It scared me for a minute there," Hughes said of Worthington's short-lived lead. "We didn't want our season to end for sure."

Snyder stopped 16 of 17 shots for her ninth win of the season. The Packer defense did the job for the offense by pinching at the blueline, but Worthington broke out with occasional odd-man rushes that Snyder halted at the net.

Austin, now 14-9 for the season, resumes Section 1A play Saturday night at home against Luverne. The 12th-seeded Cardinals knocked off fifth-seed Mankato East 4-3 in overtime Tuesday night in Mankato. The Packers played Luverne once last season, winning a 1-0 affair in non-conference action. Austin had split with Mankato East in a pair of one-goal games in Big Nine Conference play this season.

AHS has won eight of its last 10 games, and four of its last five. The Packers host Luverne in section quarterfinal action Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Riverside.

Summary:

Worthington001--1

Austin004--4

First Period--none. Penalties--Anne Vosburgh, WOR (roughing) 13:52.

Second Period--none. Penalties--none.

Third Period--1, WOR, Jenna Ahlberg (Amanda Duitsman), 1:22. 2, AUS, Courtney Hughes (Tracy Petersen), 2:52. 3. AUS, Jessica Petersen (Kristin Faber, Hughes), 3:12. 4. AUS, Hughes (Faber, J.Petersen), 3:33. 5, AUS, Taylor Jenkins (Jenny Nemitz), 5:42. Penalties--none.

Shots on goal--WOR 6-4-7--17; AUS 12-17-22--51.

Power-play Opportunities--WOR 0; AUS 0 of 1.

Goalies--WOR, Danielle Koopman (51 shots-47 saves); AUS, Amy Snyder 9-5-0 (17-16).

Section 1A Playoffs

First Round

(1) Farmington 12, (16) Northfield 0

(9) New Prague 2, (8) Waseca 1

(12) Luverne 4, (5) Mankato East 3, OT

(4) Austin 4, (13) Worthington 1

(3) Albert Lea 7, (14) Marshall 0

(6) LeSueur-Henderson/St. Peter 5, (11) Fairmont 2

(7) Mankato West 4, (10) Red Wing 2

(15) Faribault 4, (2) New Ulm 3, 2OT

Quarterfinals

Feb. 8

New Prague at Farmington

Luverne at Austin, 7 p.m.

St. Peter at Albert Lea

Faribault at Mankato West