Austin's special teams proved to be exactly that as the Packer girls' hockey team took a 3-1 win from visiting Faribault Tuesday night at Riverside Arena.

AHS (6-5, 3-5) was 2-for-3 on the power-play as Courtney Hughes scored twice with the one-skater advantages. Kristen Faber tallied two assists and Jessica Petersen chalked up her second goal in as many games in the team's second consecutive win.

"We've just been working on it more and concentrating on it in practice," Hughes said of Austin's power-play. "We're talking to each other on the ice strategizing, trying to figure out what we're going to do."

Hughes' first of two power-play goals accounted for the game-winner, coming just six seconds into the Packers' second man-advantage. Hughes got the game puck from the Packer coaches for her effort both on the power-play and as a member of the 5-on-3 penalty killing unit.

"She did a great job on that 5-on-3," said AHS coach Denny Bray. "Our penalty killing has been playing pretty well. We don't mind taking a few penalties but when you've got three in the box something is bound to happen."

Faribault (2-8, 0-6) scored its only goal two seconds after Austin had successfully stifled 2:10 worth of 5-on-3. Jenny Nemitz and Sara DeVries came out of the penalty box 10 seconds within one another, and Kati Radford-Garcia had 1:29 left in the sin bin when Melissa Rappe flipped the puck past Packer netminder Amy Snyder.

"The last time we played it was 6-0," said Faribault coach Rick Myos. "I'm proud of the girls, I thought they played really well."

The Packer power-play upped its percentage to 18, while the penalty-kill unit kept its average right around 85 percent.

Snyder made a number of dazzling saves while picking up her third win, stopping 18 of 19 shots.

Austin plays Thursday at Winona before hosting Farmington Saturday at 3 p.m.

Summary:

Faribault001--1

Austin111--3

First Period--1, AUS, Jessica Petersen 2 (Kristen Faber), 7:13. Penalties--Becky Moreau, FAR (checking) :33.

Second Period--2, AUS, Courtney Hughes 8 (Kristen Faber), 1:18 (pp). Penalties--Kemi Peterson, FAR (tripping) 1:12; Sara DeVries, AUS (roughing) 11:20.

Third Period--3, AUS, Hughes 9 (Tracy Petersen), 5:55 (pp). 4, FAR, Melissa Rappe (Katie Myos), 13:04 (pp). Penalties--Jenny Nemitz, AUS (tripping) 2:54; Myos, FAR (slashing) 4:23; Faber, AUS (interference) 8:53; Rappe, FAR (holding the stick) 8:53; Nemitz, AUS (checking) 11:28; DeVries, AUS (interference) 11:38; Kati Radford-Garcia, AUS (slashing) 13:09; Hughes, AUS (roughing) 14:43; Alli Miller, FAR (roughing) 11:43.

Shots on goal--Faribault 4-4-11--19; Austin 12-7-12--31.

Power-play Opportunities--Faribault 1 of 5; Austin 2 of 3.

Goalies--Faribault, Kelsey Myos (31 shots-28 saves); Austin, Amy Snyder 3-3-0 (19-18).