Two times a team celebrated an apparent game-winning, overtime goal at Packer Arena in Austin Monday night. But each time, the on-ice officials waived off the goal and play continued until the eight-minute extra period ended with Owatonna and Austin deadlocked at 2-2. The biggest cheer of the night for the Huskies came in the parking lot after the game as the players pushed the team bus out of a snow bank and they could travel home.

All the scoring came in the second period as Owatonna grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of power play goals. Austin countered with a penalty shot goal and a power-play marker of their own.

A checking from behind penalty with two seconds to go in regulation left Owatonna's Dom Valento sprawled on the ice. The Packer skater was sent to the showers. Valento was assisted across the ice back to the bench by his teammates and was able to return to play in overtime.

The Huskies seemed to score on a shot from Luke Kubicek and a scramble in front of the net early in overtime. After an animated celebration, the Huskies lined up to shake hands with the Packers as the game officials huddled at center ice and reversed the call. After the game, an official told KRFO that he had made a mistake saying the puck had gone in.

A couple of minutes later an Austin player batted the puck into the Owatonna goal and their celebration was cut short when an official waived the goal off right away. It was ruled the puck was hit by a high stick.

Wyatt Oldenfendt and Casey Johnson scored Owatonna's goals. Ben Stark notched the penalty shot goal for Austin with Garett Schaefer scoring the other.

Owatonna (13-8-1, 9-4-1) had their Tuesday game with Mankato East rescheduled to Wednesday, February 13 due to school closing Tuesday. Austin was 6-14-1 overall and 5-11-1 in the conference after Monday's makeup game. OHS outshot the Packers 47-28.

Austin's leading scorer was ejected from the game after a second-period checking from behind penalty against a teammate of his led to a heated exchange between the coaching staff and the game officials. Owatonna scored both their goals on the five-minute major penalty that followed. Kubicek was the player checked on to the Packers' bench but continued to play.

The game was played at Packer Arena instead of the usual Riverside Arena. The building borders a residential neighborhood and made for a tight turn for the bus to leave the parking lot after the game. It got hung up on a snow bank. After a few minutes players unloaded from the bus to push it free. Some fans encouraged the Huskies, hollering about their strength as state football champs.

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Roy Koenig/Townsquare Media
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