OWATONNA – It didn’t go to overtime, but it was almost as close as last time.

Wednesday, January 16, 2002

OWATONNA – It didn’t go to overtime, but it was almost as close as last time.

The Albert Lea High School boys’ hockey team, which was edged 4-3 by Owatonna in overtime in the season opener, lost 6-3 to the Huskies Tuesday night in a game much more even than the score shows. It was 0-0 after the first period and the Tigers were within 3-2 late in the second.

It was Owatonna’s fourth goal that did the most damage, according to ALHS coach Roy Nystrom.

&uot;We had the momentum and we were coming back,&uot; said Nystrom. &uot;If we had gotten out of there 3-2, it might have been different.&uot;

The Tigers lost despite outshooting the Huskies 31-27, including 16-7 in the second period.

Owatonna took a 3-0 lead in the second, starting with a shorthanded goal in the opening minutes and adding a power-play score.

Owatonna’s sixth goal was into an empty net in the final minute after the Tigers nearly came within one after pulling goalie Matt Tubbs.

&uot;Our goaltender played fine, but we didn’t give him much help in our own end of the rink,&uot; said Nystrom. &uot;We didn’t control the corners, we didn’t control the net. Our play in our own end of the rink was very, very poor, and it was our downfall.&uot;

Wade Westland, Casey Schumacher and Tyler Hegwood scored for the Tigers, with assists going to Matt Dugstad, Hegwood and Schumacher.

&uot;That line of Schumacher, Hegwood and Dugstad played a very fine game for us tonight,&uot; said Nystrom.

The Tigers, 5-2 in the Big Nine and 7-5 overall, have a tough test Thursday when they face top-ranked Rochester Lourdes at 7:30 p.m. at the City Arena.