The Owatonna Huskies didn’t go down without a fight.

The Albert Lea Tigers just got too far up too early.

The Tigers scored in the opening minute and took a 3-0 halftime lead on their way to defeating Owatonna 4-2 in a Big Nine boys’ soccer game at Hammer Field Thursday night.

&uot;It was a game we wanted very much, and we came out and dominated the first half,&uot; said Tigers coach Jim Haun. &uot;They outplayed us the first part of the second half, but our guys were able to recover from that. We did a good job settling down and getting control.&uot;

The Tigers got some help from Owatonna early as a Huskie defender headed in an Albert Lea crossing pass for his own goal at the 59-second mark.

It remained 1-0 until the 26th minute, when Jamie Schreiber scored on a rebound of a shot by Jeremy Jacobson.

About seven minutes late Justin McGinnis scored on a similar play, getting a rebound on a Taylor Zimmerman shot.

The Tigers outshot the Huskies 12-8 in the first half.

Owatonna scored a pair of quick goals, in the seventh and ninth minutes.

McGinnis added the insurance goal in the 22nd minute, looping a long left-footed shot over the goalkeeper. Brady Plantage assisted.

The Tigers added another apparent goal in the waning moments, but the referee ruled it came after time expired.

Shots on goal for the game were Albert Lea 23, Owatonna 21.

Eric Hutchison played a strong game in goal, according to Haun, including making a spectacular save on a long, high shot.

Haun said the defense also played well again, led by Joe Squires, Jake Levisen and Andy Stapleton. The Plantage twins, Brett and Brady, also played well, as did Jacobson and Zimmerman.

&uot;The guys who really pulled us through tonight were Eric Hutchison in goal and Justin McGinnis with those two goals,&uot; said Haun.

The Albert Lea junior varsity lost 3-0 while the C-squad fell 2-1.

The varsity’s record improved to 4-5 in the Big Nine and 6-5 overall.

The Tigers travel to St. Peter Tuesday for a nonconference game.