AUSTIN — The Albert Lea boys’ hockey team clinched a share of their second Big Nine Conference championship in three seasons Thursday with an 8-1 win against Austin at Riverside Arena.

The win was the ninth in 11 games for the Tigers, who haven’t lost in over a month. The last time the Tigers finished on the short end of the score was a 6-5 loss at Mankato West on Jan. 13.

The Tigers’ Eric Carlson recorded a hat trick in the second period Thursday and recorded four points on the night. He put the Tigers on the board 1-0 in the first period with an unassisted goal before goals by Eli Malimanek, Nate Stadheim and Zack Hacker gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead at the first intermission.

David Enstad, Luke Cheever and Dillon Stolt also recorded points in the first off assists.

Carlson scored both the Tigers’ goals in the second period. The first off an assist from Stolt and the second, a short-handed goal, off an assist from Enstad.

The Tigers built an 8-1 lead in the third period off two goals from Stolt. Shea Svendsen and Hacker attributed assists.

The Tigers outshot the Packers 54-27.

The Tigers sit atop the Big Nine with 29 points, two points ahead of second-place Rochester Mayo. If the Tigers win their last regular season game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Owatonna, they will win the conference outright.