Both the boys’ and girls’ Albert Lea hockey teams came away victorious in their respective I-90 rivalry games Thursday night.

The boys’ team dominated using four goals in the second period to pull away from the Packers and win 8-1.

Austin scored first in the game, but Albert Lea tied the game back at 1-1 with less than two minutes to play in the period. Scoring for Albert Lea was senior Owen Zelenak with junior Blake Ulve on the assist.

The second period is when the Tigers started coming on strong. Ulve scored on an unassisted goal 40 seconds into the period. Senior Campbell Cichosz scored 20 seconds later off an assist from seniors Jacob Prihoda and Culley Larson.

Larson scored a goal of his own when the Tigers were short-handed with four minutes to go in the period. Prihoda picked up his second assist on the goal. Ulve put the Tigers up 5-1 before the end of the second period with a goal off an assist from senior Danny Chalmers.

Already with a four-goal lead, the Tigers poured it on in the final period. Junior Sam Witham, Ulve and Larson scored one goal each in the period. Assists came from  Ulve, and juniors Spencer Clark and Caden Severtson.

The Tigers move to 2-1 on the season and will play again Tuesday when they travel to Minnesota River.

The story is the same for the girls’ team. The Tigers scored four goals in each the second and third periods to crush the Packers 10-2.

Sophomore Esther Yoon opened up the scoring for Albert Lea off an assist from senior Mia Fjelsta. Fjelsta then scored a goal of her own two minutes later off an assist from junior Ally Rasmussen.

Yoon and Fjelsta both picked their second goal in the second period.  Junior Alli Dulitz added two goals in the second period as well. Yoon, Fjelsta and  senior Sidney Collins also notched assists in the period.

Fjelsta scored another goal in the third period to record the hat trick. Senior Katelyn Steven scored twice  and sophomore Malayna Thompson once before the end of the game. Yoon, Dulitz and Rasmussen were in on the assists.

The Tigers move to 4-3 on the season Saturday night, on the road against the Huskies of Owatonna.