In the early going, it looked like the Albert Lea High School girls’ hockey team would get an easy victory over Faribault.

It turned out to be not so easy. But it was a victory.

After taking a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period, the Tigers held off the Falcons 5-3 in a Big Nine game at the City Arena Tuesday night.

&uot;We played very well in the first period,&uot; said coach Mike Miller. &uot;A combination of a little bit of flu, not putting the puck in the net and not moving our feet plagued us in the second period. Faribault never gave up. They kept hustling and put themselves in a position to get back in the game.&uot;

The Tigers, who improved to 12-3 in the conference and 17-7 overall, finish the regular season Thursday at Rochester Mayo. Seedings are expected today for the section tournament that starts next Tuesday. Faribault, 2-15 overall, remained winless in the Big Nine.

Brittany Arendt got the Tigers started quickly, scoring just 1:35 into the game on a Laura Hillman assist.

The same line connected its next time on the ice, with Tessa Christensen scoring on assists from Arendt and Hillman.

Arendt scored again at 9:05. Christensen and Hillman assisted.

The Tigers made it 4-0 at 2:37 of the second stanza on an unassisted score by Jill Woodside.

Faribault answered on its next shift and pulled within 4-2 with 15 seconds remaining.

The Tigers regained their three-goal lead and the momentum 58 seconds into the third, when Heather Bagley scored on assists from Sarah Jensen and Hillman.

&uot;That was a big goal,&uot; said Miller. &uot;We needed that one. Faribault had quite a bit of momentum in the second period.&uot;

The Falcons’ final goal came at the 11:33 mark of the third period.

Albert Lea outshot Faribault 27-15. Each team had one power play.

Miller said the line of Woodside, Anna Sigurdson and Lacey Oyer played well, as did defenders Marissa Cottrell, Kelsey Walton and Brittney Beener, who were called up from the junior varsity.

The Albert Lea JV won 10-0. Sabra Kogel scored three goals, Bobbie Attig two. Amy Marka had a goal and three assists, Beener a goal and two assists. Jerri Mondeel, Emily Herfendal and Dara Cunningham added one goal apiece. Erin Schlaurbaum was in goal.