Maia Goerndt

AUSTIN — Fairmont Area forward Maia Goerndt and her Cardinal hockey teammates proved highly efficient at cashing in power-play opportunities on Saturday night.

Goerndt erupted for a career-best five goals — all of the power-play variety — and teammate Karissa Newville generated one goal and two assists to engineer Fairmont Area’s 9-4 triumph over the Austin Packers during nonconference action at Riverside Arena in Austin.

Fairmont Area capitalized on its one-skater edge, netting eight of its nine goals on the game — highlighted by five with the plus-one attacker to build a 6-1 lead on the scoreboard after one completed period.

Trailing 1-0 on the heels of a Kate Fox goal 6:04 into the opening frame, the familiar Goerndt-from-Karissa Newville play helped the Cardinals knot the game 2 minutes later before Hayden Newville netted Fairmont Area’s only even-strength goal off one of Frankie Martin’s two helpers at the 11:26 juncture.

Goerndt smacked home her second goal of the outing off a double-assist from Karissa Newville and Lily Truesdell on a power-play only 37 seconds later in the first frame for a 3-1 margin.

Bella Larson lit the lamp with an unassisted power-play web-finding blast, Goerndt hammered home an Alex Martin pass for a 5-1 lead 15:44 into the 17-minute period and Abi Sundeen capped the six-goal opening segment with a power-play goal off an Alex Martin pass with only 17 seconds to go before intermission.

Ironically, Austin accounted for all three of the game’s second-period goals. Alexcia Austin, Maci Talamantes and Peyton Squier each found the net with shots go pare the Cardinals’ lead to 6-4 entering the second intermission.

Goerndt, however, spearheaded Fairmont Area’s counter-attack in the third period to restore an eventual five-goal lead and final margin of victory.

Goerndt found the back of the net off a power-play assist from Keara Flanagan 7:28 into the final frame before Karissa Newville converted Frankie Martin’s assist into a power-play goal just 48 seconds later for an 8-4 lead.

Goerndt capped the game’s point production with an unassisted power-play goal 10:34 into the final segment.

Ilana Moeller turned away 30 Austin shots on net to earn the win for the Cardinals, which unleashed 42 shots on goal.

Fairmont Area (2-9) travels to Windom Area on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. Big South Conference face-off.

Fairmont    6-0-3–9

Austin         1-3-0–4

Scoring Plays

1st Period

A–Kate Fox (Brenna Haedt), 6:04.

FMT–Maia Goerndt (Karissa Newville), PP., 8:01.

FMT–Hayden Newville (Frankie Martin), 11:26.

FMT–Maia Goerndt (Karissa Newville, Lily Truesdell), PP., 12:03.

FMT–Bella Larson (unassisted), PP., 14:27.

FMT–Maia Goerndt (Alex Martin), PP., 15:44.

FMT–Abi Sundeen (Alex Martin), PP., 16:43.

2nd Period

A–Alexcia Austin (Sadie Coddington), 8:14.

A–Maci Talamantes (Kate Fox), 9:55.

A–Peyton Squier (unassisted), 15:24.

3rd Period

FMT–Maia Goerndt (Keara Flanagan), PP., 7:28.

FMT–Karissa Newville (Frankie Martin), PP., 8:16.

FMT–Maia Goerndt (unassisted), PP., 10:34.