Quantcast
skip navigation

Forest Lake jumps in front early to defeat Mounds View

By Trevor Squire, SportsEngine, 01/19/17, 7:00AM CST

Share

The Rangers scored in every period while holding the Mustangs to a single goal.




Madi Nolan scores in the second period for Forest Lake in the Rangers' 4-1 victory over Mounds View on Thursday night. Photo by Tim Bykowski, SportsEngine


Freshman Breija Parent was a hero amongst Forest Lake High School students before she was old enough to walk the halls herself. 

Parent’s game-winning goal in double overtime of last year's Class 2A, Section 7 championship against Elk River/Zimmerman as an eighth-grader sent the Rangers to their second state tournament trip in two years and third all-time.

“That’s got to be the coolest feeling as an eighth-grader -- you could hang up the skates at that point -- after taking your team to state” Madi Nolan said. 

Parent missed the first nine games of December because of a fracture in her back that had been nagging her in the offseason, and was eager to make up for lost time with linemates Nolan and Kayla Kasel.

That line was responsible for every goal that derailed Suburban East Conference frontrunner Mounds View in a 4-1 win Thursday night at the National Sports Center in Blaine. 

Parent scored twice while Nolan and Kayla Kasel each had a goal and an assist to clinch Forest Lake, ranked No. 12 in Class 2A, a fourth consecutive win.

The Rangers (13-5-2, 8-3) have a habit of fast starts, outscoring competition 31-6 in the first period.

Thursday night was no different as Parent found the net four and a half minutes into the game after Kasel rang the pipe and left a wide open net for Parent to capitalize on.

“She has a knack (for timely goals) and she plays with two really good hockey players. it’s fun to watch them together,” Forest Lake coach Todd Gutterman said.

Kasel tipped a shot past Mounds View (13-6, 10-3) goaltender Teagen Johnson with 32 seconds left in the opening period for her 50th career goal.

After Stephanie Anderson scored the No. 13-2A Mustangs’ lone goal, Nolan netted her own by pouncing on a defender in the midst of a regroup, snaring her stick and stealing the puck for a breakaway fake to her backhand that she put away while a Mounds View player crashed into her.

“Nolan has great eyes on the ice and Kasel is always crashing the net, they’re both great to learn from,” Parent said.

The Rangers' blend of veteran leadership and young talent has made Gutterman confident running three lines -- even against the state’s best competition.

Freshman goalie Josephine Bothun has taken on starting duties for the Rangers after playing for the boys' Bantam A team last season. She stopped 22 of 23 shots for Forest Lake and has a .932 save average on the season.

“I love Josie she’s fun and I’m glad she playing with us,” Parent said of her teammate that moved from White Bear Lake and St. Paul, before settling in Forest Lake.

With Parent reunited with her linemates, the Rangers' have begun to trend upward in the right time of the season with three conference games coming up against East Ridge, No. 7-2A Cretin-Derham Hall and another tilt with the Mustangs.

“Right now we’re producing, we haven’t been the entire season, we’re just riding a high right now and hopefully we’ll keep running,” Nolan said. “If we work together the way we have the past few games, we can’t be beat.”


Josephine Bothun makes one of her 22 saves for Forest Lake. Photo by Tim Bykowski, SportsEngine


First Report

Freshman Brieja Parent scored twice while Madison Nolan and Kayla Kasel each tallied two points for Forest Lake in a 4-1 win over Mounds View Thursday night at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Ranked No. 12 in Class 2A by the state coaches' poll, the Rangers (13-5-2, 8-3) took a two-goal lead in the first period that the No. 13-2A Mustangs could never close.

Stephanie Anderson scored on the power play off an assist from Lisa Nadeau for Mounds View’s lone goal.

Freshman goalie Josephine Bothun stopped 22 shots for Forest Lake, while sophomore Teagen Johnson made 33 saves for the Mustangs (13-6, 10-3).

Photo Gallery

Spotlight Game Coverage

Most Popular

  • Five moments that made Edina a champion

  • By DAVID LA VAQUE, Star Tribune 02/26/2024, 8:15am CST
  • It was no simple season, far separate from those three-peat years of 2017-19, coach Sami Cowger said: "This team showed up and bought in at the right time."
  • Read More