TIGERS SHOW SPLIT PERSONALITY IN LOSS AT EAGAN

By Pat Rupp

Will the real Farmington girls’ hockey team please stand up?

Just three games into the COVID-19-delayed 2020-21 season. The Tigers are searching for identity. Are they the hard-charging, smooth skating team that trounced rival Lakeville North 9-3 or are they the squad that managed one goal in six periods in disappointing losses to traditional South Suburban Conference also- rans Prior Lake and Eagan.

The latest loss came last Saturday afternoon, 3-1, at Eagan Civic Arena. The defeat had coach Jon Holmes scratching his head, wondering how is team can find its way back on track in this shortened 18-game regular season.

“At Eagan we looked like we thought all we had to do was show and we’d get a win,” he said. “We lost every race to the puck. We tried to let teammates do the work and ride their coattails but found no success in either.

“The utter lack of effort was unlike any I have seen in all my years of coaching. This may be one of the most talented teams top to bottom that Farmington has ever had, but hard work will beat talent that doesn’t work hard.”

Actually, things looked good for the visitors at Eagan in the opening period. Farmington outshot the Wildcats 11-3 over the first 17 minutes and bounced a couple of shots off the pipe and crossbar.

Yet all they had to show for their chances was a late goal by eighth-grader Kennedy Meier, her first of the young season and career. Eagan tied the count in the final minute of the opening frame and for all practical purposes, the Tiger offense was done for the afternoon.

After a lethargic, scoreless second period, Eagan netted two scores in the third to claim its first victory of the season.

Farmington outshot Eagan 22-17 for the game but 11 of the Tiger scoring chances came in the first period.

“I am hoping this is a wake-up moment for us,” Holmes said. “We need to focus on one battle, one shift and one period at time…Right now it seems like everything else but what’s in front of us on the ice is on our minds.

“If we get it to click, we can make some waves. Hopefully that happens sooner than later.”

Farmington (1-2) gets back on the ice Tuesday night when they welcome Burnsville (2-0-1) to Schmitz-Maki Arena.