Tigers Whip Wildcats for Second Straight

By Pat Rupp

Tuesday night’s 4-1 South Suburban Conference win at Schmitz-Maki Arena wasn’t always a work of art, but Farmington coach Jon Holmes said it was nonetheless a step in the right direction for his young team.

“A win is a win, especially when it didn’t come with our best overall team play,” he said. “We had some moments and good individual efforts at times, but we just were not ourselves in this game.”

The victory was the second straight for Farmington and lifted its season record to 3-5 overall and 3-4 in South Suburban play.

Farmington’s Kenna Kadrlik scored the only goal of a sluggish first period in which the teams managed but 15 shots on goal between them.

The Tigers made it 2-0 in the second period on Abby Gehrke’s team-leading seventh goal of the season. Kadrlik assisted on the power play score, her team-high eighth of the year.

Jaycee Bauman pulled the visitors to within one at 2:29 of the final period with much of the remaining time a parade to the penalty box. The teams were whistled for five minors in the final 17 minutes, three of them whistled on the Tigers.

Our penalty kill was a highlight,” Holmes said. “We did a good job of keeping the shots away and generating positive momentum.”

All in all, Farmington spent 10 minutes in the penalty box, holding the Wildcats scoreless in five power play tries.

“Obviously we would have liked to stay out of the box,” Holmes said, “but that’s what happens when your legs are not moving and you’re reaching.”

The final two Tiger goals of the night were empty-netters in the final minute of regulation, one by Kadrlik and the other by Kennedy Meier.

Farmington finished the night with a 38-29 shots on goal advantage with goaltender Kieley Currow notching her first win on the season on a 28-save effort.

“Kieley played well all game and had some nice saves throughout,” Holmes said.

“Teams need to learn how to win these types of games. It’s good for our confidence because we have some very competitive games coming up.”

Saturday the girls travel to Drake Arena in St. Paul to take on Metro South, a cooperative team consisting of players from Burnsville, Faribault Bethlehem Academy, St. Paul Academy and St. Agnes.