Learning to Finish

By Pat Rupp

When Farmington won two of three games against teams with winning records at the Louie Schmitz Holiday Classic, a run where they scored 12 goals, coach Jon Holmes thought his young team may have turned a corner.

The news from the first week of 2023, however, wasn’t quite as positive: consecutive South Suburban Conference losses to Rosemount and Apple Valley.

Thursday the Tigers fell to the Irish 4-1 in Rosemount and Saturday they dropped a 3-1 verdict to Valley at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

“We strung two games together that weren’t our best performances,” Holmes said. “But even so, we still had significant control of the play. We just couldn’t seem to cross that scoring threshold again.

“”The pieces to the puzzle are there for us. We just need to find the right way to put them together.”

Rosemount 4 Farmington 1

The first two periods of Thursday’s contest in Rosemount told the story of the night. Farmington outshot the Irish 26-19 over the first 34 minutes but trailed on the scoreboard 3-0.

“Consistency and dependability are things we’re looking for,” Holmes said. “We have periods where we are utterly dominant but don’t score and then we have short lapses and give up goals.”

Madison Kadrlik gave the visitors some hope early in the final period with a goal on assists from Kenna Kadrlik and Alexa Bricko but Rosemount answered six minutes later to close out the night’s scoring.

Kieley Currow worked the Tiger goal and finished with 25 saves. The Tigers held a 31-29 shots on goal advantage.

Apple Valley 3 Farmington 1

Saturday’s loss to the Eagles played out in much the same fashion as Thursday’s game in Rosemount.

Valley netted the first two scores of the game, one in the first period on a 5-3 and another early in the second again on a 5-3 to take a 2-0 lead.

Senior forward Abby Gehrke pulled the home team within in a goal midway through the second frame. Gehrke’s 10th score of the season came on the power play with assists from Kenna and Madison Kadrlik.

The Eagles made it a two-goal game late in the second before the teams skated to s scoreless tie over the last 17 minutes.

Two of the three Valley goals came via the power play on a two player advantage as the Tigers were assessed seven minor penalties on the game.

Addison Moudry tended the Farmington nets and stopped 31 of 34 shots. Valley outshot Farmington 34-33, including a 14 shot advantage during the 5-3’s.

This week brings two more games against South Suburban Conference rivals: Thursday at Lakeville South and Saturday at Shakopee.

“We are just starting the second round of conference play so this would be a good time to connect the dots and I’m confident it will happen,” Holmes said. 

“What is going to get us there is our resolve. We are sticking with the process and not allowing blame or negativity to creep in. That will eventually pay dividends.”