Tigers Get Tie for Christmas

by Pat Rupp

The last thing Farmington coach Jon Holmes wants for Christmas this year is another tie. After all, his team has already given him three this holiday season.

The Tigers put together a credible performance Tuesday night but could only manage a 1-1 overtime tie with Eagan in a South Suburban Conference game played at Schmitz-Maki Arena. The Wildcats had won the first meeting between the two teams by a 5-2 count.

The tie was the third of the conference season for Farmington (4-3-3); Eagan stands at 6-1-1 in league play.

“It would have been nice to pull out the win,” Holmes said,” but there were several positives to take away from the game.

“We played very solid in the first and third periods. The second period we did not win races to the puck and were quick to give up possession. In return, we gave up a very large number of prime opportunities in which Emily (goaltender Auge) came up huge.”

Holmes said his team’s one-goal output for the second straight outing was unfortunate but not necessarily unexpected.

“Eagan and Lakeville South are very good teams and we had to play them differently as far as defensive intensity and coverage goes from the way we did the previous two games where we scored 15 goals.

“I have to believe it was tough mentally for our girls to come into these games in which they were transitioning back into checking, blocking shots and playing both defensively and offensively. That is not an easy thing for any team to do let alone one as young and inexperienced as ours.”

Both of the night’s goals came on the power play with Eagan’s Kayla Vrieze (from Hannah Kojetin) opening the scoring with the only goal of the second period.

Team scoring leader Ellie Moser (from Dani Wright and Marissa Agerter) tied the count with her 18th of the year at the 5:59 mark of the final period.

Neither team could crack the scoring code in the eight-minute overtime session.

The Wildcats finished with a 35-30 edge in shots on goal with Auge putting together a 34-save effort, a save percentage of .971. Eagan netminder Ashley Larson stopped 29 of 30 shots (.967).

Next up on the Tiger agenda is an appearance in their annual three-day Louis Schmitz Holiday Classic in Farmington. The Tigers open play Monday, December 28, against Section 1AA rival Rochester Century.

Other teams in the holiday tourney include Holy Angels, Hudson (WI), New Prague Northfield, Red Wing and Hutchinson.

“Six of the teams in the tournament used to be in the old Missota Conference so some bragging rights will be at stake,” Holmes said.