Moser, Auge help carry Tigers past Valley

by Pat Rupp

Ellie Moser had a hat trick and two assists and goaltender Emily Auge posted her fifth shutout of the season to spark the Tigers to a 5-0 win over Apple Valley Saturday night at the Apple Valley Sports Arena.

The victory raised coach Jon Holmes’ squad’s season record to 13-6-3. The victory total is already one more than all of last season with three contests remaining on the regular season schedule.

“Our goal coming into this final week of the regular season was to play every shift as if it is a playoff shift,” Holmes said.  We wanted to put together three solid periods of hockey. 

“We have been practicing at a very high level as of late, and it has been really nice to see the girls engage in drills in practice where I just need to name it or explain it, and they
implement it… This is a big accomplishment this time of year, especially with such a young team. I am very pleased.”

Megan Bernu (from Moser and Jessica Jensen) and Bailey Kelley (from Moser and Bernu) scored goals in a 15-second span midway through the first period to give the visitors a lead they would never relinquish.

After a scoreless second period, Moser put together her own game highlight reel, scoring three unanswered goals. The first came on the power play on an assist from Kelley, the second from Bernu and the third unassisted in the game’s closing seconds.

“Apple Valley did a nice job of breaking the game up with icing and sending the puck out of their zone,” Holmes said. “They were able to create some chances where Auge
had to stifle the opportunity on her own. 

“It is frustrating for players to have to turn and chase pucks multiple times in a shift and when the puck does cross the end line, it triggers an icing and really breaks up any sense of flow a team has going…We tried to focus on racing back for the pucks to beat the icing and use it as an opportunity to get back up the ice and enter their zone.”

Auge had a relatively quiet night in net but stopped all 14 shots the Eagles sent her way. With the whitewash Auge lowered her season goals-against average to a minuscule 1.63.

Farmington finished the night with a commanding 31-14 advantage in shots on goal.

“The lines we put together are starting to read and react to each other much better with every outing,” Holmes said. “I am hoping they continue to make progress in these final outings prior to the playoffs.

Next up for the Tigers is a short trip to Rosemount to take on the winless Irish. Friday night they return home to take on conference leading Lakeville South. Saturday they bring down the curtain on the regular season with a non-conference game at Hastings.