Tigers make it two in a row with 2-1 win over Shakopee

by Pat Rupp

The goals didn’t come quite as easily as they did last Friday in a 6-3 win over Hastings but the Tigers still managed to make it two in a row with a hard-earned 2-1 South Suburban Conference victory over Shakopee Tuesday night at Shakopee Ice Arena.

The game marked the last time Farmington will skate in the venerable old arena that gives way to a new facility opening for business next week.

Tuesday’s win, the first league triumph of the young season for the visitors, didn’t follow the pattern of most of the close encounters Farmington has seen this season. This time the Tigers grabbed an early lead and made it hold up.

“We got out to a good start by getting pucks to the net and limiting their chances in our zone,” Tiger coach Jon Holmes said. “The amount of scoring chances we are getting is truly amazing. When we start capitalizing on even a third of them it is going to force teams to have to change their game plan drastically against us.”

Carly Simon (from Cassie Knutson and Bailey Kelley) gave the Tigers an early advantage with a hard wrist shot from the point that gave her team a 1-0 lead heading to the first break.

Ellie Moser netted her fourth goal in the past two games six minutes into the second period on a rebound after linemates Emily Rubins and Jenna Gerold worked the puck to the net from the corner. The winners led 2-0 after two periods.

The two-goal margin held through most of the final period behind strong play at the blue line and the net work of Abby Bollig who finished with 24 saves.

“Abby again played well, and she is definitely playing as one of the top goalies in the conference right now,” Holmes said.

Through seven starts, Bollig has surrendered just 12 goals for a goals-against average of 1.70. She owns a save percentage of .925.

The Sabers scored their lone goal of the night late in the final period on the power play, a situation Holmes said he saw too much of during the game.

“No coach always agrees with penalties called on his team, but I thought we played a very solid, clean game,” he said. “The penalties called on us were a tad on the weak side. Regardless, we played through it and got the ‘W’.”

Shakopee (3-1-3) entered the game unbeaten but Holmes wasn’t quite ready to call the Sabers the best team his squad has faced this season.

“On any given night the competition among the top five or six teams in our conference is very stout,” he said.

The win gives the Tigers an overall mark of 3-4 and 1-3 in conference play. They will try to extend their winning streak to three games Saturday afternoon when they travel to Ames Arena in Lakeville to take on Lakeville North (2-5; 1-2).