Flu Bug Can’t Stop Tiger Streak

by Pat Rupp

Neither Lakeville North nor an invasion of a stomach flu bug could keep Farmington (12-3) from extending its recent win streak to four games in a 1-0 win over the Panthers Thursday night at Ames Arena in Lakeville.

Jenna Gerold, who has become a certified North nemesis this season, scored the game’s only goal with an assist from Bailey Kelley at the 6:41 mark of the second period. In three games with the Panthers, Gerold has scored four of her season total of six goals.

“Jenna has really been playing great the past few games,” Farmington coach Jon Holmes said.  “Last night she was a sparkplug. She was winning races and battles and it was good to have her de-clog the scoring drain as well.”

Holmes said that despite the final score he felt his team got the better of the play throughout the third meeting between the two teams.

“This was another game where it never really got scary for us,” he said.  “We controlled the play and kept things where they needed to be for the most part.

“The unfortunate part was that we were already out Jayden (Seifert) with an injury and then we got hit with another stomach bug. Thankfully, it looks like this one is the 24-hour kind, but, man, we had three starters out and another nine on the bench that were under the weather.”

Despite the shorthanded roster, the Tigers kept the puck in the North end of its spacious rink most of the night, finishing with a lopsided 34-22 advantage in shots on goal.

Farmington has now outscored the opposition by an eye-popping 19-3 over its past five games, a statistic Holmes credits to an improved defense and continued stellar goaltending by the veteran duo of Emily Auge and Abby Bollig.

“We have made a very conscious effort to tighten up our defensive zone,” he said. “The last couple weeks of practices we have really been harping on the fine details. 

 “Of course, both goalies are playing great as well, the kind of play we knew we would get from both Emily and Abby.”

Bollig (5-2) picked up her fifth win and second shutout of the season against the Panthers with a 22-save effort. With the whitewash Bollig dropped her goals against average to a minuscule 1.14.

Holmes is hoping the flu bug has left the building by Saturday when state-rated Maple Grove (10-4-2) comes to town for a matinee contest at Schmitz-Maki Arena. The Crimson coached by former Farmington and University of Minnesota honor athlete Amber Hegland are coming off a 3-3 tie with defending state champion Edina in the Walser Holiday Tournament.