Big Third Period Carries Hill-Murray Past Tigers

By Pat Rupp

For the fourth time this season Farmington (10-9-1) battled a top ten-ranked team toe-to-toe for most of the game only to come out on the short end of the final score. This time it was a 4-1 loss to No. 9 Hill-Murray in a game played Tuesday night at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood.

Bailey Zimmer got the visitors off to a rousing start, finding the net just 2:46 into the opening period. The Pioneers answered later in the period to send the teams to the first break even up.

Neither team could score in the second frame in which Hill-Murray piled up a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal.

“We played a complete and solid first period,” Farmington coach Jon Holmes said. “In the second we fell just a bit with having to play primarily two lines…In the third we were tired and with our injuries we just didn’t hang on. I do firmly believe that if we had put in the second goal we would have found the energy.”

The Pioneers took the lead for good early in the final period and later added a pair of insurance scores to account for the remainder of the night’s scoring. Hill-Murray outshot Farmington 11-5 over the final 17 minutes.’

Ryleigh Furlong patrolled the Farmington nets and stopped 29 of 33 shots sent her way. The Tigers finished the night with just 19 shots on goal.

“We have been a bit bruised,” Holmes said. “Bailey Kelley has had to miss a couple of games and Claire Enright, our leading scorer, has had a hand injury and played sparingly. We have just been battling through it all.”

Holmes added that Kelley should be back soon as should senior co-captain Jenna Gerold who is recuperating from a serious knee injury.

“Jenna has been practicing and we hope to get her back before the playoffs,” Holmes said. “That should give us a big boost.”

Holmes said that the four losses to rated teams should not hurt his squad as far as its placement for the upcoming section tournament.

“What going up against the good teams does is help us get used to playing quality competition,” he said. “It gets us battle-tested.”

Four games remain in the regular season and Holmes said all of them are important in getting ready for the post-season.

“These last four games will allow us to tweak a few things in our season-long plan and also get healthy for the playoffs. Both are looking to be on track and the energy level is really good right now with the girls.”

Three of the last four contests will be played at home, including games this week with Lakeville South on Thursday and Shakopee on Saturday.