Posted: 9/18/02

Rangers snap six-match skid

Berk Brown
Sports Editor

There hadnít been much for Forest Lake girls tennis coach Judy Hill to smile about in three weeks. Her team changed that against Hastings.

Forest Lake snapped a six-match losing streak which spanned 21 days with an impressive 5-2 defeat of the Raiders on Thursday, Sept. 12.

More important than finally being able to flash a victorious smile, Hill said the win over Hastings should give the Rangers a much-needed lift entering the final five matches of the season.

ìThis is a huge mental boost for us,î Hill said after the Hastings match at the Forest Lake Senior High courts. ìWe need this. It should give us the confidence we need...we needed that victory.î

Forest Lake, 4-6, had last tasted victory on Aug. 22 in a 6-1 win over Chisago Lakes. A narrow 4-3 loss to Centennial started the losing skid, which was followed by 5-2 losses to Coon Rapids and Centennial, a 7-0 loss to Mounds View, a 5-2 setback against White Bear Lake and a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Roseville on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

It was the play of Forest Lakeís doubles teams which helped the Rangers get past Hastings.
Katie Anderson and Emily Morrison defeated Hastingsí Hallie Goodman and Jenny Hoffman 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles and the Rangersí Kelly Dobihal and Hilary Framke won 6-4, 7-5 at No. 2 doubles over Elissa Dabruzzi and Becky Hill.

In the No. 3 doubles match, Forest Lakeís Meghan Hassler and Katie Owen took a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hastingsí Krista Allger and Cassie Bigelow.

Hill has juggled Forest Lakeís doubles teams since the start of the season and the pairs are starting to perform well on the court.

ìItís really nice to see the doubles coming together,î Hill said. ìI think they all worked well as a team and theyíre getting more aggressive.î

Forest Lake split the four singles matches with Hastings.

Jackie Botmen downed the Rangersí Jenny Kling 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles while Forest Lakeís Paige Patchin took a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles over the Raidersí Annie Dabruzzi.

At No. 3 singles, Hastings got a 6-1, 6-4 win by Becky Ploeger over Forest Lakeís Aleksandra Kojic. Stephanie England won 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 at No. 4 singles for the Rangers over Abby Beytien-Carlson.

In the 6-1 loss to Roseville, Forest Lakeís lone win came from Anderson and Morrison at No. 1 doubles.

In the 5-2 loss to White Bear Lake, Forest Lake got wins from Kling at No. 1 singles and Kojic at No. 4 singles.

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