Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

With a record of 2-1-0 going into Saturday nightís match-up against Park (Cottage Grove), the Forest Lake High School boys hockey team wanted to start their Suburban East Conference with a win. Spectacular goaltending by Dan Tate of Park (Cottage Grove) held the Rangers to only two goals though and they had to settle for a 2-2 tie.

ìHe (Tate) kept Park in the game,î Rangers head coach Carl Brandt said.

Despite the good goaltending the Rangers faced, Brandt believes had the team not come out so relaxed in the first period, they may have been able to get a goal or two early in the game.

ìAfter the first period I think the boys kind of buckled up and got down to business,î Brandt said. ìIt was evident in the shots in the second period, third period and overtime shots. I think had we buckled down early in the first period and worn them down we may have added more in the first period.î

The Rangers did strike first when Christian Fogerty scored a goal in the second period.

Park (Cottage Grove) then scored two goals to take a 2-1 lead.

The Rangers looked to have tied the game up midway through the third period, but the goal was waved off. Park (Cottage Grove) had a delayed penalty and the goal had went off a Park (Cottage Grove) stick resulting in a whistle before the puck entered the net.

Fogerty got the eventual tying goal though off a rebound shot.

ìChristian waited on the rebound and put it in the net,î Brandt said. ìI thought we could have been more patient on rebounds all night, but he (Tate) did a good job of getting his big body in the way.î

The Rangers were scheduled to play Mounds View last Thursday, but the game was canceled due to a smoking electrical box at the Shoreview Arena. The game will be made up at a date yet to be determined.

The Rangers next game is today, Thursday, when they travel to play Woodbury at 7:30 p.m.

ìTheyíve got two very strong lines coming back from last year,î Brandt said. ìI think two of the three players on the first line were All Conference last year and they know how to put the puck in the net.î

Brandt added that he thinks Woodbury can be a team that plays spoiler to a lot of teams as the season wears on as theyíre kind of off the radar of many people much like the Rangers are.

Top of Page

Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605