Coming out on the short end of the stick in three straight hockey games is not an easy fact to swallow. But Forest Lake girls hockey coach Paul Kendrick was trying to remain optimistic this week.

His club had just dropped three straight games, but when the opposition is known, it is not so difficult to accept, the Ranger coach said. In losing the three games, Forest Lake was defeated by some of the top clubs in the state.

In action during the past week, the Rangers skaters lost to Stillwater, 4-2 on Dec. 6 and fell short against Roseville, 3-0, on Saturday. Both defeats came against Suburban East Conference opponents. Sandwiched between the two SEC defeats was a long trip to Duluth on Thursday, Dec. 8 where the Rangers were edged by Duluth East, 3-2.

ìWeíve been coming up just so short,î Kendrick said of the three close defeats that dropped Forest Lakeís record to 1-7 on the season, 1-4 in SEC games. ìThe girls are playing hard and we have played some of the best teams in the state and played them close.î

Forest Lake received excellent goal tending in the three games. In the 3-0 loss to Roseville, Forest Lake was outshot 37-16. Ranger goalie Kim Fredrick kept Forest Lake in the game by kicking out 34 shots. She was also in the nets against Stillwater and recorded 26 more saves, Kendrick said. In the Duluth East game, Kendrick sent Casie Carpenter to the nets. Carpenter stopped 26 shots on goal by the Greyhounds.

Kendrickís club continues to work on its fire power in the offensive end. Three skaters accounted for the bulk of the offense in the three defeats. Kelsey Blum, Forest Lakeís top scorer, turned out the lights twice with a pair of goals against Duluth East. In the Stillwater game, the sister duo of Alexa Nelson and Miranda Nelson both scored goals for the Rangers.

Three more games in the next week will carry Forest Lake into the holiday school break. The Rangers hosted Duluth Denfeld on Tuesday night and will entertain Park of Cottage Grove at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Maroon and Gold Arena. On Tuesday, Dec. 20 the Rangers travel to Woodbury. Both Park and Woodbury are SEC foes.

ìWe plan to get back on the winning track during the next week,î Kendrick said.

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