Posted: 2/2/05
Rangers skid hits four games
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Joe Drennan
Sports Editor
Forest Lake High School boys hockey coach Carl Brandt was hoping to win the last five games of the regular season, but Hastings and Mounds View had other plans.
Last Thursday the Rangers hosted Hastings, hoping to avenge an early season 2-1 loss. Hasting scored a power play and short handed goal in the first period to jump ahead of the Rangers.
Tom Kubes pulled the Rangers within one goal 8:55 into the second period, but 11 seconds later Hastings took a 3-1 lead. Almost a minute later Hastings scored a power play goal to give themselves a comfortable 4-1 lead. At 10:32 of the second period Kubes scored his second goal of the game.
Hastings added two more goals to close out the second period and two more in the third to win the game 8-2.
Rangers senior goalie Brandon Neujahr stopped 14 Hastings shots in the game.
ìWe just didnít play very well,î Brandt said. ìYou are going to have some of those games over the course of the season though.î
Trying not to dwell on the loss to Hastings, the Rangers moved on to Saturdayís game against Mounds View.
Mounds View scored 2:51 into the game, but the Rangers answered back with a power play goal from Patrick Fogerty at the 12:55 mark of the period. The Rangers took the lead in the second period when Kubes scored a short handed goal.
Mounds View started the third period with two goals to take the lead, but Kubes scored a power play goal to tie the game. Mounds View added two more goals, then an empty net goal to win the game 6-3.
ìWe started out a little slow and played a good second period, but we just didnít put the puck in the net,î
Brandt said. ìWe did get good efforts from Eric Anderson and Kyle Blum.î
The two losses extend the Rangers losing streak to four games and brings their conference record to 4-7 and overall record to 12-9-1.
ìThis is the time of year where the players legs are tired, there are injuries and sickness on the team,î Brandt said. ìThis is where you buckle down and get after people as there are opportunities to win games.î
The Rangers next game is today, Thursday, as they host Stillwater at the Maroon and Gold Arena at 7:30 p.m.
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