Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

The record for the boys hockey team shows them to be 2-2, but considering how theyíve played and who theyíve faced, it would make sense to see the Rangers improve upon their .500 mark as more games start to accumulate.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, Stillwater paid a visit to the Maroon & Gold Arena, and it took an extra period for the Ponies to secure a victory over a tough and determined Forest Lake squad. With sophomore Paul Moberg doing a superb job of minding the net, the Rangersí biggest obstacle was overcoming 13 penalties during the game.

Good thing head coach Carl Brandt has players like juniors Tom Fick and Kyle Morgan; seniors Zach Knight and James Woods, and sophomore Kyle Young to log those difficult minutes.

ìI thought the penalty killers did a marvelous job,î Brandt said about this group. ìThey got a lot of ice time.î

Where they saw most of their time was in the second period, which Brandt felt was played in either power play mode or having to go shorthanded. After Stillwaterís Ryan Freeman went to the penalty box for interference, Forest Lake was first to get on the board when senior Jake LaMotte and sophomore Matt Wethammer set up senior Andy Fritzinger for the gameís first goal.

This came on the heels of the Ponies firing 14 shots at Moberg in the first period, while Fritzingerís goal was one of 17 shots for the Rangers in the second.

ìHe combines what I would consider a lot of athleticism with being in the right position at the right time,î Brandt said of Moberg.

The Ponies (2-2,1-1) have an experienced goalie in senior Corey Mogren and he and his defense were able to keep the visitors within striking distance. Midway through the third period, Stillwaterís Richard King took advantage of a Ranger penalty and tied the game, 1-1.

That basic scenario would repeat itself in overtime, when a holding penalty would put the Ponies on a power play and Brett Weber would notch the game-winner for Stillwater. Final score, 2-1, but there is always more to the story.

Brandt liked how the boys played and felt his team had numerous scoring chances, but it came down to a penalty that could not be killed.

ìWhen we did have an opportunity to play five-on-five, I thought we were the better team,î Brandt said.

PARK VICTORY

Two nights before the Stillwater loss, Brandt and the Rangers took on Park of Cottage Grove and had a much easier time dealing with the Wolfpack.

With two goals in the first period, one in the second and three in the third, Forest Lake was comfortably ahead, 6-0, before Park (2-3, 0-2) could knock in three rather meaningless goals in the gameís final 11 minutes.

Until the first one got past Moberg at 6:39 of the third, it looked like the Rangers would secure the shutout and truly bust out on offense. Christian ìCritî Fogerty, Jake Kogler, Wethammer and Young all scored, with the penalty-killing Woods finding the back of the net on two occasions.

ìI think weíve got enough depth on the forward lines that weíll score enough goals against good teams to be competitive,î Brandt said.

If thatís the case, then .500 could be left way back in the Rangerís rearview mirror. Brandt was hoping to find a goaltender who could stop 25 shots per game, and last week Moberg averaged a whopping 30. Keep the offense humming and it should be interesting as Forest Lake hits the road and plays at Hastings on Thursday, Dec. 14, and then at White Bear Lake on Saturday night.

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