Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

After a one win, one loss week, the boys hockey team continues its dance with a .500 record.

Last weekend ended on a good note for the Rangers, as they took down Brainerd, 6-1, on Saturday night. And when faced with the task of taking on one the state's best in Roseville on Thursday, the Rangers also played well in a much-closer-than-it-looks, 5-1 loss to the Raiders.

As far as the win against Brainerd goes, it was all Forest Lake, all the time.

"That's a game that, player by player and goaltending, it was probably our best overall game this season," head coach Carl Brandt said.

In the first period, Jake Kogler and Christian "Crit" Fogerty teamed up for a Kogler goal to put the Rangers up 1-0. Once the seal was broken, it was a lesson in Ranger efficiency as they scored twice in the second and thrice in the third.

After the first Zamboni break, senior James Woods kept up with his heady play, and with assists coming from seniors Brett McGee and Zach Knight, he gave Forest Lake (5-5-1) the game-winner approximately three minutes into the second period. Sophomore Kyle Young would make it 3-0 with the help of seniors Alex Lindeberg and Andy Hardy.

Brainerd would get its solitary goal early in the third period, but the Rangers would finish strong as Hardy, Fogerty and Young would all score to give Forest Lake the 6-1 victory. Picking up assists on those goals were Lindeberg, with two, senior Codey Carlisle and Hardy.

ROSEVILLE LOSS

When the Rangers traveled to No. 4 ranked Roseville on Jan. 4, Forest Lake kept it scoreless through one period, but in the second, the Raiders would get two shorthanded goals and one on a power-play to go up 3-0.

"I think we played extremely well, five on five," Brandt said. "Roseville took advantage of almost every mistake."

Midway through the second period, sophomore Dan Fick would assist on a goal by senior Andy Fritzinger, but that was as close as the Rangers would come.

In the third, the Matt Schugel, Michael Dorr, Adam Mueller and Brad Wieck show would come to a close as Roseville (11-3, 5-1) would get two more goals, with that quartet ending the night with a total of 10 points.

Beyond the issues with killing penalties or getting caught in transition, the Rangers were sharp, and gave the Raiders a lot to think about when they meet again in February.

"That was a confidence booster, really" Brandt said.

Forest Lake played at Robbinsdale-Armstrong on Tuesday and is also away at Mounds View on Thursday, Jan. 11. The busy week ends with Woodbury coming to Maroon and Gold Ice Arena for a Saturday night contest.

"I think we can go 3-0," Brandt stated. "That would be our goal."

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