Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

The losses are piling up for the Forest Lake tennis team, which has head coach Greg Patchin looking for silver linings of both the literal and figurative variety.

“The rain-shortened Panther Invitational was a decent day for us,” he noted after Saturday’s tournament at Spring Lake Park.

Dusty Boyer took the No. 1 singles crown, but Spencer Conrad watched five match points get away at No. 3 singles and settled for second.

Sammy Steiner was in a difficult draw at the No. 2 position and finished 1-2, while the No. 1 doubles team of Cal Kerkhoff and Robert Gavanda never got on track after breaking racquet strings, Patchin said.

Shawn Mouachapao had a tough battle at No. 4 singles, and the bottom doubles team was down 0-2 when the rain got serious.

“Overall, it was a productive tennis day,” was how Patchin looked at the experience.

The figurative silver lining certainly exists with Boyer, who as a 13-year old has improved to 15-2 on the season.

“I think he convinced most coaches that he is a legitimate top-20 player in the state,” Patchin observed.

The Rangers hosted White Bear Lake on Thursday, May 3, and though the scores are getting closer, the Bears went home with a 4-3 win.

This was essentially two different matches, as Forest Lake swept through the top three singles, courtesy of Boyer (6-2, 6-0), Steiner (6-4, 6-4), and Conrad (6-2, 6-1).

In the doubles department, however, White Bear knocked off Kerkhoff/Gavanda, Sean Garry/Paul Hill and Derek Vogel/Pat Stiner.

With the Bears taking No. 4 singles, they earned the victory.

“We continue to struggle to get the critical fourth point of a match,” Patchin said.

He likes where the team stands at No. 1 doubles and the first three singles positions, but the team is still searching for a way to push a match in its favor.

“We have used five different players at No. 4 singles and numerous combinations at No. 2, No. 3 doubles,” Patchin said. “We have two important pre-section matches coming up this week, with Cambridge and Anoka, and we have nothing concrete at those positions.”

This problem was exposed again on May 1, when the Rangers lost to Woodbury by the score of 4-3.

Boyer and Conrad were victorious at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, and Kerkhoff and Gavanda earned a big win at No. 1 doubles (6-4, 7-5), but the remaining matches went Woodbury’s way.

At this point, the team was collectively 4-35 at the bottom three positions, but Patchin still believes in the silver lining.

“Despite our subpar record, we control our own destiny to get the No. 1 seed in the subsection,” he said. “If we play big, who knows.”

MONDAY'S RESULTS

Before taking on the terrifyingly loaded squad from Mounds View on May 8, the boys were at Cambridge-Isanti on Monday afternoon.

The weather tried to spoil this match as well, but Forest Lake took the rain-shortened contest, 4-0.

“We were in control from start to finish,” Patchin said. “It was important for us to win this match because it ensures a high seed next week.”

Along with the No. 3 doubles, the No. 1 and No. 3 singles matches were incomplete. Steiner was a winner at No. 2 singles, and he was joined by Josh Magistad at No. 4 singles, Kerkhoff/Gavanda at No. 1 doubles, and Vogel/Stiner at No. 2 doubles.

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