Girls hockey: Well-prepared, well-rested Tigers edge Shakopee

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A full week of practice made a world of difference for the Farmington girls hockey team last week.

The Tigers were well prepared for their home game against Shakopee Friday night and earned their first Missota Conference victory of the season 2-1 at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

“We had a four-day practice week and it paid off. The girls worked hard all week at the new concepts and we did a nice job of implementing them against Shakopee,” Farmington coach Jon Holmes said. “Having another long practice week this coming week will also help us shore up some loose ends that need attention.”

One of the adjustments Holmes made was a shuffle of his lines. He moved senior Betsy Anderson from defense to center and the move immediately paid dividends. Anderson scored the first goal of the game on an assist from Chloe Batta in the first period.

Shakopee tied the score with a power-play goal in the second, but the Tigers responded when Haley Doll scored what turned out to be the difference-maker (assists to Haleigh Zwart and Grace Gavin).

Senior goaltender Jessica Erchul stopped all six Shakopee shots in the third period to preserve the win. She finished with 25 saves and upped her save percentage to over 93 percent for the season.

“She continues to be a rock back there,” Holmes said. “Her save percentage is among the top in the state, and no other goalie with that percentage has seen near as many shots as she has.”

The Tigers (3-7) host Owatonna tonight, then have four days off before the Louis Schmitz Holiday Classic gets under way next Tuesday at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Tags: girls hockey, sports, farmington, tigers, prep