Boys Hockey: Tigers blank Panthers 6-0

The Tigers may want to schedule more games at the Rochester Recreation Center.

Farmington scored its second section road win in three days on the Rochester ice Thursday night with a 6-0 pasting of Rochester Century.

"It was a pretty impressive performance and the first time we have beaten them (Century)," an elated coach Keith Revels said.

The visitors led only 1-0 after the opening period on Chris Fitzgibbons' first career goal but the margin could have been much bigger at the Tigers outshot the Panthers by a lopsided 18-1.

"You'd like to net more than one goal with that sort of shot disparity," Revels said, "but you have to be pleased with the effort."

Farmington continued to put the pressure on in the scoreless second period, outshooting the opposition 15-7, but it was still a one-goal game with with a period to play.

The scoring flood gates finally opened in the third with Justin Novak leading the way. Novak rattled off three straight scores for a pure hat trick to start. the period. Tanner Grubb and Grant Hauswirth followed suit and all of a sudden it was a blowout.

Novak's scoring burst gave him four goals in three game's to tie Kevin Olund for the team lead.

Olund and Corey Rudrud each recorded a pair of assists for the winners. Fitzgibbons, Erik Holmstrom, Benton Olson and Alex Aubrecht each had one.

Goalkeeper Nick Schoening earned his first victory of the young season, recording 13 saves as the Tigers outshot their hosts by a decisive 44-13.

Farmington (2-1) returns to Schmitz-Maki Arena next Tuesday, Dec. 4, when it entertains Rosemount in a non-conference game.

Tiger Scoreboard: November 30, 2012

Boys Hockey
Farmington 6 Rochester Century 0

Alumni Tracker: Anderson nets first college goal

Betsy Anderson

Betsy Anderson, a 2012 FHS grad, is a freshman defenseman on the the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point women's hockey team. The ex-Tiger has seen action in all of the Pointers games this season and scored her first collegiate goal earlier this month in a win over Finlandia University...

Taylor Meyer, another member of the FHS class of 2012, scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out two assists in the University of Minnesota-Duluth's 77-65 Border Battle win over Wisconsin-Superior last week.

A pair of ex-Tiger teammates went up against each other earlier this week when Wisconsin-River Falls defeated the College of St. Benedict 78-61. Elena Koch started for the Blazers while Jamie Kenealy saw reserve action for the Falcons.

Katie Habeck and her defending national champion University of Concordia-St. Paul volleyball team are hosting a NCAA Division III regional tournament this weekend in St. Paul. Habeck ranks third in blocks and fifth in kills for the Golden Bears who enter the regional tourney as the top seed.

1989 FHS male Athlete of the Year Matt Walter coached his Annanadale football team to its best season in school history. The Cardinals finished 10-2, losing to Rochester Lourdes 20-16 in the Class 3AAA semifinals at the Metrodome.

Four former Tigers are winter sports head coaches at their alma mater this season: Keith Revels (1987), boys hockey;  Lynn (Gramentz) Bauman (1993), gymnastics; Chad Olson (1996), wrestling and Jon Holmes (1999), girls hockey.

1997 FHS grad Jamie Steffen, who coached three Apple Valley pole vaulters to the finals of the Class AA state track and field meet last spring, has left that position and moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he and some business partners are setting up an indoor training facility for athletes of all ages...Sara Steffen, another Tiger grad, who went on to a successful diving career at St. Cloud State University, is a police officer in New Hope, Minnesota.

Former Tiger and Class AA state diving champion Tyler Magalis and high school teammate Brandon Molnar are both members of the St. Cloud State University men's swimming and diving team...Ex-Tiger Brian Huls swims for the University of St. Thomas.

Jay Rasmussen

Former Tiger coach and middle school athletic director Jay Rasmussen continues to recover from successful surgery associated with pancreatic cancer. Rasmussen spent more than three weeks at the University of Minnesota Hospital recuperating from the procedure but is now back in his home in Spooner, Wisconsin, and doing well. Well-wishers may connect with Jay and follow his progress at the following website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jayrasmussen

Boys Hockey: Tigers rebound, stop JM 4-3

Kevin Olund 2 goals vs. John Marshall (photo by Jim Lindquist)

After a season-opening 6-2 loss at Hastings last Saturday, the Tigers rebounded for a 4-3 win over Rochester John Marshall Tuesday night at the Rochester Recreation Center.

Kevin Olund scored twice, his second and third goals in two games, and Grant Hauswirth and Jack Erickson also found the net for the visitors in the victory over their Section 1AA rivals.

"This was a good, solid section road win for a young team," Tiger coach Keith Revels said. "We grew up a bit as a team and continued to improve."

Hauswirth's goal on an assist from Erik Holmstrom opened the scoring in the first period and Olund's second goal of the season made it 2-0 Farmington at the end of the first period.

"We played a much better first period than we did in Hastings," Revels said. "We had a lot of good looks with pucks at the goal mouth in both the first and second periods."

The Rockets scored first in the second period but Erickson's goal off a Chris Fitzgibbon's pass 31 seconds later made it 3-1at the final break.

Olund score on the power play (from Holmstrom) early in the final period gave the Tigers a three-goal lead before JM made it a game with a pair of late scores, the last on the power play with under five minutes to play.

Erik Holmstrom 2 assists

Tiger goalie Austin Krause, who played just 68 minutes last year, stopped 15 of 18 shots to earn the win in his first start of the season.

The Tigers outshot the Rockets by a count of 28-18.

The game was marred by an injury to the Tigers' John Siebenaler who required a trip to the emergency room after suffering a crushing hit.

"It's disappointing that these types of hits keep taking place," Revels said. "I was proud of how our team reacted after the injury. We stayed disciplined and composed."

The Tigers make a return trip to Rochester Thursday night to take on Rochester Century in another battle of section rivals.

Girls Basketball: Tough go in opener

Sofia Chadwick 8 points, 7 rebounds (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Points were hard to come by for the Tigers in their 57-27 season-opening loss at Simley Tuesday night in Inver Grove Heights.

Farmington shot just 13 percent (6 for 46) from the floor against the Spartans who stretched a six-point halftime lead to a final 30-point margin of victory.

"Simley is rated in the top five in the state in Class 3A," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "They had two 6-1 post players whose length and speed gave us problems and we rushed a lot of shots."

Neither team could find the basket in the first period with Simley managing to take a 16-10 lead to the halftime break.

All of that changed in the second half as the winners exploded for 41 points while the Tigers continued their cold shooting.

Sofia Chadwick led Farmington in scoring with eight points but no other Tiger managed more than four. Chadwick also topped the team charts in rebounds (8) and steals (5).

"I am proud of how the girls played in the first half," coach Chadwick said. "when we held their bigs to just five points. But in the second half we couldn't jump start our offense and I think we got a little fatigued...I'm not sure we'll see that kind of talented combination of post players again this season."

The Tigers hit the road again Friday when they travel to Rochester for a match-up with Section 1 rival Mayo.

Girls Hockey: Wayzata downs Tigers 3-1

Michaela Tonsager (No. 6) surrounded by teammates after scoring second period goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers had plenty of opportunities Tuesday night at Schmitz-Maki Arena, especially in a penalty-filled third period, but couldn't put the puck away in a 3-1 non-conference loss to Wayzata.

The defeat was the third straight for coach Jon Holmes' team and dropped its season record to 1-4.

The visitors got the better of the play for most of the first two periods but led just 3-1 despite holding a decisive 33-7 advantage in shots on goal.

Michaela Tonsager registered the Farmington goal in the closing moments of the second period on an assist from Bria Donnelly.

"That goal gave us a jolt and we really came out in the third and took it to them," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said.

Maddie Bowe makes a save from close range (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The third period was a polar opposite of the second with a trip to the penalty box the rule rather than the exception. The teams were whistled for eight infractions, six of them on the Spartans.

The Tigers spent a good part of the 17-minutes on the power play as witnessed by their lopsided 24-5 shots on goal advantage. Despite the chances, none found the mark as they couldn't slip the puck by Spartan goalkeeper McKenna Lorenz.
  
"The puck didn’t bounce our way around the net, but I sure was proud of how we rebounded," Holmes said. " If we would have played the second period half has well as the third we would have came out on top."

Wayzata outshot Farmington 38-31 in the contest with Tiger sophomore Maddie Bowe finishing with 35 saves.

"She is very athletic and made some saves in the second period that kept the game close," Holmes said.

Despite the loss, Holmes said he and his team will dwell on the positives of the game.

"We will get a good three practices in now before our next game," he said.

The Tigers return to action Saturday night when they travel to Owatonna for a non-conference game with the Huskies at Four Seasons Arena.

Missota honors 31 Tigers

Nineteen Tigers earned all-Missota Conference awards and a dozen more received honorable mention for their performance during the 2012 fall season.

The Farmington co-champion football team led the way with six selections while the co-champion girls soccer team landed four players on the elite team.

Honorees in football, volleyball, girls soccer and boys soccer are selected by league coaches while all-conference distinction in boys cross country, girls cross country and girls tennis is determined by performance in conference meets or competitions.

Farmington all-Missota Conference athletes for Fall 2012
Football: Darren Beenken, Athen Ashton, John LeBlond, Mason Auge, Alex Chadwick and Josh Boatwright

Girls Soccer: Izzie Ferm, Ashley Becker, Kayla Kucala and Leah Zak

Girls Swimming and Diving: Kaitlyn O'Reilly, Kirsten Kracke, Cora Ruzicka and Chelsea Gehrke

Boys Soccer: Sam Peterson, Urive Omana and Tyler Petter-McCauley

Boys Cross Country: Justin Hyytinen

Volleyball: Mia Johnston

All-Missota Conference honorable mention
Football: Reid Taubenheim, Mac Bassett and Johnny Dittman
Girls Soccer: Hannah Miller and Alex Frost
Girls Swimming and Diving: Ellie Sundet and Robin Ellis
Boys Soccer: Blake Smith and Jared Wolt
Volleyball: Kaylene Seurer
Girls Cross Country: Maricia Pacheco
Girls Tennis: Megan Stivers

Tiger Scoreboard: November 28, 2012

Boys Hockey
Farmington 4 Rochester John Marshall 3

Girls Hockey
Wayzata 3 Farmington 1

Girls Basketball
Simley 57 Farmington 27

Boys Basketball: Deep and talented...just like the rest of the Missota Conference

All-Missota Conference center Nick Varner (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Coach Shane Wyandt has an enviable problem on his hands: More talent than starting positions.

Last fall the then young and relatively inexperienced Tigers put together a roller coaster of a season that produced an overall 10-17 record; 6-10 in the Missota Conference. This year Wyandt is expecting more.

"We have a lot of depth," he said. "We should be able to adjust our lineup according to our scouting report and not skip a beat when we make our initial substitutions."

Leading the list of returnees are all-Missota junior post player Nick Varner and senior forward Darren Beenken.Varner averaged 11.2 points and was the team's leading rebounder last season; Beenken, who earned all-league honorable mention, was tops in scoring with a 14.4 points per game average.

Darren Beenken 14.4 pts. per a game (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Junior froward Mac Bassett also scored in double figures (10.5) last winter and heads the list of other returnees that includes seniors Alex Chadwick (guard) and Charles Anderson (post); juniors Johnny Dittman (guard); Tyler VanWinkle (guard/forward); Eli Rockett (post); Dallas Guyot (guard/forward) and Jordan DeCroock (guard) and sophomore guard Zach Speikers.

"We expect most of the guys returning to make contributions," Wyandt said. "We have eight or nine players that could be playing close to equal minutes."

Wyandt cautioned that turning the deep pool of talent into a winner is sometimes not necessarily an easy task.

""It will depend on how quickly we gel and work into our roles," he said. "Some of our guys might have to sacrifice playing time and personal statistics in order for the team to improve. Time will tell if we have the ability to do so.

"We are also unsure what our front court depth will look like. That story will have to play itself out."

Another challenge will be the high level of competition expected in the Missota Conference. Holy Angels, Shakopee, Chaska and Red Wing all have veteran squads returning and defending champion Chanhassen shouldn't be far behind.

"We like who we have back and feel we can compete with anyone in the conference and section," Wyandt said. "We should be tough to beat and are hoping we can be playing our best basketball down the stretch."

Wyandt said defending champion Lakeville North would probably be the pre-season pick in Section 1AAAA but that his team, Rochester Century and Rochester John Marshall should all be in the hunt by the end of the season.

Mac Bassett 10.5 pts. per game (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Tharen Johnson returns as junior varsity coach and top varsity assistant while ex-Tiger Brent Mahlstedt joins the staff as B-squad coach. Robb Virgin and Roland Bradley share the ninth grade coaching chores.

Tom Auge, Jim Swedin, Mike Woody, Mark Pikar, Brandon Chant, Loren Cartwright and Jacob Bauer will work with the middle school teams that begin workouts after the first of the year.

The Tigers face a stiff opening-night test Friday night when they host Rochester John Marshall. Tip-off is 7:30 at Tiger Gym.

Wrestling: Still young but experienced

Jacob Gabbard finished 25-5 last season (photo by Jim Lindquist)

A quick look at the Tiger roster and one would think that lack of experience would be an issue with the 2012-13 squad. After all, of 14 returning letterwinners, only one is an upperclassmen.

What that number doesn't reflect, however, is that 11 of the returnees were varsity starters last season.

"We have all of those starters back and we will have a lot of depth," coach Chad Olson said. "But we have eight duals against state-ranked teams. We'll need to see how we respond when we compete against the best."

Junior Jamie Scavone is the only junior returnee. Sophomore letterwinners include Brian Caravantes, Jacob Gabbard, Joe Hoeve, Joey Liden, Chris McCue and Jake Rudeen.

Other returning monogram winners from 2011-12 include freshmen Kyle Benjamin, Brayden Chapman, Logan Haakana, Joey Herrera, Matt Rustad, John Walz and Taylor Venz.

Venz may be the youngest grappler on the roster but he brings the most impressive resume'. Last year as an eighth-grader he compiled a 32-7 record, won all-Missota Conference honors and spilt four matches at the Class AAA state meet.

Taylor Venz (32-7) was a state meet qualifier in 2012 (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Hoeve, who finished 27-12 last winter, also made the all-conference team while Walz (18-14) received all-legaue honorable mention.

Gabbard piled up a 25-5 record last season. Rustad was 12-8 and Rudeen 16-20.

Gabbard, Venz and Hoeve were all ranked among the pre-season top 10 wrestlers in Minnesota at their respective weights: Gabbard third at 106 lbs.; Venz fifth at 113 lbs. and Hoeve seventh at 160 lbs.

Olson said ninth-grader Jamin LeDuc has also looked strong in early practices and should see varsity mat time at one of the lighter weights.

Even with the large number of returnees, Olson said there are still some spots to be filled at the upper end of the lineup. Still, he likes his team's chances.

"We will be better than last year," he predicted.

Olson said New Prague and Shakopee are favored in the chase for top spot in the Missota with Prior Lake, Shakopee and Lakeville North the likely teams to beat in the section.

"We should be in the top half of the section," he said.

Olson will have three assistant coaches this season: former head coach Jon Lund, Doug Quick and Mike Kirsch.

The Tigers get their first taste of live competition this Saturday when they make the short trip west for the Panther Invitational at Lakeville North.

Girls Hockey: Eastview drops Tigers to 1-3

Haleigh Zwart scored the Tiger goal in a 4-1 loss to Eastview (photo by Jim Lindquist)

A Farmington offense that scored 10 goals in a four-period span against Hastings and Rochester Mayo sputtered for the second straight game in a 4-1 non-conference loss to Eastview Saturday afternoon at the Apple Valley Civic Center.

The defeat was the second in four days for the Tigers who were outscored 11-1 in the two contests.

"Our first four games have been a rollercoaster," coach Jon Holmes said. "We expected to have some ups and downs, especially early, but hopefully we can get off the thrill ride and make some steady progress in the weeks leading into our holiday tournament."

The teams played a competitive scoreless first period before the Lightning struck for two goals in a 1:18 span early in the second and then added a third later in the period to take a 3-0 lead into the final break.

The winners made it 4-0 with a power play score 4:47 into the final frame before Haleigh Zwart (from Breanna Raske and Rachael Welzin) got the visitors on the board with 12 minutes to play to close out the scoring.

Eastview controlled play most of the afternoon, outshooting the Tigers 26-12, including an 11-4 advantage in the third period.

Maddie Bowe worked the Farmington nets, finishing with 22 saves in a busy day's work.

After a three straight road games the Tigers return home Tuesday night to entertain Wayzata in a non-conference contest at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Boys Hockey: Tigers fall to Hastings in opener

Kevin Olund scored a first period power play goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

A veteran Hastings team scored four first period goals on the way to a 6-2 win over the Tigers Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both teams at Hastings Civic Arena.

"They (Hastings) were a tough opening-game opponent," Farmington coach Keith Revels said. "They have 13 players back from last year's section finals team and we had seven guys playing their first varsity game ever.

"We continued to get better as the night went on and that is something we can build on as we move forward. We are young and a work in progress."

In the opening period, the Raiders put constant pressure on Tiger goalie Nick Schoening who started just his second varsity game in the nets. The result was a 4-1 Farmington deficit heading into the second stanza.

"We left Nick hanging with guys in front a couple of times," Revels said. "He got a lot of on-the-job experience today."

Kevn Olund scored the lone Farmington goal of the period on the power play.

The remainder of the contest was much more competitive with the Raiders outscoring their guests 2-1 over the final two periods.

Justin Novak's first career goal (from Olund) made it a 5-2 in the second period and the Tigers thought the deficit was trimmed further with six minutes remaining in the third when a Farmington goal was disallowed.

"It was controversial," Revels said. "It could have made things interesting."

Hastings outshot the Tigers 26-19 for the night with Schoening recording 20 saves in the losing effort.

The Tigers hit the ice again Tuesday when they travel to Rochester to take on Section 1AA rival John Marshall at the Rochester Recreation Center.

Tiger Scoreboard: November 25, 2012

Boys Hockey
Hastings 6 Farmington 2

Girls Hokcey
Eastview 4 Farmington 1

Correction on school passing records

In a post earlier this week regarding Darren Beenken's passing achievements during the 2012 season, mention was made of David Fransen (1998) and Preston St. John (2003) being tied for the school record for touchdowns in a season with 16.

A further review of the record books showed that honor belongs to Brent Beenken who threw for 17 touchdowns in 2008.

We apologize for the error.

Football: Back on top

Athen Ashton and Darren Beenken All-Missota Conference (photo by Jim Lindquist)

After a couple of sub-par seasons the Tigers were back on their game in 2012.

Coach Mark Froehling's team went 4-14 over the previous two seasons but little of that was evident in their 7-3 run that included a five-game winning streak to open the season that propelled it to the No. 4  spot in the Associated Press rankings.

The Tigers won a share of the Missota Conference title for the first time since 2008 and advanced to the section championship game for the first time in six years.


"This was a fun and exciting season," Froehling said. "The athletes worked hard and earned their successes. They were very coachable and great teammates. There are always things to improve on, but I thought we played very good football most of the time.

"I also thought we had a great following from students, families and fans both at home and away. The team really appreciates the great support from the community."

Froehling ticked off a list of memorable moments from the season just completed, starting with Reid Taubenheim's record-setting four field goals in the opener against Rochester Mayo.

Also on the list were the hair-raising 27-23 Homecoming win over Chaska; the first-ever playoff win at Tiger Stadium; the conference championship; the return to the section championship game and the team's Gold Medal rating for academics.

Defensive MVP Mason Auge (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Froehling also pointed to the large number of individual accomplishments, including big statistical numbers put up by quarterback Darren Beenken (four school records), Athen Ashton (804 yards in six games) and Mason Auge (103 tackles).

The veteran Tiger coach also highlighted the quarterback sacks of John LeBlond, the post-season touchdown catches of Mac Bassett and Johnny Dittman and Tyler VanWinkle's circus catch that earned media Play of the Week honors.

One of the few disappointments came in the lopsided 28-3 loss at Chanhassen.

"We didn't play very good football there," Froehling said. "I would like to play that one over again."

Froehling also received some post-season recognition of his own as he was named the Missota Conference Coach of the Year.

"I think officially the head coach is listed, but I see this as a coaching staff award," Froehling said. " I am very proud of my staff. They are outstanding, dedicated coaches and quality men."

Froehling and his staff honored the 2012 Missota Conference co-champions at an awards banquet earlier this week. Listed below are award winners announced at the banquet.

MVP Offense – Darren Beenken

MVP Defense – Mason Auge

MVP Special Teams – Reid Taubenheim

All-Missota Conference

Darren Beenken, Athen Ashton, Mason Auge, Alex Chadwick, Josh Boatwright and John LeBlond  

Honorable Mention All-Conference

Reid Taubenheim, Mac Bassett and Johnny Dittman

Scout Team MVP Offense

Alex Robinson  and Noah Kary 

Scout Team MVP Defense

Nick Schoening and Alex Khan 

Coaches Award  Offense – Alex Witkowski

Coaches Award Defense – Alex Khan

Team Academic All-State – Gold Medal Award

Individual Academic All-State – Darren Beenken

Girls Hockey: Royal pain in Hopkins

Perennial Lake Conference power Hopkins scored six goals in the first two periods on the way to a 7-0 win over the Tigers Tuesday night at Minnetonka Arena.

The Royals who lost their season opener, 3-2 to Bloomington Jefferson last week, evend their record at 1-1 while Farmington fell to 1-2.

The game was scoreless for the first six minutes before Nina Rodgers scored the first of her two goals to give Hopkins the lead. Two more scores, coming in a lightning-quick 15-second span late in the period, gave the Royals a thee-goal cushion.

The visitors, outshot 13-1 in the opening period, put seven shots on net in the second, but the result was the same. Hopkins led 6-0 with a period to play.

The Farmington offense that had scored 10 goals in its last four periods managed just 11 shots on goal while Hopkins peppered Tiger goalies Maddie Bowe and Molly Singewald with 38.

Penalties, a game-breaker in the season-opening loss to Hastings, came into play again. The Tigers piled up 12 minutes of penalties, resulting in two power play goals for the Royals.

Bowe finished the night with 23 saves, giving her 68 in three games for the season.Singewald, making her first varsity appearance, stopped eight of nine shots in the final period.

The girls take a short holiday break before returning to action Saturday with a non-conference matinee game against Eastview. Face-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Apple Valley Sports Arena.

Tiger Scoreboard: November 21, 2012

Girls Hockey
Hopkins 7 Farmington 0

Beenken passes his way into record book

Senior quarterback set four school passing records this fall (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Tiger fans know the 2012 season was a success by any measure. A seven-win season, a tie for the Missota Conference championship and an appearance in the section championship game all supply more than adequate evidence of that fact.

Less noticeable but just as notable were the passing numbers put up by senior quarterback Darren Beenken.

The three-year starter capped his high school career by taking over the top spot in four of Farmington's all-time statistical categories.

Beenken's 1661 yards passing in 2012 eclipsed the single season mark of 1487 produced by David Fransen in 1998.

Beenken also moved past Fransen in career yardage with 3830 yards; Fransen compiled 2744 yards from 1996 through 1998.

The third statistical milestone came in completion percentage where Beenken finished 2012 with a .619 number. His .540 career percentage is also a school-best number.

Beenken and Fransen are tied atop the school record standings in touchdown passes thrown in a career with 26. Beenken's older brother, Brent Beenken, holds the school mark for scoring passes in a single season with 17 in 2008.

Boys Hockey: Up north trip buoys Tiger hopes

Senior forward Grant Hauswirth (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Coming off a 7-17-2 season, Tiger coach Keith Revels wasn't sure to expect from his 2012-13 team when it took off for a pre-season scrimmage against some top-flight competition from northern Minnesota.

But after five quality showings against International Falls, Virginia, Proctor, Eveleth and fellow traveler Richfield last weekend, he feels much better about the outlook for the coming season.

"The weekend went well," Revels said. "The returning players performed very well and the newcomers proved they belong...We appear to be a much more skilled team and less physical than in years past."

The Tigers return 15 players from last winter's hard-luck team that lost eight one-goal games with forwards Grant Hauswirth, John Donnelly and Kevin Olund; defenders Jordan Lugowski and Zach Colaw and goalie Austin Krause representing the senior class.

The other returnees are juniors: forwards Landon Nielson, Tanner Grubb, Jack Erickson, Dan Block, Chris Fitzgibbons and Dallas Tucker and defensemen Alex Aubrecht, Stan Buss and goalie Nick Schoening.

Senior defender Zach Colaw (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The rest of the varsity players will be young and Revels emphatically said they will see their share of of ice time in 2012-13.

Newcomers include sophomore forwards Justin Novak and Justin Hyytinen; sophomore defender Benton Olson; freshmen forwards Grady Hauswirth and John Siebenaler and freshmen defensemen Devin Bernu and Erik Holmstrom.

In early practices, Revels has been impressed with his team's depth, overall speed and puck skills but admits that inexperience and lack of physical size could be an issue, especially in the early going.

Still, the former Tiger said he is optimistic about his team's chances in the season ahead.

"We should be competitive in both the conference and section," he said.

Revels added that perennial Holy Angels should once again rule the Missota Conference roost with Lakeville North and Lakeville South his pre-season picks for Section 1AA honors.

Shawn Anderson and Todd Karich return as assistant coaches with Dan Pickens moving over from the Tigers' girls' program to fill out the varsity coaching staff.

Farmington opens it season this Saturday, Nov. 24, with a matinee contest at Hastings.

More all-state swim honors for O'Reilly

Kaitlyn O'Reilly placed 4th in 200 medley and 7th in 100 backstroke at state (photo by Jim Lindquist)

For the third straight year Kaitlyn O'Reilly had shown she is one of the best high school swimmers in Minnesota.

In Saturday's 2012 Class AA Championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center, O'Reilly placed fourth in the 200 individual medley and seventh in the 100 backstroke to earn all-state honors in both events.

The speedy Tiger junior clocked 57.88 in the 100 back and broke her own school record in the individual medley with a finishing time of 2:04.66.

O'Reilly finished third and seventh respectively in the same races at the 2011 Class AA state meet. She took eighth in the 100 backstroke in the 2010 state meet.

"It was an exciting state meet all around," coach Jen Marshall said. " Kaitlyn had a great swim in the medley and did what she needed to do in the back."

The 200 freestyle relay team of O'Reilly, Robin Ellis, Cora Ruzicka and Kirsten Kracke turned in the next highest finish for the Tigers, ranking 15th in 1:39.25.

 "The relay swimmers came back a little stronger in finals and it was a great way to round out the meet... I'm proud of what they accomplished this season."

The 200 freestyle relay team finished 15th

Kracke tied for 18th place in the 100 freestyle in 54.24 and the 400 freestyle relay foursome of O'Reilly, Ruzicka, Kracke and Ellie Sundet came in 19th in 3:42.13.

As a team the Tigers totaled 31 points to rank 19th among 43 teams scoring points, slightly down from their school-record 72 points and 13th place finish a year ago but still the third-best Farmington showing at state.

Girls Hockey: Big turnaround in Rochester

Madeline Oines  2 goals, 1 assist (photo by Jim Lindquist)

What a difference a couple of nights can make.

After dropping a 5-3 decision to Hastings on Tuesday, the Tigers bounced back for an impressive 7-0 shutout win over Rochester Mayo Thursday night at Graham Arena in Rochester.

"Coming back after a tough loss is never easy and it was great to see the girls pick up where they left off in the third period of the Hastings game," coach Jon Holmes said.  

"Hastings was a stronger opponent, but Mayo certainly had some good players and the scoring was great. Even better was our defensive zone play."

Farmington outshot Mayo 31-17 for the game and a suffocating defense made life a lot easier for goalkeeper Maddie Bowe who recorded her first career shutout.

"If we can keep a zero on the board for as long as possible in any game that will surely increase our chances of winning," Holmes said.

Madeline Oines scored twice in the first period and Grace Gavin and Megan Stivers added a goal apiece to give the visitors a 4-0 edge heading to the first intermission.

Grace Vincent added a pair of goals in the second stanza and Shaye Jenrich put a cherry on top of the victory cake with the only score of the third period.

Rachael Peroutky 3 assists vs. Mayo (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Oines added an assist for a three-point night. Defender Rachael Peroutky led a list of six Farmington players to record assists, finishing the night with three. Haley Doll and Brooke Raske each handed out two and Haleigh Zwart and Michaela Tonsager each recorded one.

"Our scoring was very balanced," Holmes said. "Our third line got on the board twice, which is huge. Those that we need to step up are doing it and it is fun to watch them come into their own."

Holmes said his team won't have much time to savor the win because the schedule gets tougher in a hurry. Next Tuesday the Tigers head to Hopkins to take on the Royals, a perennial state power.

"We'll need to be at our best for that one," Holmes said.  

 

 

Tiger Scoreboard: November 16, 2012

Girls Hockey
Farmington 7 Rochester Mayo 0

Gymnastics: Looking for many healthy returns

All-Missota Conference performer Kiana Lord (photo by Jim Lindquist)

After a season marred by illness and injury Tiger coach Lynn Bauman is hoping for a healthy 2012-13 campaign.

Last winter despite the challenges the Tigers ranked third in both the Missota Conference and Section 3AA meets. Bauman feels this year's young team (two seniors) should fare just as well.

"We are going to have a good, solid year," Bauman predicted. "We have a lot of talent that runs deep in ever event.

"I believe beam will be our best event and we should also be strong in vault and floor exercise. The bars are going to be tough because some of the rule changes."

The Tigers also face another challenge with the loss of Nadia Lorencz, last year's state runner-up in vaulting and a state qualifier in four events. Lorencz, a two-event state champion in track last year, has decided to concentrate on her spring specialty.

But even with the absence of Lorencz, Bauman will have several returning varsity performers around whom she can build her team.

All-Missota Conference performer Kiana Lord (all-around) and Taylor Schamltz (all-around) are the two returning seniors. Lord was a state meet qualifier as a sophomore.

Kylie Wharton all-conference honorable mention (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Other returning letterwinners include junior Kathryn Beckett (all-around); sophomores Kylie Wharton (all-around) and Maddie Timerson (vault, bars and floor) and freshmen Mackenzie McCuddin (all-around), Racquel Beckett (all-around) and Kendall Novak (vaults, bars and beam).

Wharton won all-Missota Conference honorable mention honors last year as a freshman.

Tahra Eckert (all-around), who missed most of last season with an elbow injury, returns for her junior season and middle schoolers Amanda Davenport (all-around) and Abby Schwatrz (all-around) could also make a run at the varsity lineup.  

Bauman said she hopes her team can give perennial Missota powers Northfield and New Prague a challenge for conference honors and picked Park of Cottage Grove as the team to beat in the section.

The current school team scoring record stands at 141.275 and Bauman says the Tigers have a chance to establish a new one.

"I have the confidence in these girls to beat it (this year)," she said.

Two new coaches, both FHS graduates, join Bauman as varsity assistants this season: former Tiger gymnast Jenna Moore and ex-Tiger football and baseball standout Brad Albano.

Farmington opens its 2012-13 season Saturday, December 1, at the Austin Winter Warm-up Invitational.

Girls Basketball: Getting up to speed

Sophomore Sofia Chadwick, second leading scorer last season (photo by Jim Lindquist_

As a late hire in 2011, Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick had little time to prepare for her first season at the reins of the Tiger girls' program. This year she says she and her team are ready for season number two.

"We already have a much different look and feel in our practices compared to last season," Chadwick said. "This group has worked very hard in the off-season on their skills, playing on other AAU teams, playing in fall league and lifting weights. 

"We have had triple the number of girls attending open gyms compared to last fall. They are coming into this season well-conditioned, coachable and ready to play."

Farmington finished with just six wins last winter and seven players from that roster graduated last spring. Still, Chadwick is excited to see how her team will perform in 2012-13.

"We'll be underdogs," she said. "With such a young team with little varsity experience, I expect that we will have some early bumps and plenty of learning opportunities.

"However, this is a very talented and coachable group, and I have no doubt that once they get themselves comfortable in a varsity game, they will be able to compete with most teams in our conference and section... We may be overlooked this season, but I believe with our talent and speed we will surprise some people."

Junior forward  Aly Grebner (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Chadwick has just three letterwinners back from last year's squad: junior forward Aly Grebner and sophomore guards Sofia Chadwick and Abby Gallus. Chadwick, last year's Rookie of the Year, was the team's second leading scorer as a freshman.

Senior forward Callie Halterman and sophomores Kaitlyn Gorden (forward), Sydney Speer (forward) Jordyn Homeier (guard), Leah Hammond (guard), Chelsey Bruns (forward) should also see a lot of court time.

Last year the Tigers depended on their size for much of their offense. This year Chadwick said her team's speed and athleticism will dictate a different style of play.

" I plan on picking up the pace of the game a bit," she said. "I expect us to be more of a run and gun type of team. We have tremendous speed in the backcourt with Sofia, Abby, Alicia and Jordyn which I hope to utilize in more of a transition game and to apply full-court pressure. 

"We’ve got a great mix of kids who can knock down outside shots as well as get to the basket. We will hopefully be able to capitalize on our defensive pressure to create scoring opportunities."

Sophomore guard Abby Gallus (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Lack of size could be an issue and Chadwick says her front court players will have to be skilled in establishing good rebounding position.

"My expectation is that our speed will help negate any opponent's inside game," she said. 

Chadwick predicted Chanhassen and Chaska should battle it out for Missota Conference honors with Lakeville North the odds-on favorite to repeat as Section 1 champion.

"I think we can be competitive in both the conference and section," Chadwick said, "depending how fast we can ramp up."

Steve Speer is the new junior varsity/varsity assistant coach this winter with Joe McCarthy returning to coach the ninth grade team. 

Katie Buehlo and Jake Bauer share the eighth grade coaching duties while Mike Woody and Jon Ostgaard team up to handle the seventh grade coaching chores.

Farmington kicks off the 2012-13 campaign Tuesday, Nov. 27, with a non-conference game at Simley.

 

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Girls Hockey: Penalties kill in season opener

Madison Bowe makes one of her 15 second period saves (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington scored three times in the final seven minutes but it wasn't enough in a 5-3 non-conference loss to Hastings Tuesday night in a penalty-filled season opener at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Tiger coach Jon Holmes said things went reasonably well for a first game, especially against a Raider team that already had a game under its belt. Hastings defeated Eastview 5-4 in overtime its its season opener last weekend.

"We came out a little nervous and tight and we weren't able to adjust to the referees' contact calls as soon as we would have liked," Holmes said.

"But by the third period we settled in and were able to put the puck in the net three times. That is very promising since we only averaged about 1.5 goals a game last season."

Farmington totaled 32 shots on goal in the contest, 18 coming in the third period.

The Raiders scored a power play goal less than a minute into the contest and then added two more scores in the first 3:33 of the second to build a commanding 3-0 lead.

The puck didn't leave the Farmington zone very much in the first 34 minutes, primarily because the Tigers were consistently playing shorthanded. Farmington had 14 minutes of penalties in the second period alone.

"Spending half the game in the penalty box is not a good strategy for winning games," Holmes said.

Haleigh Zwart scored the first Tiger goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The first few minutes of the third period featured much of the same kind of play before a goal-fest broke out with the teams combining for five scores in the final 11 minutes.

Haleigh Zwart (from Haley Doll), Madeline Oines and Bria Donnelly (from Rachael Welzin) accounted for the Farmington goals.

Sophomore Madison Bowe worked the nets for Farmington and according to her coach became battle-tested in a hurry.

"She played well," he said. "She was put in the most difficult position by having to face a huge number of penalties and back door opportunities. I thought she controlled her play very well for her first high school game."

Some of Bowe's best work came in the second period when she made 15 saves and kept Hastings off the board after a five-minute major penalty was assessed to Welzin.

Holmes said that tightening up the defensive zone would be a priority in preparing for Thursday night's non-conference game at Rochester Mayo.

"We began to get out of position which led to us chasing instead of controlling the puck," he said. "But again, much of that was due to having to kill all of the penalties."

Tiger Scoreboard: November 14, 2012

Girls Hockey
Hastings 5 Farmington 3

Volleyball: Tigers improve despite injuries

Mia Johnston all-conference setter (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers doubled their win total from a year ago despite a constant barrage of injuries to key players.

Farmington finished 14-15 overall, reached the section quarterfinals and placed sixth in the final Missota Conference standings.

"This was a great season for dealing with adversity," coach Mike Woody said. "We did very well considering all of the injuries."

Fifteen players, ranging from seniors to eighth-graders, earned varsity letters for their conrbutions to the 2012 season.

Eight of the letterwinners were seniors, including Rachel Eckert, Emily Nelson, Kelsey Lindell, Elissa Baago, Kayla Collins, Mia Johnston, Courtney Johnston and Kayle Seurer.

Underclassmen receiving letters included juniors Lexi Wenskaug, Morgan Cecchettini, Ruthanne Schmitt and Diana Comes; sophomore Summer Skokan and eighth-graders Emma Fahning and McKenzie Hesse.

Johnston who led the team in set assists (274) and serve percentage (.984) made the all-Missota Conference team and Seurer, the team's leading blocker with 115, received all-league honorable mention.

Fahning topped the statistical charts in kills ( 187) and digs (271) while Eckert led in serve receptions with 479.  

With seven letterwinners slated to return next fall, Woody said he is excited about his team's outlook for the future.

Kaylene Seurer all-conference honorable mention (photo by Jim Lindquist)

"Despite graduating so many seniors, I expect to have a winning season next year," he said. "I'm looking for lots of work in the weight room and on the court over the off-season."

As for the eight graduating seniors, Woody said they will be missed.

"What a great group of young ladies," he said. "They were fun, they worked hard and they made every day fun for me."

Girls Hockey: Cautiously Optimistic

Senior forward Haley Doll (photo by Jim Lindquist)

If the Tigers are to improve on last year's fifth place finish in the Missota Conference and better their 9-17 record they will have to do three things: 1) Improve offensively; 2) play solid defense and 3) answer some big questions at the goalie position.

Coach Jon Holmes is cautiously optimistic those are all reachable goals.

"It will be important for us to to keep positive in both our attitude and effort," he said. "Right now the girls are very excited and have started the year off with a work ethic like none other."

Scoring goals was an issue last winter and leading scorer Chloe Batta has moved out of the district. Still, Holmes has an experienced group of forwards that may be able to better finish off offensive opportunities this season.

Seniors Grace Gavin and Haley Doll; juniors Grace Vincent, Haleigh Zwart and Shaye Jenrich; sophomore Michaela Tonsager and freshman Madeline Oines all bring varsity experience to the front line. Doll received all-conference honorable mention last season.

Last weekend in a scrimmage in Hibbing the Tigers scored 20 goals in four games, something that encouraged their coach.

"That's about what we scored in 20 games last year," Holmes said. "There's great upperclassmen leadership there and you can see a lot of off-season growth."

Junior defender Rachael Welzin (photo by Jim Lindquist)

On the blue line, all-conference performer Betsy Anderson was lost to graduation, but plenty of veteran depth remains at the position.

Juniors Rachael Welzin, Bria Donnelly, Brooke Raske, sophomore Shelby Klotz, and freshman Dani Wright should all be in the hunt for playing time and senior Rachael Peroutky returns to the fold after playing elsewhere last winter.

The big question mark in the early going could be in the nets. Perennial all-conference netminder Jess Erchul, a four-year starter, hung up her stick and gloves last spring and two rookies, sophomore Maddie Bowe and eighth-grader Molly Singewald, are battling to fill her skates.

"Neither of them has varsity or junior varsity experience," Holmes said. "But both are very coachable and have shown promise in our four scrimmages."

Holmes said that his team is setting weekly goals for the first part of the season.

"We want to be concentrated on the most specific tasks," he said, "and we'll be constantly re-visiting our goals."

Senior forward Grace Gavin (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Holmes likes Red Wing and Shakopee in the chase for conference honors and said defending champion Lakeville North looks like the team to beat in Section 1AA.

"I believe we will be able to compete for those honors as well," he said.

Former Tiger standout Kevin Lugowksi joins veterans Jason Kohlbeck and Alan Jenrich as varsity assistant coaches this winter.

"We're really excited about Kevin joining our staff," Holmes said. "He brings good experience and a contagious, positive attitude."

The Tigers open their 2012-13 season Tuesday night (Nov. 13) with a non-conference home game with Hastings at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Girls Swimming: O'Reilly to state in 4 events

Section 1AA Swimmer of the Year Kaitlyn O'Reilly qualified for state in four events (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington finished fourth at the Section 1AA Championships held Thursday and Saturday at the Rochester Recreation Center but the big news was the Tigers will once again be sending a large contingent to next week's Class AA state meet.

Rochester John Marshall finished atop the team standings with 368 points, 24 more than runner-up Hastings. Rochester Mayo ranked third at 331, followed by Farmington 302, Winona 262.5, Rochester Century 234.5 and Owatonna 170.

Two-time all-state performer Kaitlyn O'Reilly set the pace for the Tigers, qualifying for state in four different events. The fleet junior set meet records in winning the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke and also swam legs on both the qualifying 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams.

The outstanding two-day performance earned her Section 1AA Swimmer of the Year honors, the first time a Tiger has won the prestigious award.

Kirsten Kracke to state in three events (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Kirsten Kracke, a third place finisher in the 100 freestyle, was the other Farmington individual state qualifier.

Kracke, Cora Ruzicka and Robin Ellis joined O'Reilly on the 200 freestyle relay team while O'Reilly, Kracke, Ruzicka and Ellie Sundet made the state grade in the 400 freestyle relay.

"It was  another amazing section meet for us," Tiger coach Jen Marshall said. "Everyone stepped up and dropped time, a first for the program."

Not only did the Tigers fare well in the pool at the section finals, they also were honored for their work in the classroom. The team earned were named the Section 1AA academic champions, achieving the gold standard (a minimum 3.75 grade point average).

Marshall said she is confident that O'Reilly will place among the leaders in both individual events at state. She finished third in the 100 backstroke and seventh in the 200 individual medley at last year's state meet.

"Kirsten (Kracke) also has a good chance of reaching the finals and the 200 relay looks more solid in making back to the finals," Marshall said.

The state meet will be held next weekend at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center.

Other Top 10 finishes in Section 1AA:
200 medley relay: 6. Ellis, Chelsea Gehrke, Chloe Holton, Sundet
200 freestyle: 5. Sundet
50 freestyle: 6. Kracke; 7. Ellis
One-meter diving: 6. Kendall Novak
100 butterfly: 7. Ruzicka; 8. Gehrke
100 freestyle: 8. Ellis
500 freestyle: 6. Ruzicka
100 breaststroke: 7. Sara Kintner; 10. Gehrke

Alumni Tracker: Harrington into Hall of Fame

Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame inductee Paul Harrington

1974 FHS grad and current Tiger softball coach Paul Harrington (left) was inducted into the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame last Saturday in St. Cloud. The ex-Tiger has played, coached and promoted fastpitch softball at both the high school and amateur levels since his high school days.

Several other former Tigers were on hand to witness the induction ceremony, including Mike Applegate, Daren Betzold, Gary Neilan, Mark Zitzmann, Blair Simonsen, Steve Schmitz

and Lacelle "Pete" Cordes.
  
2009 FHS female Athlete of the Year Kirstee Rotty has joined the St. Olaf College women's basketball team after wrapping up her senior volleyball season for the Oles. Rotty led the volleyball team in digs with 711...Former Tiger Katie Habeck (2011) is second in blocks and fourth in kills for defending NCAA Division III national champion Concordia-St. Paul volleyball...Danielle Dombeck of the Tiger class of 2010 started 16 matches for North Dakota State this fall,. ranking third in digs, fourth in serve receptions and sixth in kills.

Two ex-Tigers were members of the College of St. Scholastica's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) fall sports championship teams. Bailey Opsal (2012) ran for the Saints' cross country champs while classmate Brandon Scott was a steady contributor (7 goals, 6 assists) for the unbeaten men's soccer team
 

Josh Zitzmann 47 catches for 947 yards for RCTC

Tiger grads Josh Zitzmann (2009) and Nick Albano (2010) were major contributors to the 9-2 season put together by the Rochester Technical and Community College football team this fall. In the state championship game, a 33-23 loss to Central Lakes College (Brainerd), Zitzmann caught six passes for 136 yards and a touchdown while Albano led the defense with 17 tackles.

2008 FHS male Athlete of the Year Derek Waldbillig finished his senior football season at Bethel University with 176 yards rushing and seven touchdowns...2010 Tiger grad Bubba Friedlund was a starting offensive tackle for the Royals...Former Tiger Tyler Barnes played tight end for Minnesota State, Moorhead this fall after transferring from Valley City State (North Dakota).

1989 FHS male Athlete of the Year Matt Walter has his Annandale football team in the Class AAA state semifinals. The Cardinals downed New London-Spicer 20-17 Saturday in St. Cloud to set up a match-up with Rochester Lourdes next week in the Metrodome.

Ex-Tiger Chad Stivers (2012) finished 5-3-1 with four shutouts as the primary goalkeeper for the Edgewood College men's soccer team in Madison, Wisconsin...Former Tiger Kayla Seivert had a goal and an assist in 15 games as a defender for Wisconsin-Stout...Kelli Harstad of the Tiger class of 2012 started all 18 games on defense for St. Mary's University in Winona.  

Two former Tiger soccer players, Lindsay (Peterson) Collins and Britta (Peterson) Pahl, were assistant coaches in the FHS boys soccer program this fall. Britta coached the junior varsity squad while Lindsay handled the B-squad coaching duties.

Carl Elmer

2011 FHS male Athlete of the Year Carl Elmer (left) was one of three St. Olaf wrestlers to post wins in the Oles first dual meet of the 2012-13 season against Central College (Iowa). Elmer finished 16-12 as a freshman season last winter.

Alex Carlson, a 2006 Tiger grad, has a goal in seven games this winter for the Ohio State University men's hockey team...2011 FHS alum Krystal Baumann is still looking for her first score this season for the Minnesota State, Mankato women's puck team. She has an assist in 11 outings for the Mavericks.

Four players from the Tigers' 2011 section runner-up girls' basketball team are playing collegiate ball this winter: Jordan Bridges, Jamestown College; Elena Koch, College of St. Benedict; Jamie Kenealy, Wisconsin-River Falls and Taylor Meyer, Minnesota-Duluth.