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| Corey Rudrud scored 10 goals in two games (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
Farmington won two Missota Conference games in less than 24 hours Friday and Saturday to close with a program-best record of 10 wins and three losses. The Tigers finished 3-2 in the Missota Conference, good enough for third place in the final six-team standings
Coach Paul Sorensen's team handled Northfield 10-4 Friday night in Northfield and Saturday morning wrapped up its 2014 regular season with a 19-3 dismantling of Shakopee at Tiger Stadium.
The wins made it five victories in the last five starts for the Tigers, the only defeat a 9-6 verdict to Missota Conference champion Holy Angels.
Farmington 10 Northfield 4
This Missota Conference road match-up was close for half with the Tigers hitting the break clinging to precarious 4-3 lead against the Raiders who brought a four-game winning streak of their own into the contest.
But the Tigers put on the defensive clamps and generated much more offense after intermission, outscoring the home team 6-1 to win going away.
"We definitely didn't come out to play against Northfield." Sorensen said. "We finally used our physical superiority to cause some turnovers and allow us to settle into our offensive scheme...
"I've said all year that at even strength I believe our defense can play with anyone. We definitely use our defensive pressure to create transition opportunities."
Corey Rudrud (3 goals) and Chris Fitzgibbons (2) accounted for half of the Farmington scoring. Mitch Hilton, Jake Herrera, Tyler Jette, Nick Hinnenkamp and Kevin Clifton also scored for the winners.
Hinnenkamp and Hilton each contributed two assists and Nick Workman and Mitch Grengs had one apiece.
The Tigers outshot the Raiders 24-11 with goalie Kyle Kratz coming up with seven saves.
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| Chris Fitzgibbons 5 goals, 2 assists (photo by J. Lindquist) |
The 10:00 a.m. start time on Saturday morning had no effect on the Tigers as they rode Rudrud's seven-goal (and an assists) scoring-fest to a wire-to-wire win.
Nine different players found the net for Farmington. In addition to Rudrud's outburst, Fitzgibbons scored three goals and assisted on two more.
Garrett Gunderson had two goals and two assists and Alex Kelly found the net twice. Single goal scorers included Clifton, Workman, Hilton, Alex Aubrecht and Caleb Hakala.
Tyler Jette finished with a team-high four assists. Hilton, Clifton, Grengs and Hinnenkamp each had one.
Kratz and Vincent Donahue shared the goalkeeper duties. Kratz stopped five of six shots while Donahue turned away two of four.
Farmington drew the second seed in the Section 1 post-season tournament and will open play Tuesday at home versus No. 7 Northfield. A win in the opening round game would bring up a Friday semifinal match-up with the winner of the Lakeville South-Owatonna first round game at Tiger Stadium.
"Look for a focused and determined team coming into sections this week," Sorensen said.
