Girls Hockey: Tigers blank Mayo 2-0

Halea Wright scored 1st Tiger goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington (2-4) scored single goals in the second and third periods and sophomore goalie Molly Singewald recorded her second straight shutout in a 2-0 non-conference win over Section 1AA rival Rochester Mayo (1-4-1) Tuesday night at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

"We played two-and-a-half periods of really solid hockey," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said. "We had point blank shot after shot that would have been nice to capitalize on, but I am proud of the two we did.

"Our defensive play was very solid and our penalty kill was strong again. We have another tough section game coming up so this one is a nice one to build on."

Halea Wright broke a scoreless tie 6:38 into the second period to stake the Tigers to a lead and Maddi Oines (from Michaela Tonsgaer and Megan Stivers) added an insurance score early in the third to account for the Farmington scoring.

Molly Singewald recorded 2nd straight shutout (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Singewald, who gave up five goals in her first outing of the season, made it six periods in a row without giving up a goal with a 17-save performance.

"Molly has settled in nicely," Holmes said. "We can really see her maturity as a goaltender starting to evolve in her ability to come out and challenge shots and play the puck."

With the whitewash, Singewald lowered her season goals-against average to 1.67.

The Tigers outshot the Spartans 27-17 as the defense helped keep the Mayo offense on the perimeter.

Farmington will keep on its Section 1AA diet Thursday when they travel to Rochester to take on Century.

Girls Soccer: Transition year yields success

Isabelle Ferm 2nd team All-State (photo by J. Lindquist)

First-year coach Tracie Randall said her team didn't accomplish all of its goals but the 2013 season was a success nonetheless.

The Tigers posted their fourth winning season in the past five years with an 8-5-5 mark and advanced to the Section 1AA championship game for the second year in a row.

"We experienced a lot of transition this year with a new head coach and a new athletic director," Randall said. "We had to make some adjustments and it took us a while to get our feet on the ground. 

"The girls were okay with their third place finish in our conference and a second in the section. Our goal was to get to state, but that may have been shooting a little high with so much legwork to get going with my not be hired until July."

Randall and her staff honored 22 student athletes at the team's post-season banquet, including 10 seniors: Isabelle Ferm, Kayla Kucala, Kelli Elmer, Kelly Kornmann, Rachael Welzin, Hannah Miller, Kenya Macias, Kailtyn LaCroix, Ashley Meister and Emma Hall.

Underclassmen recognized at the banquet included junior Destiny Schmitz, Megan Graham, Ashley Becker, Jennifer Miller, Kali Allard, Sara Zak, Emily Johnson and Nicole Doran; sophomores Liah Kiage and Dani Wright and freshmen Shannon McKnight and Morgan Reigner.

Kayla Kucala All-Missota Conference (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Ferm led a defense that held the opposition to an average of less than a goal a game and landed a berth on the Minnesota State Soccer Coaches Association second all-state team.

Ferm, Kucala and Schmitz each earned all-Missota Conference honors while Elmer and Becker received all-league honorable mention.

Randall rattled off several highlights from the season just completed, including the season-opening win over Hill-Murray; ties with South Suburban Conference schools Lakeville North and Lakeville South during the regular season; a last-minute conference win over Shakopee; an unbeaten regular season against Section 1AA teams; and a defensive effort that allowed just 13 goals all season.

The disappointments were few and far between.

"We had too many ties in games we should have won," she said. "I would have at least liked to take North to a shoot-out in the section. I believe we could have beaten them."

Destiny Schmitz All-Missota Conference (photo by Jim Lindquist)

As for next year and beyond, Randall is optimistic.

"I'm very excited for next year as I will be able to put my stamp down on the program and start  building all levels of the program. Going into a new conference, we are preparing for new challenges, challenges that we are happy to meet. They will only make us stronger and better..."

 

Randall sees a tick up in the competition level with the move to the South Suburban which had two teams in the state tournament this season.

 

"We will obviously need to step up our training throughout the year," she said. "I think we are almost there physically. We nee to start believing that we are among the best in the state....

 

"I am happy to be here and feel fortunate I had this experience with a great group of girls and their families...Each year we see more serious players and commitment. It will be exciting to see where we can go from here."

 

Soccer: Two Tigers All-State

Jared Wolt and Isabelle Ferm 2nd team All-State

The Tigers boys and girls soccer programs received affirmation of their recent successes when a player from each squad received all-state honors Sunday at the annual Minnesota High School Soccer Coaches Association awards banquet held in St. Paul.

Isabelle Ferm and Jared Wolt, both senior captains, were each named to the all-state second team.

The trip to the all-state awards dinner was the second straight for Ferm who made the first team as a junior.

The senior standout, also an all-state track performer last spring, was the linchpin of a Farmington defense that allowed just 16 goals in 19 games and carried the team to its second straight appearance in the Section 1AA finals.

First-year coach Tracie Randall said having Ferm on the field made her coaching duties a lot easier.

"Izzie is an exception student athlete," Randall said. "She led the team as a captain and helped transition me into my new position.

"She made contributions with her winning attitude, her respect for her team, school, and all coaches, and her desire to help the program grow by setting a good example of how a student athlete performs on and off the field."

Wolt also led his team to a berth in the section finals but from the other end of the field. He was the team's leading scorer with 14 goals despite sustaining a knee injury in the eighth game of the season that caused him to miss two games and limited his mobility the rest of the way.

"Jared drew attention when he was on the field," Tiger coach Julian Buss said. "He was double and triple-teamed and had to battle for the goals he got...Our season would have turned out quite differently if we hadn't had him up at the forward position."

Buss added that Wolt, also a standout 800-meter track runner for the Tigers, brought more to his team than goals.

"He was the vocal leader of the squad, directing players effectively on the field and emotionally leading the group as well," he said.  "In games when Jared was injured he took notes and contributed to the half-time analysis of the game. 

Girls Soccer: Repeat performance in finals

Rachael Welzin heads a shot toward the Panther goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Same teams, same site, same stakes, same exact result.

One day short of the first anniversary of Farmington's 2-0 loss to Lakeville North in the 2012 Section 1AA championship game, the Tigers fell to the Panthers by the identical score.

North scored on a penalty kick midway through the first half to take an early lead and then added an insurance goal with six minutes left in regulation to claim a state tournament berth.

Farmington coach Tracie Randall said she didn't see the loss coming.

"We had been playing very well in the tournament and had spent a lot of time getting mentally and physically prepared for this game," she said. "To be honest, I don't think we came ready to play tonight.

"I could see it in our warm-ups and the way we started the game. The mental aspect of this game is so important and tonight for some reason we just didn't have it."

North had a couple of prime scoring chances early but one shot hit the cross bar and another was corralled on a sprawling save by Tiger keeper Ashley Becker.

Ashley Becker 13 saves (photo by J. Lindquist)

The penalty kick was called for a tripping infraction by the Tigers in the front half of the box with North's Lauren Brownrigg booting the ensuing shot by Becker into the lower left corner.

"We don't score a lot of goals and that was devastating for us," Randall said. "You could see it on our play the rest of the half."

The best Tiger scoring opportunity of the half occurred with 6:35 to play when Rachael Welzin's header off Hannah Miller's corner kick was saved by Panther keeper Alexi Joyce.

Becker (13 saves) kept the Tigers within a goal with some acrobatic stops in the second half before the Panthers scored late on a rebound shot by Alyssa Ettl to put the game away.

"Becker was brilliant tonight," Randall said," But we could never do much up top."

The Tigers, who managed just three shots on goal in the contest, finished the 2013 season with a 10-5-4 record.

Free downloadable, high resolution image files from this game compliments of photographers Jim and Ruth Lindquist are available at http://sidekick.smugmug.com

Soccer: Ferm, Wolt to receive all-state honors

Isabelle Ferm (photo by J. Lindquist)

Jared Wolt (photo by J. Lindquist)

The Tiger boys and girls' seasons are s both very much still alive with both squads playing in Section 1AA championship games Tuesday night.

But both welcomed some non-playoff-related good news on Monday.

One player from each team, Isabelle Ferm for the girls and Jared Wolt for the boys, received notice they have been invited to the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association state banquet scheduled for October 20 in St. Paul.

At the banquet held in conjunction with the Class A and Class AA state tournaments the invitees will receive either all-state or all-state honorable mention distinction.

Ferm, a first-team all-stater last season, had led a Tiger defense that has given up only 14 goals in 18 games this season.

Wolt, who received all-Missota Conference honorable mention recognition as a junior, leads the Tigers in scoring his senior season with 14 goals, including the game-winner in Saturday's 1-0 section semifinal win over Lakeville North.

Girls Soccer: Knocking on State's door

Kelly Kornmann scored the game-winner (photo by Jim Lindquist)

For the second straight season the Tigers are a game away from their first-ever a berth in the Class AA state girls' soccer tournament.

Kelly Kornmann's goal 15 minutes into the opening half gave third-seeded Farmington a hard-fought 1-0 win at second-seeded Lakeville South Saturday afternoon in the Section 1AA semifinals.

The victory vaulted coach Tracie Randall's team into a Tuesday night road match-up with top-seeded Lakeville North. The two teams met last fall in the section championship tilt won bu North 2-0.

Coach Randall said it took a few minutes to find its game in the win over South.

"The first few minutes were a little shaky," she said. "I think it was nerves. After we settled down a bit, we looked better."

All-state defender Isabelle Ferm set up the game's only goal, putting the ball on the foot of Kornmann who dribbled the ball all the way to the net, beating the Cougar keeper to her left.

The Tigers had a couple of other quality scoring opportunities but another goal wasn't needed as the always-stingy Farmington defense and keeper Ashley Becker kept the South offense muted.

Kayla Kucala "tough as nails..." (photo by Jim Lindquist)

"Kayla Kucala was tough as nails in the back," Randall said, "and Izzie Ferm showed us once again why she is an all-stater. Kali Allard and Sara Zak put a wall in the middle of the field and wouldn't let anything by them."

All that was good news for keeper Becker who needed only five saves in posting the shutout, most of them coming off Cougar corner kick opportunities.

Randall said her team is excited about returning to the section title game.

"We want the section championship and we definitely want to get to state," she said. "This has been our focus since Holy Angels and we are working each day to get the girls ready mentally and physically." 

North (12-2-3) enters the title game ranked ninth in the final regular season Class AA state poll. The Tigers head into the contest with a record of  10-4-4.

"We're tougher now, more so than we have been the whole season," Randall said. "The girls are finally playing the way I want them to and their progress is remarkable. We're winning games and our confidence is up."

Girls Soccer: Tigers make connections in section win

Kali Allard scored the third Farmington goal (photo by Jim Lindquist)

After the Tigers lost at Holy Angels 1-0 last week to drop out of the Missota Conference championship conversation, coach Tracie Randall said her team simply wasn't making he connections it needed to be successful on the offensive end of the field.

In Tuesday night's Section 1AA quarterfinal match-up with Rochester Century all circuits were open in a convincing 4-1 victory.

The win vaulted the third-seeded Tigers into Saturday's semifinals at second-seeded Lakeville South.

"The focus this week has been on intensity and teamwork," Randall said. "The conference season is gone. It would have been nice to win it again this year but it didn't happen. Now we are concentrating on the next three games and a chance to get to the Metrodome."

The visitors shocked the Tigers with the first score of the night on a perfectly placed free kick from 27 yards out that caught the upper right corner of the net.

Randall said that after three strong days of practice she wasn't all that concerned about her team's early deficit.

"Maybe earlier in the season I would have been worried because we have been in so many 1-0 and 0-0 games," she said. "But not tonight and not after seeing how hard we had worked for 90 minutes every day in practice."

The winners tied the count 11 minutes in on a pin-point crossing pass from Shannon McKnight to Nicole Doran and then took the lead for good on a Kelli Elmer rebound of a Sarah Zak shot with 26:40 remaining in the half.

Isabelle Ferm led a strong defensive effort (photo by J. Lindquist)

Farmington scored its third goal of the half with 10:32 remaining when Kari Allard directed Hannah Miller's corner kick into the net.

The Tigers dominated possession in the second period and scored the final goal of the night with 10 minutes remaining on a nifty individual move by Megan Graham who deked a Panther defender and hooked a shot by the outstretched Century goaltender.

The stingy Tiger defense led by all-stater Isabelle Ferm turned in another quality performance. Century had but one scoring opportunity after intermission. That hit the cross bar 18 minutes into the half.

Tiger keeper Ashley Becker had a relatively quiet night in net, stopping seven of eight shots she faced.

Saturday the Tigers head to South for a rematch with the Cougars. The teams battled to a scoreless overtime tie when they met in the same venue on Aug. 27.

"We'll be playing on grass do we'll be out working on our practice fields the next couple of days," Randall said. "We're excited to be playing them again."

Boys and Girls Soccer: A pair of threes

Both the Tiger girls and boys received the No. 3 seed and will play at home in the opening round of their respective Section 1AA post-season tournaments that begin this Thursday.

The boys kick off section play Thursday evening at 5:00 at Tiger Stadium against sixth-seeded Rochester John Marshall. The winner of that contest will take on the winner of No. 7 Lakeville South and No. 2 Lakeville North Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the higher seed.

The girls open section play Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Tiger Stadium against sixth-seeded Rochester Century. The winner advances to Saturday's semifinals (1:00 p.m.) against the winner of the first round game between No. 2 Lakeville South and No. 7 Rochester John Marshall.

A reminder to Tiger fans that section games are not included in the season ticket package sold by the high school. Admission fees will be charged to all fans.

Girls Soccer: Early goal lifts Stars by Tigers

Ashley Becker kept Tigers in the game (photo by J. Lindquist)

Holy Angels scored less than three minutes after the opening kickoff and then held on for a 1-0 win over the Tigers Tuesday night in Richfield.

The win locked up the Missota Conference title for the Stars who have won 13 of 14 games this season. The loss dropped the Tigers to 4-2 in league play and 7-4-4 overall.

"When they scored so fast it sucked the wind out of us," Farmington coach Tracie Randall said. "We played better in the second half but we are not making the connections we need to offensively. We need to get the ball in the back of the net."

The Tigers did manage to manufacture a couple of quality scoring chances in the second half but none produced a goal.

A scrum in front of the Holy Angels net following a corner kick with 11 minutes to play in regulation led to a flurry of bang-bang shots and a minute later another corner kick by Destiny Schmitz grazed the crossbar.

The Stars put constant pressure on the Tiger goal but Tiger keeper Ashley Becker was up to the task, making several acrobatic saves.

"Ashley had a great night out there," Randall said.

Randall said one positive to take away from the loss was the continued strong play of the defense. The Tigers have allowed just 13 goals in 15 games with five of them coming in a shutout loss to Eagan.

The Tigers close their regular season Thursday with a home game against Shakopee and then it's off to the Section 1AA playoffs next week.

"Winning the conference is gone now," Randall said. "We have to get ready for Shakopee and end the season with a win. Then we start looking to the section. We'll be working on getting more scoring opportunities up top."

The Tigers are 3-0-4 against section teams and should get a home game in next week's section quarterfinals.

Girls Soccer: A well-earned tie

Kelly Kornmann lets one fly (photo by Jim L1ndquist)

Farmington lost twice to Section 1AA champion Lakeville North last season, 3-0 during the regular season and 2-0 in the section title game.

Saturday afternoon's 0-0 overtime tie with the Panthers at Tiger Stadium didn't necessarily make up for those losses but it did show Tiger coach Tracie Randall her team is trending in the right direction.

"We came out strong and played as a team," Randall said. "We have changed our perspective and decided to come out the last few games and make our presence known.

The girls played with momentum and didn't want to allow any goals. Coming out tied is a definite win for us. We are making progress and trusting each other more."

The game was played in cold, wet and windy conditions and although those factors played a part in how the game was played, Randall said they didn't dictate the outcome.

" The weather was a factor, but the girls really worked through it," she said. "We were going in for good tackles and winning the 50/50 balls we should be winning."...We did a good job of keeping North out of our end of the field."

Keeper Ashley Becker (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Randall said all-stater Isabelle Ferm had one of her best games of the season and along with Kayla Kucala and Leah Kiage spearheaded the strong defensive effort.

The first year Tiger coach also liked the assertiveness of Megan Graham and the midfield play of  Kari Allard, Kelly Kornmann and Kelli Elmer. Hannah Miller also created some scoring chances up front.

Ashley Becker worked the Farmington nets and finished the day with six saves. The Tigers had nine shots on goal.

"This is the first time that we haven't loss to North," Randall said. "I couldn't be happier."

Farmington (4-1) travels to Richfield Tuesday for a game with Holy Angels (5-0) that could go a long way in deciding the Missota Conference title. The Tigers end their regular season Thursday at home versus Shakopee.

Free downloadable, high resolution image files from this game compliments of photographers Jim and Ruth Lindquist are available at http://sidekick.smugmug.com

Girls Soccer: Tigers still in Missota title hunt

Kelli Elmer scored the game-winner against Chanhassen (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers scored only one-goal in two games last week but a strong defense and some quality goalkeeping kept them in the hunt for the 2013 Missota Conference championship.

Chaska scored the only goal of the night on a controversial play in a 1-0 road loss on Tuesday.  Kelli Elmer's second half goal gave the Tigers a 1-0 home win on Thursday at Tiger Stadium.

The split of conference games leaves Farmington with a 4-1 league mark heading into Tuesday's showdown at Holy Angels against the unbeaten (5-0) Stars.

Tuesday's loss at Chaska came on a direct kick on which coach Tracie Randall said her team was caught off guard.

"The girls were waiting for the whistle from the referee as he had instructed," she said. "The Chaska player kicked the ball without the whistle. I don't think Ashley (goalie Becker) even saw it."

Despite the disappointing way the winning goal came about Randall said her team still has to find a way to generate more goals.

"I told the girls we have to show early and put some goals away," she said. "We held possession against Chaska about 80 percent of the time."

Thursday's Parent's Night victory over Chaska came in the 34th minute of the second half on a crossing pass from Megan Graham to Elmer.

The defense, led by Isabelle Ferm, Kayla Kucala, Leah Kiage and keeper Becker did the rest, helping post the team's seventh shutout of the season.

Tuesday's Missota Conference match-up with Holy Angels will pit the Stars' high-scoring offense (22 goals in five league games) against Farmington's stingy defense (one goal allowed in five games).

Game time is 7:30 at the StarDome in Richfield.

Girls Soccer: No tie this time; Tigers blank NP

Isabelle Ferm (photo by J. Lindquist)

With three ties on her team's ledger already, coach Tracie Randall made some lineup moves to help generate a little more offense.

Most of the switches paid dividends as the Tigers blanked New Prague 2-0 Thursday at Tiger Stadium.

The win raised Farmington's record to 6-2-3 and a perfect 3-0 in Missota Conference play.

"It was a fun night for us," Randall said. "All of the seniors started for us in honor of homecoming week...The girls focused on quick passes to keep possession."

One of Randall's moves paid off in the form of a first half goal. Nicole Doran, who is making the transition from defense to offense, found the net off a pass from Destiny Schmitz.

"Nicole has speed so I decided to play her up top to see if we could get more balls in the back of the net," Randall said.

Randall said she emphasized play in the middle of the field to keep the pressure off the defense and the strategy seemed to work.  Kali Allard and Kelly Kornmann were especially successful in that role.

Regular midfielder Hannah Miller made a mid-game switch with Kornmann, moving up to an attacker position.

"Kelly's eloquent touches and Hannah's explosive shot are a good combination," Randall said.

Megan Graham (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tiger coach also praised the midfield play of Rachael Welzin and Jennifer Miller.

The second half goal came on a header by all-stater Isabelle Ferm off a perfect corner kick by Megan Graham.

Ashley Becker worked the Tigers nets and recorded the shutout, her fourth of the season.

Randall said she will continue to look for the winning combination of players and positions.

"We're looking at how we can win, where our needs can best be met and by whom," she said.

The Tigers get back on the field Tuesday when they travel to Chaska for a Missota Conference game. Thursday they host Chanhassen at Tiger Stadium.

Girls Soccer: Tigers roll by Wingers 7-0

Destiny Schmitz 4 goals vs. Red Wing (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers turned a cool, rainy and windy night into a scoring clinic Tuesday with a breeze of a 7-0 Missota Conference victory at Red Wing. The win helped erase the meory of Monday's night's disappointing performance in a 5-0 loss at Eagan.

The split left Farmignton with a season record of of 5-2-3 and a perfect 2-0 mark against Missota Conference competition.

Destiny Schmitz scored three first-half goals and Sarah Zak added a fourth as the visitors roared to a 4-0 halftime lead against the winless Wingers. Hannah Miller had two assists in the opening half and Kelli Elmer and Kaitlyn LaCroix had one apiece.

"We came out to play and to make up for our shortcomings on Monday night," Farmington coach Tracie Randall said.

"Destiny (Schmitz) continued to show us why she is so important to our team's success. She is the kind of player that never quits and challenges herself each game. I have come to depend on her to keep the team afloat and help us out of bad situations."

Schmitz made it a four-goal night four minutes into the second half and Elmer and Shannon McKnight added scores late in the game to account for the final margin of victory. Kelly Kornmann and Emily Johnson each contributed second half assists.

Hannah Miller 2 first half assists (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Keeper Ashley Becker earned the shutout in her second outing since coming back from a shoulder injury.

"This was a feel good game and a game we much needed to win," Randall said. "The kids are getting sick, exhausted and mending their injuries but they dug deep to pull off the win."

The previous night in Eagan didn't go nearly as smoothly. The Wildcats scored four unanswered  goals in the first half of the one-sided contest.

"We didn't come to play," Randall said. "We were slow and weren't making connections. Our body language told the story...We had a halftime discussion about our lack of effort and that seemed to help. We played stronger in the second half and gave them (Eagan) more of a challenge."

Egan scored the only goal of the second half and raised its season record to 7-2-1.

Dani Wright and Becker shared the goalkeeping duties in the non-conference loss with Wright giving up one goal and Becker four.

Randall said midfielders Rachael Welzin and Emily Johnson and attacker Kelli Elmer all played well in defeat.

Thursday the Tigers return home to host New Prague in a Missota Conference game at Tiger Stadium.

Girls Soccer: A win and a tie

Kenya Macias scorer the second Tiger goal against Northfield (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers finished their week unbeaten, shutting out Northfield 2-0 Thursday at Tiger Stadium and battling to a 1-1 tie with Section 1 rival Rochester Mayo Saturday in Rochester.

The 1-0-1 week leaves Farmington with a season mark of 4-1-3 as it heads into a busy three-game schedule this week.

Destiny Schmitz  (from Hannah Miller) and Kenya Macias (from Sarah Zak) netted first half goals to account for all of the scoring in the Missota Conference opener against Northfield.

The shutout behind the strong play of goalie Dani Wright was the fourth in eight games for the Tigers who are giving up less than a goal (0.75) a game.

"It was another physical game and we played them well," coach Tracie Randall said. "I tell the girls at this point it's quality, not quantity. We have had so many chances for goals but we just have trouble finding the back of the net."

At Mayo on Saturday the Spartans broke open a scoreless tie with a goal early in the second half and had the lead until Shannon McKnight converted a penalty kick late in the game to force a pair of scoreless five-minute overtime periods.

The Tigers had 11 shots on goal in the contest. Tiger keeper Wright came up with six saves. (Shot stats courtesy of the Rochester Post-Bulletin).

"We had a strong effort from Kali Allard and Rachael Welzin in the middle and Nicole Doran and Kelli Elmer worked well together to get several good scoring opportunities," Randall said.

The injury list continued to grow during the physical contest. Kayla Kucala (thigh) and Isabelle Ferm (knee) both left the contest early although Randall said both should be ready for action this week.

The Tigers travel to Eagan on Monday for a non-conference game before heading to Red Wing on Tuesday for a Missota Conference contest. They return home Thursday for a league game with New Prague.

Shannon McKnight scored the tying goal against Mayo (photo by Jim Lindquist)

 NOTE: For free downloadable high resolution image files from the Northfield game visit Jim Lindquist's website at http://sidekick.smugmug.com

Girls Soccer: Zip-Zip

Farmington and Owatonna battled each other and the steamy weather for 90 minutes Saturday afternoon at Tiger Stadium but neither team went home a winner after a scoreless overtime tie.

It was the second time this season the Tigers have been involved in a no-goal game. They forged a 0-0 draw with Lakeville South in the third game of the year.

"We outplayed them, held possession and dominated in their back 30 but just couldn't find the energy to put the goals away," coach Tracie Randall said. "We have been practicing diligently on our offensive attack and getting support two our two players on top.

"I am still playing around with the idea of playing with three up top and four in the middle to create some more goal scoring opportunities...A tie isn't a loss, and overall, I think in terms of possession and shots on goal we won in our own rights."

Dani Wright started her third game in a row in goal and posted her second shutout. Starter Ashley Becker is expected back from a shoulder injury later this week.

The Tigers (3-1-2) open their Missota Conference season Thursday when they entertain Northfield at Tiger Stadium.

Girls Soccer: Bench helps Tigers blank Century

Kelly Kornmann scored both Tiger goals (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers used two second half goals and some quality bench play to down Rochester Century 2-0 Tuesday evening in Rochester.

The victory was the second straight for Farmington who raised its season mark to 3-1-1.

"We were scoreless but had possession most of the first half," Tiger coach Tracie Randall said. "We played well, worked together making some good passes and connecting with each other.

"We are working on getting more movement and relying on key players off the bench to come in and rest some of our starters due to various injuries. I am proud of the girls who came off the bench and put up a good fight, played smart and changed up the pace a bit."

Kelly Kornmann scored both of the second half goals for the winners with Kelli Elmer recording an assist.

Dani Wright started her second straight game in goal, filling in for the injured Ashley Becker, and logged her first varsity shutout with five saves.

Randall also singled out the solid play off the bench from Kaitlyn LaCroix, Emma Hall, Emily Johnson, Nicole Doran and Kenya Macias. 

"They came off the bench with some bite," she said, "and they all proved why it is important to have two strong lines to choose from. The girls really wanted a win and weren't going home without one."

The Tigers will try to extend their win streak to three games Saturday when the travel to Owatonna for a non-conference contest.

Girls Soccer: Tigers tame Rockets 4-2

Destiny Schmitz 2 goals, assist vs. John Marshall (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers kicked off their home season last Thursday night with a 4-2 non-conference win over Rochester John Marshall at Tiger Stadium.

The victory was the second straight for Farmington and raised its early season record to 2-1-1.

"The weather was steamy, but the Tigers came out ready to play," coach Tracie Randall said. "We had a lot of opportunities but took some shots with less power behind them....In the middle of the field, we played strong and gave the offense opportunities to score."


Shannon McKnight and Sarah Zak each found the net in the opening half and Destiny Schmitz put the game away with two goals in the second period.

Kelli Elmer switched positions, moving to middle attacker, and distributed the ball well, assisting on two of the goals. Schmitz and Megan Graham also recorded assists for the winners.

Kelli Elmer 2 assists (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers played the contest without the services of starting goalkeeper Ashley Becker who will be out of action for a couple of weeks with a shoulder injury

Sophomore Dani Wright stepped into fill the void and according to coach Randall did a commendable job.

"Dani stepped up and played nicely," Randall said. "There was miscommunication on the first goal which enabled JM to score fairly easily. The second goal was a tough one for even a more experienced goalie to stop."

The Tigers will take their two-game winning streak to Rochester Tuesday night where they take on Section 1 rival Rochester Century.

 NOTE: For free downloadable high resolution image files from this game visit Jim Lindquist's website at http://sidekick.smugmug.com

Girls Soccer: Heated battle ends in scoreless tie

All-state Isabelle Ferm (photo by Jim Lindquist)

With temperatures hovering around the 90 degree mark the Tigers battled Lakeville South to a 0-0 overtime tie Tuesday evening in Lakeville.

"The conditions were hot and the grass was long, so that really affected our speed," coach Tracie Randall said. "But we really played well. I was pleased with the outcome."

Randall said her team had its chances offensively with attackers Kelli Elmer and Kelly Kornmann each getting good looks at the net.

"Defensively, Izzie Ferm showed why she is one of the best in the state," Randall said. "She held the defensive line well and took charge on the counterattacks."

Randall also applauded the defensive efforts of Lia Kiage, Kayla Kucala and Nicole Doran and the midfield work of Sarah Zak, Kali Alard and Hannah Miller

"They didn't allow much space or movement by the Lakeville offense," she  said.

Keeper Ashley Becker kept the opposition off the board for the second time in thee starts. Becker has allowed just two goals this season.

The tie evened Farmington's season record at 1-1-1.

The Tigers return to the friendly confines of Tiger Stadium Thursday when they play host to Section1 rival Rochester John Marshall.

 

Girls Soccer: Tigers runner-up at Prior Lake

Kelly Kornmann 2 goals vs. Hill-Murray (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington won one and lost one to finish second at the four-team Prior Lake Invitational held over the weekend.

The Tigers opened their season Friday with an impressive 4-0 shutout of Hill-Murray. In Saturday's championship game they were on the receiving end of a 2-0 whitewash by Prior Lake.

"Given the loss, we played well against a good team," first year coach Tracie Randall said. "Last year they beat us 7-0 in the championship game, so we have made progress."

Randall said her team showed a few nerves in the first half of the Hill-Murray contest as well as having some problems executing its 4-4-3 offense. Still, they hit the halftime break on top 1-0 thanks to a goal by Kali Adriano-Allard.

"We changed things up nicely in the second half," Randall said."We went to to a 3-5-2 formation to add extra strength in the middle and provide for more opportunities up top."

The adjustment paid dividends as Kelly Kornmann scored twice and Adriano-Allard added her second of the night to account for the final margin of victory.

Goalkeeper Ashley Becker, who posted 10 shutouts last season, recorded her first of the 2013 season.

Prior Lake got a friendly bounce to score its first goal with three minutes to play before the end of the first half and added another score on a penalty kick after the break in the championship game.

"Two unlucky goals," Randall said, "but if we can hang with Prior Lake we can hang with some of the best teams in our conference."

The Tigers will face another South Suburban Conference team Tuesday when they travel to Lakeville South for a non-conference contest.

Ashley Becker 1st shutout of 2013 season (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Girls Soccer: New coach; same goal

All-stater Isabelle Ferm moves the ball upfield during a pre-season scrimmage

First year coach Tracie Randall takes the reins of the Tiger program this fall and she expects no drop off from last year when Farmington set a school record for wins (12) while advancing to the finals of the Section 1AA tournament.

"We definitely have another shot at the section championship," Randall said, "with our goal to advance to the state tournament."

The Tigers return two players who won state-wide recognition last fall: midfielder Isabelle Ferm who made the first all-state squad and goalkeeper Ashley Becker who received honorable mention.

Ferm and  Becker lead a a long list of veteran players returning from last year's section runner-ups, including seniors Kelli Elmer, Kelly Kornmann, Kayla Kucala, Hannah Miller, Kenya Macias and Marissa Muelken and juniors Kali Allard, Destiny Schmitz, Nicole Doran. Megan Graham and Sarah Zak.

Ferm,, Becker and Kucala were all-Missota Conference selections in 2012 while Miller received all-league honorable mention.

Three ninth-graders-Lea Kiage, Shannon McKnight and Morgan Reigner- along with senior newcomer Kaitlin LaCroix also figure to battle for varsity playing time this fall.

 

Randall said defense and goaltending (Becker posted 10 shutouts last year) should be two of her team's strongest assets.

"Hopefully we won't see much scoring in our end of the field," she said. "That plus we are strong in the middle and have powerful attackers in front...We are very team-oriented and our chemistry is unbreakable."

 

Ashley Becker 10 shutouts in 2012 (photo by J. Lindquist)

The first-year coach said that in the early going she expects her team to take some time to adjust to its new 4-3-3 offense and for younger players to get used to playing on the synthetic turf of Tiger Stadium.

Randall predicted Northfield could supply a stiff challenge in her team's run for Missota Conference honors with defending champion Lakeville North and Owatonna the primary obstacles to a first-ever trip to state.

Linda Crawford returns as B-squad coach with two new faces filling the other two high school assistant positions: Jennifer Gerwin (JV) and Kim Hall (ninth grade). Tiger baseball coach Jon Graff will coach the middle school team.

The Tigers kick off their 2013 season this Friday and Saturday with an appearance in the four-team Prior Lake Invitational tournament.