Northfield Girls Hockey Hands Faribault Second Conference Loss

The Northfield Raiders scored a power play goal early in Thursday night's showdown against Faribault at the Northfield Ice Arena.

It was all the scoring they would need as sophomore goalie Mallory Tidona recorded her second shutout of the season.

Faribault senior goalie Lauren Werner kept the Falcons in the game with 25 saves.

Tidona had 18 saves in the big win. Big because it was a four-point game in the conference standings.

Faribault had just received some respect in the latest Let's Play Hockey rankings, which came out Wednesday.

The Falcons were rated 17th in Class A while the Raiders were rated 19th. Red Wing is ninth and Owatonna 16th out of the Big Nine.

New Prague is seventh.

The only goal scored in the game came early -- 1:58 seconds into the game, Faribault eighth-grader Olivia Moreland was whistled for slashing.

With :23 seconds to go in the power play, Northfield freshman Kate Boland scored her third goal of the season on an assist from Brie Forster. It was the sophomore's third assist of the year.

Shots were at a premium in this game, with both teams playing very well defensively and both goalies bringing their A games.

Faribault didn't get to apply much pressure on the Raider goalie with just 18 total shots, including only four in the third period.

Both teams had six shots on goal in the first period. Northfield had nine shots and Faribault eight shots on goal in the second period and the Raiders held the advantage in the third period 11 to four.

Northfield was 1 for 4 on the power play and Faribault was 0 for 2.

Before the game, Falcons head coach Ali Miller told Power 96 the keys to a tough road win for her team would be outshooting Northfield and staying out of the penalty box.

Faribault is now tied for first place in the Big Nine because Rochester John Marshall rolled over Red Wing 8-1 in Rochester and that was a four-point win for the Rockets.

The Raiders are just four points out of first place with a 7-3 conference mark. The Falcons are 11-2, John Marshall is 10-2, Red Wing 6-2 and two points ahead of Northfield. The 7-3 Owatonna Huskies are two points behind Northfield and six points behind Faribault and John Marshall.

Northfield hosts Red Wing next Thursday.

Faribault hosts Rochester Century on Tuesday they goes to Austin next Saturday.

The Falcons did beat Rochester John Marshall in a four-point game earlier this season.

Owatonna lost a non-conference game Thursday against Farmington 6-1 in Farmington.

Mankato East edged Mankato West 2-1.

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