Ranger boys win twice, girls split over weekend

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The Brookings Rangers’ boys varsity team picked up two league wins over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, while the girls split leaves them with a league record of 1-1-1 on the year.

The boys defeated Sioux Falls (2), 9-1, on Friday at the Scheels Ice Plex in Sioux Falls, then took down Sioux Center, 7-1.

The Rangers’ girls fell 10-0 to the defending state champion Aberdeen Cougars on Saturday, but rebounded with a 5-4 win in overtime at Oahe on Sunday.

BOYS

Friday

 Brookings 9, Sioux Falls (2) 1

The Rangers out-shot the Flyers 33-10 in picking up a decisive win on Friday night.

Logan Bortnem scored on the power play 7:58 into the first period to give the Rangers the early lead. Jack Merritt and Ashton Witte had the assists.

Bortnem add his second goal just under three minutes later off a Merritt assist to double the Brookings lead to 2-0.

With 57 seconds left in the period, Brody Powers tallied on the power play to put the Rangers up 3-0 heading to the first intermission. Luke Honkomp and Trenton Pederson had the assists on Powers’ goal.

Pederson scored 3:05 into the second period on another power play to up the lead to 4-0. Owen Schneider had the helper.

Talon Richter made it 5-0, unassisted, just 34 seconds later, and Breck Hirrschoff found the back of the net off assists from Bortnem and Witte to increase the lead to 6-0.

Zach Struck made it 7-0 three minutes later, from Honkomp and Pederson.

The Flyers finally got on the board 3:41 into the third period, but Witte re-opened the seven goal margin with 3:12 to play, again on the power play, to make it 8-1.

Bortnem completed his hat trick with 1:52 to play. Merritt had the assist, his third of the game, for a playmaker.

Six Ranger goals were scored on the power play as the Flyers racked up 33 minutes in penalties in the game.

Kade Brecher earned the win in goal, stopping nine of 10 shots he faced.

Sunday

 Brookings 7, Sioux Center 1

Hirrschoff scored four goals and both Witte and Schneider had three assists as the Rangers defeated the Storm, 7-1, on Sunday morning at Sioux Center.

Schneider scored near the midpoint of the first period to give Brookings a 1-0 lead. Witte had the assist.

Hirrschoff scored his first goal of the game at 8:37 of the second period to put Brookings up 2-0, but the Storm would respond two minutes later to cut the lead in half at 2-1.

Hirrschoff scored again - this time on the power play - with 3:35 left in the second period, off assists from Merritt and Schneider, to make it 3-1, then Richter scored a power play goal of his own 30 seconds later off an assist from Powers to make it 4-1.

Just 21 seconds later, Witte made it 5-1 off an assist from Hirrschoff, and with 19 seconds left in the period Hirrschoff added his third goal off assists from Merritt and Jacob Drew to give Brookings a 6-1 lead going to the third period.

Hirrschoff scored his and the final Rangers’ goal of the game with 5:12 left to play, off assists from Schneider and Witte, to provide for the final 7-1 margin.

Brecher again claimed the win in goal, stopping 15 of 16 shots.

The Rangers out-shot Sioux Center 54-16 in the win.

Brookings hits the road again this weekend for games at Yankton (Friday, 6 p.m.) and at Mitchell (Saturday, 4 p.m.).

GIRLS

Saturday

 Aberdeen 10, Brookings 0

The two-time defending state champion Aberdeen Cougars picked up a dominating win against Brookings on Saturday afternoon.

The Cougars out-shot Brookings 25-8 in the win, scoring twice in the first period and four times each in the second and third periods.

Brookings was 0-1 on the power play while Aberdeen converted two of three opportunities with the advantage.

Sunday

 Brookings 5, Oahe 4 (OT)

Savannah Barber scored in overtime to net herself a hat trick and give the Rangers a 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon in the capital city.

Brookings got on the scoreboard 3:31 into the game when Taryn Richter scored off assists from Miyah Foerster and Barber to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.

Kiran Vugteveen made it 2-0 at the midpoint of the period. Anna Rasmussen had the helper.

The Capitals answered just nine seconds later to cut the lead in half at 2-1.

Oahe would tie the game at two a minute later, then take a 3-2 lead with 2:33 left in the period and maintain the lead going into the locker room for the first intermission.

Barber scored her first goal 2:17 into the second period off an assist from Richter to tie the game at three each, but the Capitals would again answer quickly as just 14 seconds elapsed before they scored to make it 4-3.

Barber’s second goal of the game found the back of the net three minutes in the third period off a Julissa Peterson assist.

After a scoreless final 14 minutes of the third period sent the game to an extra session, Barber completed her hat trick with the game-winner to give the Rangers a 5-4 win.

Aletha Baker stopped 18 of 22 shots she faced for the win in goal.

Brookings will travel to Yankton (Friday, 6 p.m.) and Mitchell (Saturday, 4 p.m.) before returning home on Sunday to take on Huron at 2 p.m.