BROOKINGS/PIERRE – The Rangers notched a pair of league wins over the weekend to improve to 3-0 in the South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association standings.
Brookings downed Oahe, 8-4, on Saturday in Ft. Pierre before shutting out Fremont, 7-0, on Sunday at Larson Ice Center.
The Rangers play host to Huron at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
• Brookings 7, Fremont 0
The Rangers fired 28 shots on goal compared to 14 for the Flyers as Dylan Geraets stopped all 14 for the shutout win.
Brenden Way scored off a setup by Dominic Dobesh and Max Kjelden to give Brookings a 1-0 lead after a period before the Rangers tacked on four more goals in the second to take control.
Cody Niklason scored off an assist from Matt Chapin, and then, Austin Lesnar tallied an unassisted goal. Alec Nielson made it 4-0 with the assists going to Chapin and Niklason before Joel Syrstad cashed in on a power-play opportunity as Chapin and Niklason notched another helper.
In the third, Lesnar found the back of the net as Trevor Kuechenmeister and Mason Gerstner earned assists and then, Kuechenmeister closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal.
• Brookings 8, Oahe 4
The Rangers converted two power-play chances to take a 3-1 lead after a period as Brandin Heesch and Kurt Gutormson netted the puck with the man advantage. Kuechenmeister and Kjelden set up the respective goals as Dobesh added another goal off assists from Kjelden and Ike Johnson.
Chapin and Niklason lit the lamp to open the second period as Nielson assisted on both, with Kuechenmeister helping on the second. Syrstad and Dobesh tallied back-to-back goals as Dobesh set up Syrstad and Way and Kjelen helped Dobesh as the Rangers increased their advantage to 7-3 through two.
Dobesh added an insurance goal in the third – a power-play goal set up by Way – before the Capitals scored late for the final margin.
Geraets notched 10 saves to pick up the win in net.
