Lakeville North goaltender Ryan Edquist wanted to do whatever he could to help the Panthers defeat rival Farmington as the teams squared off in a South Suburban Conference clash Saturday night at Ames Arena. 

But Edquist also had an individual aim in mind as he faced the Tigers for a second time: redemption.

Edquist, who transferred from Shattuck-St. Mary’s after last season, kicked off his Lakeville North career by allowing a season-high five goals as the Panthers escaped Schmitz Maki Arena in Farmington with a one-goal overtime victory in the season opener. It was not the first impression Edquist had hoped to make. 

The junior doesn’t need to worry about his second impression. Edquist atoned for his shaky performance in late November by making 20 saves and leading Lakeville North to a 6-0 victory over the Tigers. The Panthers, ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches poll, improved to 17-0 overall and 10-0 in league play with the victory.

Lakeville coach Trent Eigner said he didn’t need to address Edquist’s performance from the first game with Farmington leading up to Saturday’s matchup.

“I saw it in his eyes and I saw it in his preparation that he wanted to play and he wanted to prove to these guys the type of goaltender he was,” Eigner said.

Goalie is arguably one of the most vital positions on a hockey team, but Eigner said he doesn’t worry about Edquist because the Minnesota commit takes his preparation seriously.

“He is just a focused kid, and it’s ironic to say this about a high school player, but he is a true professional when it comes to the way he approaches the game and the way he approaches getting ready for games and the focus and detail that he has in preparation,” Eigner said. 

Edquist came into the game prepared to have a strong performance, but he wasn’t planning on holding the Tigers scoreless.

“I wasn’t thinking about (the shutout),” Edquist said. “I was just preparing just like any other game. It was just another hockey game like any other time.”

Edquist displayed a quiet confidence in earning his fifth shutout of the season. He kept his composure no matter the situation and had no issues clearing the puck on Farmington breakaways, which wasn’t the case the last time he faced the Tigers. 

“The guys came out and played really well in front of me and made it easy for me,” Edquist said. 

The Poehling brothers, Jack and Nick, were outstanding on the other end of the ice as the pair gave Lakeville North an early 2-0 lead. Jack scored on a hard shot from the circle with 13:25 left in the first period, and a top-shelf goal from Nick four minutes later extended the lead to 2-0. 

The Panthers increased their lead with four goals the second period and secured the victory behind Edquist, who continued to deny the Farmington forwards.

With eight regular season games to play, Lakeville North has turned its focus from continuing the unbeaten streak to just playing well in each game. 

“We’ve always said that if we play well, we’ll live with the result,” Eigner said. “If we are prepared the right way, our mindset is right, our work ethic is great, if all of those factors are in place, then we just play and ultimately the result is the result.”

First Report

Junior goaltender Ryan Edquist finished the night perfect, and so did Lakeville North.

Edquist stopped all 20 shots he faced and the Panthers remained undefeated after a 6-0 victory over Farmington in a South Suburban Conference clash Saturday night at Ames Arena. 

Nick Poehling led the offensive charge with two goals for Lakeville North (17-0), ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches poll. The Panthers improved to 10-0 and stayed atop the conference standings with the victory.

The Poehling brothers, Jack and Nick, gave Lakeville North an early 2-0 lead. Jack scored on a hard shot from the circle with 13:25 left in the first period, and a top-shelf goal from Nick 4 minutes later extended the lead to 2-0.

Tensions were high throughout the matchup between the rivals, and emotions reached a boil as a skirmish broke out at the end of the first period. Officials separated players from both teams and assessed coincidental minor penalties.

While Edquist had a strong game in net, Farmington’s Gage Overby did not. Overby gave up  five goals 26 minutes, including the final one to Henry Enebak midway through the second that period that resulted in the Tigers bringing Gavin Enright into the game. 

No. 15-2A Farmington drops to 12-5 overall and 6-4 in league play with the loss.

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