Lakers top Blades 4-1

Boasting a two-game win steak over the Lakers  that saw the Steele County Blades score a combined 10 goals, Head coach Nick Adamek’s team were searching for a much needed win in USPHL league play. 
After a loss Saturday night, the Blades were searching for answers. 
Powered by two power play goals from Jared Fladebo, the Forest Lake Lakers (10-13) defeated the Steele County Blades 4-1 Saturday night at the Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna. Head coach Nick Adamek said that a lot of the issues tonight stemmed from being ill-prepared. 
“I think it goes back to being prepared. Really, we weren’t prepared to play that game to start,”  he added. 
Just 1:50 into the game, Blades defensemen Chase Wedding was assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking, giving the Lakers the first powerplay of the game. 
Despite being a man down, the Blades defense did not allow a shot on goal until just under 30 seconds left in the Lakers’ man adavantage. However, that first shot accounted for Forest Lake’s first of three first period goals.  After receving a centering pass in the neutral zone, Lakers forward Jared Fladebo managed to beat Blades goalie Mike Severson with a shot to the top right corner. 
Just minutes later, the Lakers were back on the powerplay after Jake Freise was assessed a minor for high-sticking. 
It wouldn’t take long for Fladebo to net his second goal of the game, registering the game’s second goal just :31 seconds on the man advantage. 
The Blades struggled to kill the powerplay in the period, going 0 for 2 while allowing nearly seven shots on goal during those penalty kills. The Lakers were 2 for 4 on the powerplay for the evening. 
With just under three minutes left in the first period, the Lakers were assesed a minor penalty for hooking, giving the Blades their first chance on the powerplay. 
However, after generating a turnover in the nuetral zone, Lakers forward Tom Strelow, made a nifty move on Severson to net the final goal in the period, and giving the Blades a 3-0 deficit into the intermission. While the Lakers had thier luck on the man advantage, the Blades struggled, going 0 for 2 in the contest. 
The deficit wasn’t because the Blades weren’t able to do anything, but largely due to Forest Lake’s aggressive attack on the forecheck. In fact, despite the 3-0 hole, the Blades were only trailing the Lakers 15 to 14 in shots on goal. 
Trailing in every statistical category coming out of the intermission, the slow start for start for the Blades appeared to be wearing off. 
Five minutes into the second period, the Blades were able get on the board after Friese was able to beat Lakers goalie Jessie Heisz’ glove. 
The Blades managed to get eight shots on goal in the period, while Forest Lake managed just 5. 
However,  neither team was able to get any quality scoring attempts. 
After a flurry of shots in the Blades’ zone, forward Clayton Hass was assessed Steele County’s third penalty of the contest after he grabbed a platyer’s stick, giving him two. 
The Blades were able to kill the penalty which ended the seocond period. 
Much of the third period felt similar to the second. The Blades were getting pucks on the net but were unable to capitalize. Adamek contributed that to guys not attacking the net. 
“We’ve really been pushing shot from anywhere, shot from everywhere. You never know when goalie are going to be prepared, not prepared. 
“We did good job of shooting from anywhere and everwhere, but we had some issues of guys not going to the net. So if the goalie makes a mistake, and the pucks sitting right in front of him and you’re not there, he can make up for that,” he added. 
After pulling the goalie in attempt to capitalize on some of thier attempts, the Blades surrendered a empty-net goal with just under a minute left in the game. 
After the loss, Adamek stressed that the work ethic always has to be present. 
“We can’t be a hockey team that takes time off,” he added. 
With the loss, the Blades fall to fifth in the USPHL standings. 

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The three stars of the game were Freise (third), Strelow (Second) and Fladebo (First).