MINNEAPOLIS &045; The 2002-03 Albert Lea A Squirts Blue hockey team ended its season on a positive not at the Minneapolis Washburn Wings of Spring tournament last weekend.

In the first game, the locals lost 7-2 to a strong Orono squad. Scoring for Albert Lea were Ryan Evenson, assisted by Mason Tuohy, and Casey Marka unassisted. Ray Stephenson was in the net.

Albert Lea lost 4-1 to Faribault in game two. Tyler Woodside scored the Blue team’s goal and provided, in coach Fred Nelson’s opinion, the best after-goal celebration of the season.

The last game of the tournament and the season was a classic matchup of the Albert Lea Squirts A Blue Team against the Albert Lea Squirts A White Team.

The intent of the coaches at the beginning of the season was to split the two teams equally. Earlier in the season the White Team defeated the Blue team by one goal.

It was Coach Nelson’s opinion that the two teams were split equally, though there were those who speculated who the best Albert Lea Squirts team was, and it seemed that the title was going to be decided in the last game of the season.

The White team scored first, but the Blue team answered with a goal by Tuohy. The first period ended with a 1-1 tie.

The only goal in the second period was scored by the Blue’s Dillon Stolt, assisted by Ty Anderson and Sam Gackstetter.

In the third, Evenson scored on assists by Auston Larson and Mason Tuohy. After a goal by the White team, Cody Haaland scored unassisted for Blue for a final score of 4-2.

Two players who did not get any points for the game but put in a strong performance were defensemen Marka and Ashton Wangen. Forwards who did not get any points during the game but who had strong performances were Luke Cheevers, J.T. Bellrichard, Woodside and Tyler Osmundson.

In the net for the blue team was John Wrolson, who played well as he did all season. Goalie Ray Stephenson made good improvement all season.

The team’s other coaches were Tim Colstrup and Randy Wrolson.