Things still aren’t getting any easier for the Albert Lea Thunder, but the team showed a lot of improvement Saturday night in a 3-2 shootout loss to Alexandria at the City Arena in Albert Lea.

Bryce Ravndalen scored the game-winner for the Blizzard (13-6-2) in the shootout and Alexandria escaped with a victory.

The Blizzard lead the Central Division and picking up a point may go a long way for the Thunder and the team’s confidence after suffering a blowout loss to Owatonna last weekend.

“They’re starting to come around,” Albert Lea head coach Brad Zangs said. “We just took the No. 1 team to a shootout. It’s a positive.”

The Thunder looked as strong as it ever has this season. Despite the loss, Albert Lea earned a much-needed point and can use the game as a jumping off point as it enters an arduous portion of the schedule beginning next weekend with a road trip to Bismarck.

Albert Lea captain Danny Wood returned to the lineup after missing the past three games with an acromioclavicular joint, or ac joint, sprain. Wood made an impact almost immediately when he set up a Nikita Feoktistov goal 1 minute, 34 seconds into the first period to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Wood’s presence seemed to be a big lift for the Thunder as the team came out with more intensity in the first period than it has shown in earlier games.

“I thought we made some good strides out there,” Wood said. “We were a lot more sound in our defensive zone.”

Albert Lea outshot the Blizzard 40-21 in the game and controlled most of the action in the game. The Thunder had its chances to put the game away, but a number of shots hit the post. Jimmie Perkins hit a post twice and Wood clanked one off the goal as well. Tom Glomski had a breakaway late in the third period but Albert Lea had a hard time finding goals.

The Thunder outshot Alexandria in every period, but the Blizzard took advantage on the power play.

Alexandria’s Noah Nemgar tied the game at the 13:16 mark in the first on a power play goal that bounced off the skate of Thunder defenseman Jeff Lesmeister. The Blizzard took a 2-1 lead early in the third period when Jon Swavely scored another power play goal, this time at the 3:18 mark.

Seventeen seconds after the Thunder had killed off a penalty, Feoktistov was whistled for hooking. Alexandria didn’t let the second opportunity slip through its hands. The Blizzard scored its second power play goal after Anthony Brown was called for high sticking 1:31 into the third period.

It appeared penalties were once again going to be the ruin for Albert Lea but Brown redeemed himself late in the third period.

Albert Lea responded at the 15:51 mark when defenseman Josh Botimer fed Brown a pass. Brown fired a shot from the left circle that went in glove side to tie the game 2-all.

“What I’m happy about is that they never gave up,” Zangs said.

In overtime the Thunder dominated play, outshooting the Blizzard 5-1, but couldn’t find the net.

In the shootout Nemgar and Ravndalen scored and Albert Lea failed to cash in.

The overtime loss gave the Thunder its first point since defeating Bismarck Oct. 25.

Alexandria was without its top scorer Jerry Freismuth. Freismuth has 10 goals and 20 assists on the season.

Tom Lescovich bounced back from a terrible game against Owatonna, where he let in five goals in two periods, with 18 saves on 20 shots. Lescovich made a number of tough glove saves and endured a barrage of shots in the final minute of regulation.

“The boys really played well tonight and made it a lot easier,” Lescovich said. “They were blocking shots, they were letting me see the puck.”

Albert Lea begins a tough stretch of games on the road next weekend when the team travels to Bismarck to play Friday and Saturday night, then returns home to face Owatonna to finish the weekend. The Thunder will play 11 games in the next four weeks.

“We’ve got to be playing up tempo,” Wood said. “We’re going to be tired, we’re going to be fatigued, no doubt about it. We’ve got to be ready to go when we get back. We’ve really got to start putting some points away from Owatonna.”

GOAL SCORING:

1st period: Albert Lea — Nikita Feoktistov (Mitch Torrel, Danny Wood) 1:34

Alexandria — Noah Nemgar (power play) (Brandon Bahnemann) 13:16

Period 2

(no scoring)

Period 3

Alexandria — Jon Swavely (power play) (Kyle Politz, Trent Johnson) 3:18

Albert Lea — Anthony Brown (Josh Botimer) 15:51

POWER PLAY CONVERSION: Alexandria 2 for 5, Albert Lea 0 for 5

SHOTS: 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total

Alexandria 7 11 1 1 1 21

Albert Lea 17 17 1 5 0 40