Park’s young skaters got a bit of a varsity hockey lesson as the host Wolfpack took on visiting Forest Lake in a girls hockey season opener Saturday at the Cottage Grove Ice Arena.

The visiting Rangers grabbed a 2-1 lead after the first period and held it the rest of the contest for a 4-2 Suburban East Conference win.

“You know we’ve got to play a little better position,” said Park head coach Bay Shock. “Too many times we left people in front of the net, careless.”

Forest Lake’s Emma Brust put one in the back of the net just 2:16 into the game. Park knotted it at 1-all seven minutes later on a first-period goal by eighth grader Natalie Post. Shauna Miller and Samantha Miller combined for the assists.But Forest Lake scored again near the end of the first period and led the rest of the way. Park missed several scoring chances until the final minutes.

The Wolfpack went 0-for-5 in power play situations. Not that Forest Lake was much better, as the Rangers were just 1 for 6. Park, however, missed out on rare fiveon- three situations several times.

“I think we had three five-on-threes and you usually don’t practice stuff like that because when do you ever get them? And then you get three of them in a row,” said Shock.

Trailing 4-1, Park senior forward Shauna Miller scored on an even strength goal at the 15:29 minute of the third period, this time with Post recording the assist.

“Third period I thought we played all right,” added Shock. “The intensity – that’s kind of what we’re looking for, that intensity and winning some battle to the puck. And Shauna mad a really nice goal, driving the net, driving around the defender. And then in the first period the excitement, we’ve got an eighth grade kid, Natalie Post, scores her first goal in her first game. And you’ve got to try and carry that excitement next shift, and next shift and next shift.”

Forest Lake also had many more opportunities at the net, attempting 23 shots on goal to just a dozen for the Wolfpack.

“We’ve got to get more shots on goal, too,” added Shock.

Park (0-1) skates against Irondale/St. Anthony (0-1) on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Schwans Super Rink, National Sports Center in Blaine, starting at 7 p.m.