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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

15 years

• The Albert Lea girls’ hockey team traveled to Mankato and lost to Mankato West 3-1. Lauren Klick had the only goal of the game for the Tigers.
• The Albert Lea Thunder hockey team was offering a $350 skybox special at the Albert Lea City Arena which included four Jake’s Pizzas and up to 40 beverage and 20 game tickets.
• Loren Kaiser of Albert Lea rolled his 14th career 300 game when bowling at the Holiday Lanes.
• After retiring during the middle of the previous season, former Minnesota Wild Wes Walz was returning to Minnesota for a game as an assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

20 years

• Warren Spahn, who was the winningest left-hander in baseball history and a leader of the Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s died at his home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, at the age of 82.
• The Albert Lea girls’ hockey team went to 2-0 on the season with an 11-3 victory over the Austin Packers. Amy Leach, Laura Hillman and Karissa Lau each scored two goals, with Sarah Jensen, Brittany Arendt, Christine Tubbs, Heather Bagley and Tessa Christensen each adding one.
• The Albert Lea High School bowling team advanced to the state tournament for the second straight year when they took first place at the South Central tournament. Brandon Boekelman received All-Conference for the second year in a row for the team that was coached by Loren Kaiser.
• Albert Lea soccer player Sophie Miller was named to the Minnesota Olympic Development Team.

50 years

• Jack Gordon resigned as coach of the Minnesota North Stars and was replaced by Parker McDonald.
• Freshman Chuck Johnson of Wells was named Most Valuable Player for the University of Minnesota Technical College-Waseca football team.
• The Albert Lea Tigers wrestling team opened their season with a 33-20 win over Minneapolis Edison at the Southwest gym. Tom Ehrhardt, Dennis Cochlin, Bruce Anderson, Steve Egland, Gary Serrano, Steve Ferrie, Reid Katzung and Larry Miller picked up wins for the Tigers.
• Former Albert Lea Tiger football player Dan Fahrman was selected Most Valuable Player by his teammates at Concordia College in Moorhead. He was also selected to the MIAC All-Conference Team.
• Orrie Jirele opened his coaching career in Albert Lea with a 60-39 win over Minneapolis Patrick Henry. Steve Ladwig scored 18 points in the win. In the b-squad game, Rich Wendorff scored 17 points and Jeff Curry scored 12 in the Bengals 58-30 win.
• In the first of many clashes between hockey coaches Roy Nystrom and Lorne Grosso, the Mayo Spartans defeated Albert Lea 13-1. Sophomore Dale Hendrickson got the only Tiger goal with an assist to John Breuer.

Alumni update

Seth Larson of Columbia, Missouri, son of 1984 Albert Lea High School graduates Andy and Kris (Hareid) Larson is a 6-foot, 5-inch junior forward on the Culver-Stockton men’s college basketball team in Canton, Missouri. Through his first six games, he is averaging 13.3 points per game for the Wildcats