There was improvement, but not quite enough to take down the top team in the state.

The Aberdeen Cougars produced a better effort than a previous meeting with Brookings, but still fell to the Rangers 2-0 in girls’ hockey action Friday night on Senior Night at the Odde Ice Center.

The Cougars have failed to score in both meetings against the team with the best record in the state, although they had some chances.

“We just need to start shooting the puck a little bit more,” said Aberdeen coach Amy Munsterman-Wills. “We’re moving it around, especially like on our power plays, we’re moving it around, we’re making passes, but we have to start just actually shooting the puck. That’s where it’s going to go in. That’s how you score goals.”

Aberdeen had 19 shots against the Rangers, but could not put one in the back of the net.

“They’re a tough team to get the puck past, but not impossible,” said Cougars senior Kaylee Dixon. “We’re still kind of figuring out our offense and how to get goals in general, but we keep getting better every game.”

Not only is it difficult to score on Brookings, it’s tough to keep the Rangers off the scoreboard. The squad moves the puck and puts pressure on opposing defenses.

“Most teams that we play, they don’t move around the zone as well,” Cougars senior Kylie Herman. “This team knows how to cycle the puck and never stop their feet, so that’s definitely a challenge to defend against.”

Aberdeen allowed just single goals in the second and third period thanks to the stellar play of Chloe Vikander, who had 26 saves.

“She had some great saves today,” Munsterman-Wills said.

The Cougars were able to make some adjustments and kept Brookings out of their zone more as the game wore on.

“I think we definitely came out with a lot higher intensity,” Herman said. “We just needed to take a few breaths between the second and the third to kind of regroup and come back a little stronger than we did.”

When asked the difference between the 4-0 setback the first time and the most recent contest against Brookings, Dixon responded, “It was kind of a mix of both effort and strategy. The last time we played them we didn’t come out with enough intensity and I think this time we were prepared and we kicked it up a notch.”

Teams need to play at a high level for all three periods against the Rangers, who have lost just one league game all season.

“From the very beginning that first period our girls came out with really hard intensity, and were moving their feet. They were working well with each other, too,” Munsterman-Wills said. “That was awesome. Something with a team like this you have to try and maintain for three full periods.”

Dixon said Senior Night, which included a slide show of the six seniors before puck drop, provided an emotional environment.

“It was definitely very emotional,” Dixon said, “but you kind of tune those emotions into your work ethic and focusing on the work you need to do.”

The Cougars do not have any time to relax. The are back in action hosting Sioux Falls at noon today, before hosting Watertown at 3 Sunday afternoon.

“I think our main goals are just keep up the intensity, keep up the effort,” Dixon said, “and let’s try and get some goals in the back of the net and win.”

Brookings Rangers 0 1 1 – 2

Aberdeen Cougars 0 0 0 – 0

First Period: No scoring.

Second Period: 1, BR, Sawyer Triplett (Julissa Peterson), 8:11.

Third Period: 3, BR, Kinzey Grendler (Triplett, Miyah Foerster), 11:15.

Shots on Goal: Brookings Rangers 28; Aberdeen Cougars 19.

Goalies: Brookings Rangers, Rorii Quam (19 saves); Aberdeen Cougars, Chloe Vikander (26 saves).