Tears, cheers for departing Muskies

The sensation they felt after playing their last game in a black-and-gold jersey was as unimaginable as colour to a dog—and as real as your toaster at home.
The Muskies had just lost 1-0 to the St. Michael’s Double Blues (Etobicoke) in the OFSAA quarter-finals Friday afternoon at the Tecmuseh Arena near Windsor, and the six players graduating from the team spoke while shock and unfamiliarity still were being absorbed in their minds.
It was over—their time with the Muskies had come to an end.
“I think it sunk in the moment that buzzer went. It was like ‘That’s it,’” said Muskie captain David Pierce.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. It might on the bus or at home,” said goalie Jason Green.
“It’s sad to end it now,” echoed Brett Perreault. “There’s much more we could’ve done in that game, but there’s nothing we can do now.”
“It hurts right now, but when you look back on it, it was a good game. Everyone played their best and they [St. Michael’s] were a tough team,” said Tyler Pocock.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk in fully, but it definitely hurts knowing that it was your last game,” added Jordan Bale.
“We knew it was do-or-die, and we came out trying to do our best and trying to do whatever [head coach Shane] Bliss asked of us and do all the little things that count,” noted Brian Vargas.
Maybe it’s the knowledge that a chapter of their lives had come to an end, maybe it’s the way it came to a close, or maybe it’s just that it was just simply over.
Whatever the reason, this much is certain—they all were dismayed by the fact they had laced up their skates for the last time with the Muskies.
“It was pretty quiet [in the locker-room after the loss],” said Pocock. “It didn’t really sink in because we’ve had such a good ride here, so it was pretty quiet.”
But as those six filed out of the dressing room and into the lobby of the Tecumseh Arena, where a large contingent from Rainy River District had gathered, they were treated with respect and admiration for the sacrifices each had made to give the Muskies a chance at OFSAA.
“I said that they can’t hang their heads,” said Muskie head coach Shane Bliss. “I know it’s disappointing that the season’s over, but they did a [heck] of a job and they worked their butts off, and they kept coming back and kept getting stronger and stronger.”
Pierce was the team’s leading scorer at OFSAA with four goals while Bale led in assists with four. Vargas contributed three assists while Perreault was credited with one assist.
And Green, of course, was brilliant between the pipes. But more than just output can differentiate them.
In their captain (Pierce), the Muskies found unrelenting leadership that was seen not only on the ice, but it, as well. And in Green, the Muskies discovered a player who showed how to take advantage of a second chance after having a lackluster outing at the all-Ontarios in London the previous year.
“I think Pierce really led the team this weekend and ‘Greener’ stood on his head for us, and if we didn’t have them, then we wouldn’t be here,” said Perreault.
In Perreault, the Muskies saw a player that was a pillar along the boards and in front of their net. Pocock was a player who showed heart every time he stepped onto the ice (the balance of the 23-man roster are all eligible and have expressed interest in returning to the team for the 2005/06 season).
Then there was Vargas, who probably had the most unique story of the bunch.
Mostly due to his age, Vargas was one of the first groups to be cut during the Muskie tryouts. But he stuck with the team as a practice squad player and when a space opened up for him in the middle of the season, he got his chance.
“I was cut right off the bat but I didn’t give up because I wanted to play Muskie hockey,” said Vargas.
“They have a lot of talent on this team and I had faith in them, and that’s why I stuck around,” he added. “Bliss saw my determination and me wanting to play hockey and gave me that chance, and I rose to it.”
Without Vargas, the Muskies might not have been able to get to OFSAA. He scored the first goal, then assisted on Tyler Miller’s game-winning tally in a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the NorWOSSA final against the host Dryden Eagles.
“I just skate as hard as I can and do what I can for the team,” said Vargas. “I tried to prove everybody wrong. I was cut and I wanted to prove that I was a hard worker and that I can give something to this team.”