Muskies lose nail-biters in Dryden

The Muskie boys’ hockey team was not able to close the gap with the first-place Dryden Eagles, falling by a 2-1 score there last night.
Brian White had the lone goal for the black-and-gold, which came unassisted on the power play in the third period.
“It wasn’t such a bad loss, [but] we didn’t play our best or smartest game,” noted Muskie head coach Shane Bliss.
The loss dropped the Muskies’ record to 8-4-0-1 in NorWOSSA play while Dryden sits atop the league with a 9-1-1-1 mark.
Kenora sits in third place at 3-7-1-1 while the Red Lake Rams are in the basement (3-8-0).
“Before we started the season, I expected to have a better record. But after we saw all the teams play, we knew it was going to be a tight season,” said Bliss.
The boys next will suit up here Saturday at 2 p.m. for an exhibition game against Red Lake Falls, which is coached by former Muskie Brad Kennett.
Meanwhile, the Muskie girls’ hockey team also had a nail-biter in Dryden last night, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after two periods before falling 3-2 in overtime to the host Eagles.
“We really want to beat Dryden,” Muskie forward Katie McTavish has said after the team’s 5-0 loss to Kenora here Tuesday night.
“It would be a big win against them,” she had noted.
But a goal early in the third period and then one late in the game forced overtime, in which the Eagles would capitalize with two minutes left in the extra frame.
Cortney Caldwell (Hannah Firth/Kristen Roehrig) drew first blood for the Muskies in the first, with McTavish (Sarah O’Sullivan) netting her goal in the second.
“The kids played great. They worked hard and outplayed Dryden,” said co-head coach Lynn Kellar.
“It’s coming,” he added. “We’re getting there, and they [the players] know it was a game they could’ve and should’ve won.
“As coaches, we couldn’t be happier, and we couldn’t have asked for more from every single player.”
The Muskies remain winless in NorWOSSA play after eight games, but will have little time to regroup as they will face the Eveleth/Gilbert Golden Bears in an exhibition game there tomorrow.