Muskie hockey squads falter in Kenora

What a difference two days can make.
On Tuesday night, the Muskie boys’ hockey team cruised to a 9-1 victory over the visiting Kenora Broncos.
But last night in Kenora, the black-and-gold came out on the short end of a 4-3 score—despite controlling the puck, outshooting the Broncos by almost a 2-1 margin, and taking only three penalties.
Kenora pulled out the win with a breakaway goal with just 30 seconds left in regulation time, snapping the Muskies five-game NorWOSSA winning streak.
Tyler Miller had put the Muskies on the board late in the first period with a nifty goal, assisted by Brian White.
After the puck had been dumped into the Broncos’ zone, Miller streaked towards the boards, managed to fight off a Kenora defender, and then moved in front of the net to put the puck top shelf.
The Broncos answered five minutes into the second period as a shot from the slot beat Wade Friesen on the blocker side.
Then, despite several great Muskie scoring chances, including a David Pierce breakaway, and some incredible saves by Friesen, the Broncos grabbed a 2-1 lead late in the period.
But the Muskies battled back as Pierce, on a two-on-one rush, was able to find the trailing man in Brett Meyers, who wired a shot top shelf that knotted things at 2-2 at the second intermission.
The Muskies maintained a strong forecheck to start the third, which forced Kenora to ice the puck several times. But the Broncos then jumped on an opportunity when a Muskie defender pinched at an inopportune time, which led to a breakaway goal five minutes in.
The Muskies tied the score again on a harmless-looking play.
Justin Larson crashed the boards on the forecheck, managed to maintain possession of the puck, and then made a great pass to find a trailing Jake Esselink, who unleashed a one-timer from 30 feet out to give the Muskies new life.
The black-and-gold then controlled the play over the final minutes, but another error by a Muskie defenceman led to the breakaway that sealed the game for the Broncos.
The Muskies, who next will play in the Duluth Marshall tournament Dec. 27-29, remain in second place behind the Dryden Eagles with a 5-2-0-1 record, having scored 35 goals over 12 games (2.91 goals per game) while allowing 15 (1.25 goals per game).
< *c>Girls lose
Also last night in Kenora, the Muskie girls turned in a total team effort to give the first-place Broncos one of their biggest challenges of the season, but still went down to a 6-2 defeat.
Kenora jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, then extended their lead with a goal early in the second. But the Muskies answered as Ashley Whalen found the back of the net, assisted by Hannah Firth.
The Broncos made it 4-1 with 30 seconds left in the period, then added two more goals early goals in the third period. Firth rounded out the scoring, with Mackenzie Caul drawing the assist.
The Muskies, who remain winless in NorWOSSA play, will close out 2004 with their annual trip to Minneapolis for a tournament Dec. 27-29.