Owls win silver medal

The Rainy River Owls won the silver medal at the NWOSSAA girls’ soccer showdown in Thunder Bay last Friday, finishing the three-team round-robin affair with a 1-1 record.
They opened play by getting blitzed 8-0 by St. Pat’s (Thunder Bay), the defending NWOSSAA champions, but then edged Lake Superior (Terrace Bay) 1-0.
Their lone goal came on a penalty shot by Shannon Hagerty with just 13 minutes left in regulation time.
Assistant coach David McDonald said the Owls dominated the game against Lake Superior–a team that hadn’t lost a game all season. But it was a different story against St. Pat’s.
“It was kind of overwhelming,” McDonald admitted. “Their ball-handling [ability] was incredible–they are a powerhouse team.”
St. Pat’s iced the NWOSSAA crown–and a berth at the all-Ontario championship that gets underway here tomorrow–with a lopsided 7-0 win over Lake Superior.
Despite falling short in their quest for an all-Ontario berth, McDonald said they were all pleased with the season they had.
“We’re happy that we came one game away from OFSAA,” he noted. “It was definitely a team thing but it was a credit to the senior players who provided exceptional leadership.”
McDonald specifically pointed out the leadership of co-captains Jennifer Marquis and Lesley Wood.
“The girls are all excited. They’re already recruiting players for next year,” he said.