So close . . . yet so far.
When Kristen Penner’s shot snuck through the pads of Kenora goalie Amanda Kowalik during Friday night’s shootout there, it appeared the Muskie girls’ hockey team might close out their seventh league victory of the season.
Alas, it was not to be as the puck stopped dead at the post, allowing Justine Frenette to then roof a wrist shot past Katie Stearns to give the host Broncos a dramatic 4-3 victory.
The Broncos had jumped out to an early lead at 15:45 of the first period as Lindsey Agnew won a face-off back to Reagan Smith, who fired a quick shot to give Kenora a 1-0 advantage.
Kenora then grabbed a 2-0 lead 30 seconds into the second period as Agnew snuck in behind the Muskie defence, took a feed from Samantha
Smith, and buried a high wrist shot past Stearns on the breakaway.
The Muskies got on track just four minutes later as Taylor Meyers stripped the puck from a Kenora defender in the Bronco zone and defenceman Erika Anderson blasted a 30-foot slapshot to close the gap to 2-1.
Then with 4:05 left in the period and the Muskies holding the Kenora zone, Erin Kaemingh passed the puck deep to Miranda Kellar, who chipped a quick pass out front to Meyers, who tipped the puck home for a 2-2 tie.
The black-and-gold went ahead 3-2 at 14:35 of the third on a nifty wraparound by Nina Bird, assisted by Penner. But Kenora tied the game with 3:02 to play as Agnew netted her second of the game on a high wrist shot.
The five-minute overtime solved nothing, so the shootout ensued.
Lauren Pierce and Lauren Krukoski scored for the Muskies while Nicole Riediger, Kelsey Craven, and Frenette tallied for Kenora.
Despite the hard-fought loss, the Muskies continue to lead the standings with 13 points, with their next game slated for this Thursday in Dryden.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
