The Muskie girls’ and boys’ hockey teams took the next step on the path toward their respective 2008 provincial hockey championships over the weekend.
Both squads swept their semi-final series from Kenora opposition, and in doing so served notice they’re ready to challenge for a berth at OFSAA.
The girls, first-place finishers during regular-season NorWOSSA ‘AA’ play, clinched a spot in the best-of-three championship final thanks to a 5-3 win over the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (the NorWOSSA ‘A’ winners) on Sunday night in Kenora.
Despite a lacklustre first period on offence, the Muskies took a 1-0 lead to the intermission after Nicole Beadle sent linemate Nina Bird in on a breakaway with just 2:15 left.
Bird, a fourth-year forward, snuck a hard wrist shot between the body and blocker of Saints’ goalie Rhiana Fleming for the one-goal lead.
Muskie goalie Sarah Trendiak, meanwhile, repelled several point-blank Saints’ chances in the opening period as the hosts skated stride for stride with the favoured Muskies.
The second period featured a roller-coaster of emotions as both sides took turns at grabbing momentum.
The Saints evened the score on the power play just 11:46 into the second as centre Melissa White won an offensive zone draw back to defender Mandy Chicago.
Chicago teed up a big slapshot from the point that sailed high through
a screen, deflecting in off Trendiak’s glove.
The Saints came marching in again as White scrummed in front of Trendiak while teammate Robyn Houle drove the net, banging home a rebound at 11:07 to make the score 2-1.
Still reeling from the Saints’ high-energy game, the Muskies caught a break as Jillian Stajkowski and Kaylee Milne were banished to the penalty box.
The black-and-gold capitalized immediately on the two-player advantage. First, Beadle fed second-year winger Anikka McTavish, who wired a 30-foot shot, trapper side, for a 2-2 tie.
Then just 19 seconds later, and still on the power play, the Muskies worked the puck to the Saints’ net, where Bird banged home a Lauren Krukoski rebound for her second goal of the game and a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.
The Muskies closed out a very game Saints’ squad on a pair of Krukoski tallies. The first came when the 16-year-old winger, out on a penalty kill, stripped a Saints’ defender of the puck and let loose a 15-foot wrist shot that squeezed through Fleming’s body armour for a 4-2 lead.
Less than four minutes later, “Kroc” netted her second goal—and third point of the game—as she walked in clean on the right side and lit the lamp with a bullet that flew over Fleming’s shoulder and off the crossbar.
St. Thomas Aquinas banged home a late goal from Megan Szajewski (assisted Tess Ficek) on a goalmouth scramble but it was too little, too late as the Muskies secured the 5-3 victory and a berth in the NorWOSSA final.
The Muskies dominated Friday’s opener here from start to finish, scoring three goals in the first period, two in the second, and one more in the third for the 6-0 victory.
Krukoski’s name covered the score sheet as the Nestor Falls native recorded two goals and three assists in the win.
Deanna Saunders, Carlee Bosma, McTavish, and Bird also scored for the Muskies, with assists to Bosma (two), Saunders, Erin Kaemingh, Erika Anderson, and Jessica Barker.
Trendiak earned the shutout between the pipes.
The Muskie girls will open the best-of-three NorWOSSA final this Friday (Feb. 29) at 7:30 p.m. in the ’52 Canadians Arena against either the Dryden Eagles or Kenora Broncos.
The Broncos won the opener of their semi-final series with Dryden on Friday night, edging the visiting Eagles 2-1 in overtime.
The Eagles responded with a 4-3 overtime win Sunday afternoon in Dryden.
The two teams played the rubber match last night in Kenora (the outcome was not available as of press time).
The NorWOSSA champion advances to the all-Ontarios slated for April 2-4 in Pembroke.
< *c>Boys sweep
Meanwhile, the Muskie boys had an easier time clinching their NorWOSSA championship berth, pounding out a 6-1 win Sunday afternoon in Kenora after dominating 9-2 here Friday night.
Sunday’s tilt in Kenora was a physical affair, with the Muskies picking up 17 penalties and the host Broncos 18.
The Muskies opened scoring six minutes into the game as Kevin Bobczynski scored, with assists to his cousin, Patrick Bobczynski, and Cody McCool.
Then at the 10:37 mark of the first, George Halverson netted his first of two on the game with help from Ryan Witherspoon.
The fellas reversed roles just two minutes later as Witherspoon scored, with an assist from Halverson, to extend the Muskie lead to 3-0 after one.
The second period kept the officials busy as they handed out 21 penalties, churning through a full 60 minutes on the wall clock just to finish a 20-minute period.
Halverson netted the lone goal of the second (his second of the game from Witherspoon) as the Muskie held a 4-0 lead after two.
The third produced a pair of Muskie goals—Kevin Bobczynski (from Taylor Jorgenson) at 19:36 and Zach McCool (from Kevin Bobczynski) at 17:34.
Mack Hall (Jon Hendy and Josh Myles) spoiled Dave Moen’s shutout bid midway through the third period to make the final score 6-1 for the Muskies.
The black-and-gold had bucked the Broncos in a similar fashion here Friday night, scoring seven unanswered goals en route to a 9-2 game victory.
The two teams traded first-period goals, with the Muskies getting goals from Matt McLellan (Matt Hebert and Riley Caul) and Matt Beck (Zach McCool and Mike McCaig).
The Broncos replied with goals from Justin Cain (Jeremiah Ford) and Jordan Meyers (Hendy).
While the Bronco offense dried up in the second period, the Muskie marksmen got on track. Kevin Bobczynski, with helpers from Jorgenson and Z. McCool, made it 3-2 some 14 minutes in.
Two minutes later, Ryan Witherspoon stretched the lead to 4-2, and then Halverson (from Witherspoon and P. Bobczynski) closed the second at 5-2.
The Muskie magic continued in the third as Witherspoon (Halverson and Beck), Caul (Hebert and Blake Wepruk), P. Bobczynski (Zach and Cody McCool), and Halverson (Beck and McCaig) iced the win.
The Muskies next will host the Dryden Eagles this Friday (Feb. 29) at 7:15 p.m. in the Ice For Kids Arena for Game 1 of the best-of-three NorWOSSA final.
The Eagles took a pair of games from Red Lake—7-4 and 4-0—in their semi-final series to advance against the Muskies.
The winner will advance to OFSAA, which is slated for the first week of April in Ottawa.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
