Mitch Calvert
Despite a revamped coaching staff, the Muskie girls’ soccer team is headed back to the all-Ontarios for the second-straight year.
Sarah Noonan and Adam Scott, newly-appointed coaches this season after Adam and Laura Craig moved away, led the Muskies to a 4-2 regular-season record and then an OFSAA berth after a 2-0 whitewash of the Dryden Eagles in the NorWOSSA final here last Wednesday.
Sara Roach scored two goals late in the first half to pace Fort High to the victory.
“Jolene Stahn crossed both of them in and Sara finished both of them off,” Noonan said of the two quick goals.
“We were a bit jumpy at first, nerves played a part, but we settled in during the second half of the first half,” she added.
“We wanted to go out and play solid Muskie soccer, and we did.”
The win was especially impressive because standout offensive player Nicole Mueller and key defender Anikka McTavish both were out with injuries.
“We had a few players out, but we have good depth on our team with a solid starting 11,” Noonan stressed.
“Missing Nicole and Anikka was definitely a void for us, but the girls who went out and replaced [them] made the transition seamless.”
In the absence of McTavish, senior Lauren Gurski took on an expanded role and flourished.
“Lauren Gurski had her best game today [May 27] and what a game to do it in,” Noonan enthused.
“She was solid, nothing really dangerous [happened] on our back line, and she really started our attack from back there by distributing to Kelsey [Quibell], who is our quarterback in the middle.”
The Muskies faced little adversity during NorWOSSA play but Noonan thinks that will be good for the team’s confidence heading into OFSAA rather than a detriment.
“With our game, I think confidence is something we really use well,” she explained. “I think coming off a good season will be a positive for us, and I think we’ll be ready for OFSAA.”
The squad comes packed with experience as much of the roster made the trip to the all-Ontarios in Collingwood a year ago—with only Brianna Shortreed, Lauren Pierce, and Erin Kaemingh no longer with the team after graduating last spring.
“It’s nice that the girls went to OFSAA last year and have a little bit of that higher level experience,” Noonan noted. “They know what to expect.
“And they tied a game last year, so we’re going to go there and hopefully get a win this year.”
After tying Jean Vanier 1-1 in their opener at OFSAA a year ago, the black-and-gold fell 2-1 to St. Jean de Brebeuf and then 3-0 to St. Thomas Aquinas (Oakville).
They were blanked 4-0 by Courtice Holy Trinity in their final round-robin game, but the competitiveness they showed against some top-level competition was a major confidence-booster—and that carried over into an impressive season this year.
This year’s all-Ontario showdown runs June 4-6 in Kenora, with Fort High opening play tomorrow at 9 a.m. against Hamilton District Christian High School.
