Staff
One journey was a quick drive across the bridge. The other was a lengthy haul up Highway 502.
Unfortunately, neither yielded much in the way of good feelings for the Muskie girls’ hockey team over the weekend.
Fort High dropped a pair of one-goal decisions—falling 3-2 in an exhibition clash with the host International Falls Broncos on Friday night before being edged 2-1 by the Dryden Eagles in NorWOSSA play Saturday night.
A shortage of concentration on the task at hand was the team’s downfall Friday night, said Muskie coach Mel Langtry.
“The whole game we just weren’t focused,” admitted Langtry, who saw his team cough up a 2-0 third-period lead against the Broncos.
“I think they were thinking about heading to Dryden the next night already.”
Taylor Dixon put Fort High on the board with 10 minutes left in the first period off a scramble in front of the Bronco net, with Jessie Baker getting the assist.
The second period also produced just one goal as Jillian Langtry was the beneficiary of a lucky bounce when her pass in front of the Bronco net went off a Falls’ skater and behind Bronco goalie Taylar Nelson.
But the black-and-gold could not contain the home side in the third.
Mackenzie Raboin started the Broncos’ comeback at 7:11, with Amanda Hofius netting the equalizer three minutes after that.
Then with 5:32 to go, Raboin struck the death blow for International Falls as she zipped the game-winner past Muskie goalie Melissa Payne.
The Broncos outshot the Muskies 30-24, with Nelson making 22 saves for International Falls.
Dana Cridland started the game for Fort High, turning aside all 19 pucks she faced, before giving way in a pre-planned move midway through the game to Payne, who stopped eight of 11 shots during her time on the ice.
Then Saturday night in Dryden, Shae-lynn Smith gave the Muskies another lead on the road when she scored right off a face-off after a pass from Dixon with 2:46 left in the first.
But that was the only shot to elude Dryden goalie Brianna Brown and the Eagles rode her steady play to rally in the second period with markers from Halle Lobreau at 5:58 and the game-winner from Alex Wesley with five minutes before intermission.
A scoreless third featured numerous chances for both sides, including a disallowed goal for the Muskies with six minutes left that would have tied the game.
Jillian Langtry fired a shot that hit the post, then the crossbar, and dropped straight down, but was deemed by the referee not to have crossed the goal line.
Dryden outshot the Muskies 37-29, with Brown making 28 saves for the win while Payne kicked out 35 in a valiant effort that went for naught.
“We’ve got to get some more secondary scoring,” said Langtry, whose team still is without injured forward Alyssa Penner, who hurt her wrist at the Northern Shield Classic a week ago and is out indefinitely.
“We need to get all three lines rolling.”
Fort High gets another crack at International Falls tomorrow in an exhibition rematch at the Ice For Kids Arena at 7:15 p.m.
The Muskies also will hold their annual “Teddy Bear Toss” at the game, with fans encouraged to bring a stuffed animal to the arena to throw onto the ice after Fort Frances scores its first goal.
The toys then will be collected and donated to under-privileged children in the region as Christmas presents.
Fans also are being asked to bring boxes of cereal to the game as donations for the Salvation Army’s Christmas hamper food drive.
