Lucas Punkari
With the lineup set in stone for the 2012/13 NorWOSSA campaign, Muskie girls’ hockey head coach Scott Clendenning feels that those that come out to see the team play this year will be impressed by what they see.
“I think people are going to be quite pleased,” Clendenning said.
“It’s going to be a real energetic fast hockey team, and we’re going to be playing with a lot of grit.
“It’s a bunch of girls that want to be there, and when we had our first practice last Monday, I couldn’t believe the energy that I saw out there and it was great to see,” he added.
This year’s roster was set following three days of practice from Sept. 4-6, with 14 players returning from last season’s squad in addition to three newcomers in forwards Jessica Coran and Claire Sandelovich along with goaltender Kate Parsons.
“As the scrimmages went on, I thought there was a little bit more energy especially on the last night, which is something that we will be working on throughout the season,” Clendenning explained.
“One of the things that I was pleased about was the play by some of the younger players, especially those that are in Grade 9, and that is something that bodes well for the future of Muskie hockey,” he added.
Something that has been added to the program this season is the addition of a practice squad, where two players [Sam McKinnon and Sydney Johnson] will have an opportunity to practice with the rest of the team.
“I think that will benefit the players on the squad as they get more ice time, a chance to work on their skill development, and to work on their fitness levels,” Clendenning explained.
“They’ll also get a chance to learn the team’s systems and the expectations, and hopefully in the future they will be able to jump into the program,” he added.
Now that the roster is set, the black-and-gold will beginning to prepare for their first competitive game of the season, which will be in Winnipeg for the annual Sturgeon Heights tournament from Oct. 25-27.
“Right now, we will be doing some drills and skills work during the first couple of weeks to get the girls into shape, and we will be doing some dryland training on our off days,” Clendenning said.
“We haven’t picked any lines yet as we want to see how everyone molds together out there, and then in the next couple of weeks we will get our lines and systems going and start to get after it,” he added.
