Staff
Making a comparison was easy for Jamie Davis.
The Muskie boys’ hockey head coach watched his squad beat the Detroit Lakes Lakers 5-3 in exhibition action Saturday night at the Ice For Kids Arena.
It was a significant turnaround from the 6-2 pasting Fort High took from Detroit Lakes during the Ralph Engelstad Classic in Thief River Falls last month.
“The biggest difference tonight was we competed,” noted Davis.
“We didn’t really do that in the first game against them.”
Five Muskies bulged the twine as the black-and-gold turned a 1-1 tie after the first into a 3-2 lead after two periods.
Then they tacked on two more in third after Detroit Lakes had tied it up.
Graeme Kitt netted the game-winner on the power play with 8:47 left in the third, deflecting Carter Brown’s point shot past Lakers’ goalie Mackenzie Steele.
Jarred Taylor had a goal and two assists for the Muskies, which also got markers from Brown (power play) and Chase McGuire.
Jon Richards, Cooper Heimark, and Ryan DeConcini replied for the Lakers.
In Muskie girls’ exhibition play, Fort High stifled the Silver Bay Mariners for the second time this season, sweeping their home-and-home series with a 7-1 victory Saturday at the Couchiching Arena.
The Muskies, who had pounded the Mariners 10-1 in Silver Bay on Nov. 22, held the U.S. squad to just 12 shots on goal Saturday.
Calie Clendenning earned the win with 11 saves.
Goal scorers for both teams were not available at press time.
Both Muskie squads have a break from NorWOSSA action due to final exams this week.
But the boys will head to Thunder Bay on Friday for a return three-game set against the Thunder Bay Minor Midget ‘AAA’ Kings, who took two of three games in a season-opening series back in November.
The girls, meanwhile, will host the Warroad Warriors on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. at the ’52 Canadians Arena in another rematch.
The Warriors thumped Fort High 8-1 there back on Nov. 14.
Before the two varsity squads go at it, the Warriors’ JV squad will battle the Fort Frances U14 girls’ team, which gets underway at 5:30 p.m.
