Joey Payeur
The Dryden Eagles and Kenora Broncos girls’ soccer teams came to town last week nursing their fair share of wounds.
They left with a few extra scars courtesy of their goal-hungry hosts.
The Muskies (2-0) served notice they are the team to beat in NorWOSSA again this season by opening the regular season here last Wednesday with a 1-0 win over Dryden (1-1) and a 4-0 blanking of Kenora (0-2).
“We wanted to get two wins and we did,” said Muskie coach Sarah Faragher.
“Even from the start of games to the end, you can see where the players are starting to figure things out and that’s cool,” she noted.
“We’re at a point where we are comfortable with who’s out there and where everyone’s playing.
“I think we’ll be even stronger [today],” added Faragher, whose squad was in Dryden to face the Eagles and Broncos again.
Two Muskie victories and a pair of losses by the Eagles will clinch top spot for Fort High and a bye to the NorWOSSA final here May 27.
The locals got on the board 15 minutes into the Eagles’ game when a Maggie Jean cross into the 18-yard box first hit striker Jessica Baxter, then an Eagles’ player, before rolling into the net.
Dryden couldn’t recover—despite getting some extra rest in the 65th minute when lightning forced a half-hour delay.
It halt in play came just after Jean accidentally was drilled in the face with the ball when Sydney Radigan’s pass attempt ricocheted off an Eagles’ player.
“They actually had to realign her jaw,” noted Faragher.
Fort High then took it to Kenora early, with Claire Hyatt roping a blast from 25 yards out that one-hopped past the Broncos’ keeper just six minutes into the game.
Myla Angus later beat the Kenora keeper to a loose ball before bombing one from close range into the net for a 2-0 lead.
Ashley Croswell rocketed a loose ball into the top corner for a 3-0 lead in the 65th minute.
Baxter rounded out the scoring five minutes later when she pounced on a stray ball at the side of the Kenora crease and hammered it in.
Bryanna Dustin recorded the shutout in both games for an outstanding rookie debut (veteran keeper Elizabeth Allan was unavailable due to commitments to Fort High’s musical production of “Grease”).
Then this past weekend saw the Muskies go 0-2-1 in a three-game exhibition series in Thunder Bay.
Fort High opened with a 1-0 loss to the Thunder Bay Chill U14 squad.
“We matched up well with them, and we probably had more speed and power than them, but they had a good first touch on the ball every time,” noted Faragher.
“They got a bit of a fluky goal for the game-winner.”
The Muskies then tied the St. Patrick’s Saints 1-1, with Radigan notching the lone marker, before falling 1-0 to the St. Ignatius Falcons.
“That was probably the strongest team we faced all weekend,” Faragher said about the Falcons.
“When we debriefed the kids [Monday], it was cool that they had noticed things about the style the other team had,” she added.
“Games like these are a valuable learning experience for the team.”
The Muskies had Jean back in action for the exhibition games.
But Faragher had to do without Hailey Beaudry, who suffered a concussion against Kenora, and midfielder/fullback Erin Tomalty (hamstring).
The absence of the two veterans did allow some of the younger blood on the roster to step up and produce.
“Players like Avery Wilson-Hands, Abby Sanders, and Bryanna Dustin, it’s cool to see the Grade 9s doing so well,” lauded Faragher.
“It proves we’ve got good depth on our bench.”
