Joey Payeur
It was a bonus “Battle of the Border” for the Muskie girls’ hockey team—and nearly a winning one this time.
Fort High led twice but eventually fell 3-2 to the International Falls Broncos yesterday in the bronze-medal game of the Girls’ Bronze High School Division at the Schwan Cup tournament in Blaine, Mn.
The Muskies lost 7-4 to the Broncos here back on Nov. 29 but put in a much stronger effort in yesterday’s game—only to lose on a chip-in goal by Grace Bragg at 3:16 of the third.
“The kids came out with some energy and it was very, very close the whole way,” noted Muskie head coach Todd Hamilton.
“For three games in a row, the girls really played well.”
Annalise (CC) Hayes put the Muskies in front in the first period with a shot that beat Falls’ goalie Grace Wegner.
After Lexi Edwards tied the score on a power play later in the first, Jill Calder gave Fort High the lead again in the second.
But Amber Tilander evened things up again less than four minutes later.
Tilander then helped start the play that led to Bragg shovelling the puck past Muskie goalie Kamryn Sandelovich.
The Muskies opened play Monday with a 4-1 win over the Owatonna (Mn.) Huskies.
Hayes let the way with a hat trick while Taylor Croswell had a goal and an assist.
Sandelovich earned the win in goal.
The Muskies, who used captain Janelle Kaemingh on the blueline with only four regular rearguards the whole tournament due to the absences of veterans Abby Plourde and Sara Jackson, then took the eventual gold-medalist Green Bay Ice Bears to the limit before falling 1-0 on Tuesday.
A third-period goal by Megan Saari with 6:21 to go was the difference while Ana Holzbach recorded the shutout.
Sydney Beck had 22 saves in defeat.
As for the Muskie boys, they sit with a 1-1 record after two days at a tournament in Thief River Falls.
Fort High blanked the Grand Forks (N.D.) Central Knights 3-0 in its opener Tuesday.
Landon Woods (two) and Brandon Kocuiba were the goal scorers while Matt Booth registered the shutout.
But the Crookston Pirates proved too much for the Muskies to handle yesterday in a 5-1 loss .
Woods had the only goal while Booth took over for Spencer Murphy late in the first after the Pirates went up 2-0.
The black-and-gold will have to contend with the host Thief River Falls Prowlers in their final game today.
The next home games for both Muskie squads is Jan. 10 against the Kenora Broncos.
