Joey Payeur
It was a classic one night and a bit of a clunker the next for the Muskie girls’ hockey team.
Annalise (CC) Hayes provided scored all five goals, including the winner 1:02 into overtime, as the Muskies were outshot 39-19 but still pulled out a 5-4 victory over the host International Falls Broncos on Tuesday night to earn a split of this season’s “Border Battle” exhibition series.
That was followed by a less-than-stellar outing last night in a 3-1 triumph over the Sioux Lookout Warriors in NorWOSSA play at the Ice For Kids Arena.
“We worked well together tonight and we really wanted to win,” a modest Hayes said Tuesday after she chalked up a power-play goal in the first period, an even-strength marker in the second, and two short-handed tallies 1:39 apart in the third period to put her team up 4-3.
Lexi Edwards tied it on the power play with 6:03 left in regulation time just 13 seconds into a five-minute major to Janelle Kaemingh for head contact.
But the Muskie penalty-killers held on from there, with goalie Sydney Beck making a series of great saves to preserve the tie.
In the extra session, Hayes ran over a Broncos’ defender along the end boards in the Falls’ zone to shake the puck loose.
Kaemingh picked up the puck and passed it to Lauren Hamilton, who tried a wraparound at first but didn’t get all of the puck.
She then spotted Hayes below the right face-off circle and shovelled the puck over, with Hayes blasting it past Broncos’ goalie Macey Marcotte five-hole.
“I think a game like this can boost our confidence a lot and we won’t give up anymore,” noted Hayes.
“Not many games I’ve seen one player get five goals . . . maybe in beer league,” chuckled Muskie head coach Todd Hamilton.
“I don’t know why U.S. colleges are not talking to her,” he added. “She’s a special player.”
Beck, meanwhile, was elated to finally beat the Broncos after Fort High lost 7-4 here in their “Border Battle” opener and then 3-2 at the Schwan Cup in Blaine, Mn. over Christmas.
“It shows we’ve become better over time,” she said.
“I was real frustrated on [Edwards’ goal] because I probably could have saved it,” Beck added.
“It was a relief when [Hayes] scored [in overtime].”
Last night, coming off a huge 5-1 upset of the Dryden Eagles on Monday, the Warriors (4-7) once again proved they’re not to be overlooked as they held the Muskies (12-1 in NorWOSSA play) scoreless through the first period.
Abby Plourde’s point shot deflected of Kaemingh in front at 1:43 of the second as the black-and-gold finally beat Alex Morin.
Hayes then smacked in Plourde’s nifty shot-pass for a power-play goal before scoring again to make it 3-0.
The Warriors scored on a breakaway by Savannah Kirton at 16:32 of the third for their only goal against Kamryn Sandelovich.
“Obviously, that’s not as good as we can play,” admitted Plourde.
“We have to learn from that and play more to our potential,” she stressed.
Kaemingh echoed those sentiments.
“We don’t want to play down to the level of our opposition,” echoed Kaemingh. “We can’t not bring our A-game.
“We have to play smart and keep our feet moving.”
The Muskies can clinch first place–and home-ice advantage throughout the NorWOSSA playoffs–with a win in the series finale against the Warriors today at 2 p.m. at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
Boys win
In related news, the Muskie boys’ team downed Sioux Lookout 6-4 on Tuesday night at the IFK Arena.
Chase McGuire led the way with a hat trick while James Gushulak, Cam Gushulak, and Brent Jourdain added singles.
Muskie starting goalie Matt Booth played until the final two minutes, when the Warriors scored to make it 5-4.
That prompted head coach Jordan Sinclair to turn to back-up Spencer Murphy to take over.
McGuire’s empty-netter sealed the victory to move the Muskies to 9-0 in NorWOSSA play this season.
The squad heads to Kenora today to face the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints.
Then on Saturday, the Muskies will host the Kittson Bearcats in a makeup of a postponed exhibition game from December, with the action getting underway at 1 p.m. at “The Duke” (Couchiching Arena).
