Joey Payeur
The Muskie girls’ hockey team made it clear Tuesday night that it’s not just a one-girl squad.
With leading scorer Annalise (CC) Hayes knocked out of the game in the second period with a shoulder injury, Fort High banded together and pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory against the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
Taylor Croswell took a pass from Siobhan Mackintosh, drove the net, and hammered home the game-winner at 3:44 of the extra period to make it eight-straight NorWOSSA victories for the Muskies (14-1).
The black-and-gold also are on an eight-game unbeaten streak overall, including exhibition games (seven wins and one tie).
“When Taylor decides she is taking the puck to the net, good things happen,” noted Muskie head coach Todd Hamilton.
“[But] we left it until the end again,” he added.
“We should have played better in the first and second, and decided to wake up at the 10-minute mark of the third when the kids realized they could lose.”
The Muskie bench, coaches, and fans held their collective breath in the second period when Hayes went into the boards hard shoulder first after losing an edge.
She was helped off the ice and will miss the next one-two weeks, but should be back in time for the start of the NorWOSSA playoffs on Feb. 23.
Mackintosh opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the game before the Saints tied it at 6:52 on a goal by Mariah White.
Jenee DeGagne then put the visitors up 2-1 at 6:40 of the second–and the goaltending of Sarah From (43 saves) looked like it would be good enough to give the Saints (5-6-1) the upset win.
Enter Grade 12 rookie Jess Steele, who got a boost in playing time when Hayes went out–and made good on the opportunity.
Steele was set up by Janelle Kaemingh and Jenna Clendenning for the equalizer with only 4:46 left in regulation time.
Sydney Beck, meanwhile, turned aside 36 shots to grab the win in goal.
The Muskies now face an arduous stretch of four exhibition games in three days this weekend in Thunder Bay without two-thirds of its top line.
Hayes and linemate Lauren Hamilton (upper-body injury) won’t be in the lineup when the Muskies take on the Thunder Bay Bantam ‘AA’ Queens on Friday and Sunday, with a Saturday doubleheader versus the Thunder Bay Midget ‘AAA’ Queens in between.
“It’s probably a bad time to go to Thunder Bay but we committed,” conceded Hamilton, who also had a cold bug circulating in his team’s dressing room.
“There will be lots of ice time for kids that don’t normally kill penalties or get to be on the power play,” he noted.
The Muskies’ next home game is this Wednesday (Feb. 15) against the winless Kenora Broncos, which also will be their regular-season finale.
