Staff
It was the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints who went marching in to victory on Tuesday in Kenora.
Jill Calder tallied a second-period goal but it wasn’t enough as the Muskie girls’ hockey team lost 3-1 to the host Saints to see their NorWOSSA record drop to 1-1.
Chloe Skead opened the scoring for the Saints (1-0) with six minutes to go in the first period before Rebecca Machura doubled the lead later in the frame.
Calder then bulged the twine with 7:22 left in the second to trim it to 2-1.
But Ally Turcotte capped the scoring just over eight minutes into the third to preserve the Saints’ win.
Jersey Masson suffered the loss between the pipes.
As for the Muskie boys’ squad, St. Thomas Aquinas scored the go-ahead goal with just 1:10 to go to eke out a 5-4 victory in the regular-season opener.
Matt Warner opened the scoring for the Saints 4:14 into the first period but the Muskies battled back with three-straight markers off the sticks of Brady Bodnarchuk, Ryan Redford, and Peyton Avis.
Mason Barclay capitalized for the hosts on a man-advantage with just 1:46 left to trim it to 3-2 after 20 minutes.
Barclay then knotted it for the Saints just 1:17 into the second on another man-advantage before Jacob Kipling put them ahead less than a minute later.
Mike Ward evened it at 4-4 for the black-and-gold on a power play just eight seconds into the third.
But that good fortune didn’t last as the Saints netted the winner off the stick of Mason Spencer with time winding down in regulation.
Isaac Fagnilli earned the win while Darian Klem allowed all five goals in taking the loss.
The Muskie girls next will be in action tomorrow when they host the Sioux Lookout Warriors at 7 p.m. at the Emo-La Vallee Arena before capping the week by welcoming the Dryden Eagles on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
The boys’ squad, meanwhile, will host the Warriors tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at “The Duke” (Couchiching Arena).
