Staff
A double dose of the Kenora Broncos was the right medicine for the Muskie boys’ hockey team.
Playing the Broncos twice within a three-day span last week, the black-and-gold were able to snag a pair of wins to improve their NorWOSSA record to 4-2.
A Carson Noga goal with 12:34 left proved to be the game-winner as the Muskies beat Kenora 3-1 on Saturday night at the Ice For Kids Arena in a make-up game for the one postponed back on Nov. 13.
After Brady Bodnarchuk was sent off for interference, the Broncos opened the scoring on the ensuing power play when CJ Motlong tipped the point blast of teammate Hayden Findlay past Muskie goalie Darian Klem with just over seven minutes left in the first period.
Mike Ward then drew the Muskies even just over three minutes into the second when he buried the rebound of Bodnarchuk’s shot past Broncos’ goalie Kody Huber.
Ward was given a game misconduct later in the frame for kicking a Broncos’ player who had fallen to the ice, but Kenora was unable to sustain any pressure on a lengthy five-minute man advantage.
Noga then put the Muskies up 2-1 in the third when he took a cross-ice pass from Cole Magill and rifled a wrist shot past Huber.
Matt Spence then snuck to the right side of the net and a fired a shot short-side past Huber with 5:03 to ice the victory.
The Muskies went into Saturday’s game after doubling the Broncos 6-3 on Thursday night in Kenora.
Peyton Avis opened the scoring for the black-and-gold with under five minutes to go in the first period when he buried a feed from Nolan Mann.
After the Muskies turned the puck over in their own zone, the Broncos capitalized when they beat goalie Jaden Cooper with a shot with just over 10 minutes to go in the second.
The Broncos then struck again less than a minute later after a Muskie turnover in the neutral zone to take a 2-1 lead.
Jake Barker drew the Muskies level with under three minutes to go in the second when he blasted a slapshot past the Broncos’ goalie.
Spence broke free for a breakaway later in the frame and gave Fort High a 3-2 lead when he banged in the rebound of his initial shot.
Some good forechecking by Magill and Ashton Cousineau forced a turnover in the Broncos’ end, with Ward collecting the puck and firing home a backhander to extend it to 4-2 with 1:48 left before intermission.
Then on a Muskie power play in the third, Cousineau fed Spence with a nice pass and he made no mistake to make it a 5-2 with under five minutes to go.
After Ward was sent off for high-sticking, the Broncos made the Muskies pay with a power-play goal with just 3:33 left in regulation to trim it to 5-3.
But after Jace Dittaro was hit from behind by a Bronco’s player, Barker made them pay on the ensuing power play with his second goal of the night to cap the scoring with just under two minutes to play.
Cooper earned the win while Huber was saddled with the loss.
The Muskies resume NorWOSSA action tomorrow when they host the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) at 7:15 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Then they’ll head to International Falls on Friday to play the Broncos in the first of their annual two-game “Border Battle” exhibition series.
