Muskie girls fall short of quarter-finals

COLLINGWOOD—Watching the Muskie girls’ soccer team play their fourth and final game at this year’s all-Ontario ‘AA’ championship, one would never guess they were not moving forward in the competition.
The black-and-gold held nothing back, working the field and the ball as if they were playing in the gold-medal game.
Though they were defeated 4-0 by Courtice Holy Trinity in the pouring rain yesterday afternoon, slipping and stinging while blocking the soaked ball, the Muskies did not give up.
“They played to the best of their abilities,” Muskie coach Adam Craig said of the team’s overall performance at OFSAA, which saw them leave with a 0-3-1 record.
“They learned a lot from the other teams, as well.”
There was an evident evolution from their first game Monday morning (a 1-1 draw against the host Jean Vanier squad) to their final one yesterday afternoon as the girls seemed more confident and more aware of the techniques they might be up against, particularly when it came to rougher play.
Trailing 3-0 after the first half, the Muskies managed some excellent shots on goal in the second one. The squad also showed none of the frustration expected of a team with no wins in their first three games.
In fact, the players laughed and joked on the field as feet got stuck in mud and bottoms slid on the cold grass.
Even though the Muskies, playing in Pool ‘D,’ failed to advance to the quarter-finals, the experience has been a good one which will help the younger players next year.
“We have a lot of returning players,” noted Craig.
However, missing next year will be Brianna Shortreed, Lauren Pierce, and captain Erin Kaemingh—all veteran players graduating this month.
They are not the only ones leaving. Coaches Laura and Adam Craig both are returning to school this fall and so won’t be back at Fort High.
“It has been sweet,” Craig said of ending his coaching career with the Muskies at OFSAA.
After tying Jean Vanier 1-1, the Muskies lost a 2-1 decision to St. Jean de Brebeuf on Monday afternoon before falling 3-0 to St. Thomas Aquinas (Oakville) yesterday morning to be mathematically eliminated from advancing.
Moving on to the quarter-finals of the 20-team tournament were Central Elgin, Bishop MacDonnell, Holy Cross, St. Michael, St. Mary’s, Holy Trinity, Villanova, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The quarter-finals, originally scheduled to be played yesterday evening, were re-scheduled to Wednesday morning due to the poor field conditions.
The semi-finals, as well as the gold- and bronze-medals games, were to follow.