A matter a national pride

Canada versus the States.
That’s what it was really all about when the Muskie girls faced the International Falls Broncos this past Saturday night here.
It was labeled as an exhibition game, but was it really?
“I think this is always our biggest game of the year, because we want to win,” said second-year Muskie captain, Kristen Roehrig. “And we don’t want to win just because it’s high school hockey. We want to win because we’re Canada and they’re the States. We want to represent.”
It was the first game for the Muskies and most of the players (young and old) were already nervous before they stepped onto the ice, and then when they saw a capacity crowd packed into the Ice for Kids Arena, “it got the adrenaline going,” explained first-year forward Deanna Saunders.
“When you got out there and saw all the people, we were just like, ‘Yeah, let’s go play some hockey’,” she added.
But that adrenaline had manifested itself into the form of butterflies. Butterflies in the stomach that is, as the first period was a disarray of playmaking from both teams as they tried to find their edge in a game that had been highly anticipated.
“I’ve been nervous since Monday, and really since the beginning of the season, because it’s your first game, and that sets our season out, and we didn’t know what to expect,” said Roehrig
But some calm and cool words spoken by the coaches at the first intermission alleviated some of that nervousness and the Muskies started playing with confidence and gusto.
“We told the kids in the dressing room to keep their shifts short, because we’re working with four lines, and to try to play the high-tempo,” said co-head coach Lynn Kellar.
And the team did just that as Jessica Barker got things going with a little over 12 minutes left in the second period when a shot from the point found its way into the back of the net. The first-year defenceman was nothing but ecstatic about the goal.
“That was pretty sweet, because I wasn’t expecting that one. I just saw it coming to the blue line, and I knew that I had a chance, and I just shot it and it went in,” smiled Barker.
The Muskies added to their lead not even five minutes later as Saunders was able to outmuscle the Broncos’ captain, Erika Ciminski, in front of the net to deflect a shot by Sarah O’Sullivan, who was eventually credited with the assist.
Muskie keeper, Kim Pacarenuk, who was having an exquisite game stopping key shots, was finally caught out of position eight minutes into the third that cut the lead to 2-1.
But the Muskies responded not even thirty clicks later as Roehrig scored on a nicely created odd-man rush, which was converted by the Grade 12 forward to secure the win for the Muskies.
“It was all set up. First to Hannah (Firth), then to Courtney (Caldwell), then to me. So they set that up beautifully for me. I was just in the right place at the right time,” said Roehrig, who was visibly pleased with the team’s victory as her front tooth was gleaming with diamonds (or rather, diamond-like accessories one can put on their teeth nowadays).
“We did awesome out there, but we can only get better,” she added.
The team has been together since the middle of September, and the game with the Broncos had been highlighted, circled, red-marked, and counted down to by players and the coaches alike.
“The kids were excited. They were really looking forward to it, and the kids have been waiting for quite a while. It’s been a long haul for this game for them and us,” said Kellar.
“It was a good start. It was pretty much what we expected. A little scrambly at times, but we saw a lot of improvement in each period, and I think the girls need this game to find things out for themselves, especially the new kids.
“And I think the rookies, for their first game, did quite well. I think Caldwell’s line played well, and for a veteran line they showed what we’re looking for. I think everyone improved with every shift, and I think there was a lot of good things, but we still have a lot to work on,” Kellar added.
But a win is a win, and the players were revelling in it, especially since the game was 1) their first of the season, 2) in front of a crowd that was probably the biggest they had ever played in front of, and 3) against the vaunted Broncos.
“There is an American-Canadian thing, but it’s nice that people came out, and that was surprising, because I didn’t know that many people really knew about us, and take the time and watch us,” said Grade 11 forward Katie McTavish.
“We want to show that girls’ hockey is just as important as the boys. It didn’t start out that way, and it’s getting a lot better. We just want to show that we can play hockey too,” McTavish pointed out.
Added Pacarenuk: “We were so pumped. We were like, ‘This is the first game of the year—this is what’s going to decide what’s going to happen for the rest of the year’, so we just wanted to get it done.
“Ever since I’ve been in Grade 9, it’s been the big thing when you play against the Falls, so it’s nice in my senior year to beat them,” she enthused.
For seven players on the team, the game was their first experience playing in the black-and-gold colours, and even though two of the three goals came from first year players, the veterans on the team are making efforts to establish good habits.
“We can’t panic. If we start panicking, then they start panicking. So we kind of have to set the tempo and make sure it’s okay,” said Roehrig.
So in the end, the Muskies not only represented their school well, they not only represented their community well, but they once again showed the States why Canada is king when it comes to hockey at any level.
“The Falls and Fort Frances have quite a history, and it’s always nice to win these kind of games,” smiled Kellar, who along with the team, will now focus their sites on the Dryden Eagles next Tuesday here at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena.
In other Muskie hockey news, the boys’ team was in Thunder Bay this past Friday and Saturday for a couple of exhibition games with the Thunder Bay Minor Midget ‘AAA’ Kings. They lost 5-4 on Friday as the game went into a shootout tied at four, and things didn’t get better on Saturday as they lost 4-2.
The Muskie boys will have their home opener this Friday against the Red Lake Rams at 7:30 p.m. and also play on Tuesday here against the Dryden Eagles at 7:30 p.m.