Joey Payeur
There’s no place like home.
The Muskie boys’ hockey team grabbed home-ice advantage throughout the NorWOSSA playoffs after locking up first place with an 8-1 thumping of the Sioux Lookout Warriors in their regular-season finale last night at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Sioux Lookout (9-5) dropped down to third place with the loss.
Meanwhile, the Dryden Eagles (10-3) moved into second place after beating the visiting St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (5-8) last night.
The Muskies and Eagles both have two games left, but Fort High can do no worse than tie Dryden.
If that happens, the Muskies have the tie-breaker nod after winning the season series 2-1.
“It’s something to look forward to, knowing all our parents, grandparents, and friends will be coming out to support us,” Muskie captain Carter Brown said about having home-ice advantage.
“We’re always a positive team on the bench, even when things aren’t going our way,” he added. “We stay connected as a whole.”
“The boys have worked hard out there and it’s always been our goal to finish first,” noted Tyler VanUden, who scored while the Muskies were two men short in the second period to make it 4-1.
“But we’ve still got two games to play,” he warned.
“After that, then our focus will shift to the playoffs.”
Special teams were a major part of the Muskies’ effort last night, with all but the last of their eight goals coming either on the power play (six) or short-handed.
Spencer Shortreed had the only goal of the first period, assisted by Mike Drouin.
Quintin Loon-Stewardson tied it early in the second but it was all Muskies after that.
Jarred Taylor and Max Williams scored 53 seconds apart before VanUden intercepted Warriors’ goalie Magnus Ray’s clearing attempt.
He then beat the netminder five-hole to make it three goals in a span of 2:44.
“I just tried to force him one way or the other and he put it right into my stomach,” smiled VanUden.
Shortreed notched his second of the game late in the second before the Muskies turned it into a laugher in the third, with Brent Jourdain sandwiching a pair of goals around one by Jarred Taylor.
Dylan Ossachuk earned the win in goal.
“We’re tough for teams to play against when we keep our feet moving,” noted Muskie head coach Jamie Davis.
“Sioux Lookout’s a team you can’t overlook,” he stressed.
“If you fall asleep out there, they’ll take advantage.”
Fort High heads to Red Lake on Monday to face the last-place Rams (0-14), then will conclude the regular season next Thursday against host St. Thomas Aquinas.
Meanwhile, the Muskie girls’ squad made themselves right at home in Sioux Lookout last night with a 12-2 triumph.
Amy Penner notched a hat trick for second-place Fort High (8-2) while Rachel Jean, Taylor Croswell, and Kaily Greengrass all had two-goal outings.
Janelle Kaemingh, Rylee Redford, and Annalise Hayes added singles.
Calie Clendenning earned the win between the pipes.
The Muskies next face the Kenora Broncos on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
