Muskie boys drop pair to Shattuck

The Muskie boys’ hockey team’s first games of the season are two they’d likely rather forget after losing to the visiting Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres by identical 4-2 scores over the weekend.
While the exhibition losses weren’t easy to take, they were easy to believe coming against a tough ‘AAA’ team like St. Mary’s.
Muskie head coach Shane Bliss’ main cause for concern was the rash of penalties in Saturday morning’s game—capped by a pair of fights involving Blake Wepruk and Dustin Brown.
“I’m not happy with the penalties we took, and the ‘junior’ mentality we displayed on the ice,” said Bliss, drawing a link between the fights and the presence of the SIJHL’s Fort Frances Jr. Sabres in town.
A number of Muskies are affiliated with the local junior team, which plays in an environment where fighting is commonplace—unlike high school hockey, where it carries heavy penalties and suspensions.
“In our rules, there’s no room for that,” Bliss stressed. “We don’t have that in our league, and it’s just dumb to go out there and act like we’re playing junior hockey. . . .”
He added the fighting, coupled with another 12 penalties in Saturday morning’s game, showed what was “definitely a lack of discipline.”
Fort High scored first in both games, carrying a 2-1 lead into the second period in Friday night’s opener and then showing some strong defensive play Saturday morning down 5-on-3 throughout the second period with as many as four Muskies in the penalty box.
“I think if we were in game shape and were more disciplined, we could’ve taken those games,” Bliss said.
Captain Ryan Witherspoon said the Muskies “should’ve been able to stay out of the box a little more,” but did see good things in the team—specifically its veteran presence.
“A lot of returns, a lot of experience. All leader guys,” he said. “We’ll learn from our mistakes.”
Bliss seemed willing write off most of the games to rust, noting Shattuck had played 17 games before coming to town and calling them “a heck of a hockey club.”
But he said they’ll be busy in practice before they leave Thursday night for an eight-team weekend tournament in Morden, Man. that will include NorWOSSA rivals from Kenora and Red Lake.
Witherspoon said the team will be ready.
“We’re coming along. We know what we have to work on,” he remarked. “We just have to work on it before we go to Morden.”