Mitch Calvert
Maybe next year.
The Muskie boys’ hockey team went one step further at the Genesis Hospitality tournament in Brandon, Man. last week, advancing to Sunday’s final but then having to settle for silver after a 5-3 loss to Winnipeg’s Oak Park Raiders.
They had earned a bronze medal a year ago.
The black-and-gold fell behind 3-0 after 20 minutes and were stuck playing catch-up the rest of the way.
Blake Wepruk broke the goose egg with a goal in the second, with Kyle Herr and Zach McCool adding markers in the third, but by then the margin was too large to overcome.
Brody Warren scored a pair for the Raiders, and was named tournament MVP, while Kenton Gillis, Garett Urick, and Jeffery Borse netted singles.
“We hung in there, but we started to tire a little bit,” Muskie assistant coach Ken Christiansen said. “But it was exciting. [Oak Park] had a nice team, too, and they were undefeated going into [the final], as well.
“We tried to come back, but just didn’t have enough in the end.”
The appearance in the final was an improvement from a year ago when they lost to Westwood in the semi-finals.
It looked like déja vu as they faced Westwood in the semis again and trailed for much of the game, but a comeback changed the Muskies’ fortunes this time around.
After Fort High fought back from an early deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the third, a late goal by Westwood’s Josh Kazuk knotted the score with 3:35 to go. The Muskies regained the lead just 45 seconds later, however, as Donovan Cousineau tallied a power-play goal that stood as the game-winner.
Jamie Kaun notched a pair of goals against Westwood while Brendon Cawston added the other. Josh Scott drew a pair of assists.
“We hung on and beat them, which was a nice win for the team,” Christiansen enthused. “I can’t complain, the kids played really well, and throughout the tournament the scoring was spread out all through the team.”
The Muskies had opened the tournament with a bang, trouncing Birtle 14-2 on Thursday night. Herr and Matt Goldamer both had hat tricks in that one.
The black-and-gold then showed they can win in the tight games, too, edging the Pembina Tigers 2-1. Ryan McDowall scored in the third to break a tie after Dave Chambers had scored earlier in the game.
Goalie Jamison Shortreed stoned the Muskies’ next opponent, Stonewall, to earn a 3-0 win. Kaun, Cawston, and Adam Wensley were the goal scorers.
Both Wepruk and Zach McCool were named to the tournament all-star team for their strong play.
