Lucas Punkari
They already know the Kenora Broncos and Dryden Eagles will be looking to knock them off their perch.
But the Muskie boys’ soccer team is ready to defend its NorWOSSA crown starting today with the first games of the regular season.
“I know that we are considered the number-one team coming into this year and everyone is going to be gunning for us,” said Grade 12 winger/striker Jason Angus, who is in his second year with the team.
“But we have a lot of guys who are back from last year’s team and we are still a strong team,” he added.
The black-and-gold took to the pitch against the Eagles at 10 a.m., then will face the Broncos at 4 p.m. at St. Francis Field.
While they’ve yet to face either NorWOSSA rival so far, Muskie head coach Shane Beckett felt both games will be very tight affairs.
“Typically all three teams are more or less the same as we always are,” he reasoned.
“Our styles and philosophies don’t really change much from year to year, and both Dryden and Kenora are really well-coached teams that work super hard.
“This is a very tight league, parity wise, and when it comes down to it, work ethic is what takes things over for teams,” Beckett stressed.
The Muskies did have a chance to see the Broncos play during the St. John’s-Ravenscourt tournament in Winnipeg two weeks ago.
“We were actually able to watch them quite a bit,” noted Grade 11 striker/winger Colton Spicer, in his third year with the squad.
“I thought that they looked a little bit weak on defence, but that they also had some really good guys up top,” he recalled.
“So I think our game plan will be to try and capitalize on that defence.
“But I’m sure they have strengthened that up since we saw them last,” Spicer added.
With a little over a week off since their last competitive game, Beckett and assistant coach Olaf Ruppenstein have been working on a variety of things to help get the team ready for today’s contests.
“Last week, a lot of the things that we worked on was with our first touches and with our ball movement,” Beckett explained.
“I was away last Wednesday and Thursday, so Olaf ran the practices and he had the boys going pretty hard.
“So now we’ve just been working on our touches and on the thinking side of things,” he added.
After today’s NorWOSSA matches, the Muskies will hit the road for a tournament in Kenora this weekend, where they will be going up against Miles Mac (Winnipeg) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Kenora) in pool play Saturday afternoon prior to the playoff round, which runs until Sunday.
“It’ll be good to see some different competition,” reasoned Beckett.
“We played Thomas Aquinas last year at the tournament and they are a nice young team that play some really good soccer,” he noted.
“And last year we were able to beat Miles Mac in extra time.”
With NorWOSSA play resuming on the road next Wednesday in Dryden, the Muskies are feeling confident about their chances, especially after their ‘B’-side title win at the St. John’s-Ravenscourt tournament.
“We had a huge boost of confidence following that win,” Angus stressed.
“We’re still trying to tidy up our first touch, but our communication is good and we are moving the ball around well with a ton of speed,” he added.
“Between the starters, at least, we have been playing together for two or three years now,” noted Spicer.
“Because of that, we kind of just know where we need to be and where everyone else is going to be out there.”
From a coaching perspective, Beckett is hoping to see his squad stick to their overall game plan, not only during their league contests but also at the tournament in Kenora.
“I just want to see us playing the system that we have, and to do what it is that we do best,” he remarked.
“And that is moving the ball quickly, defending really well, and not getting out-worked by anybody.
“If we are able to do those things, we should be all right,” Beckett said.
