A 12-point weekend from the line of Zach McCool, Kevin Bobczynski, and Taylor Jorgenson helped the Muskie boys’ hockey team to a pair of weekend victories over the visiting Red Lake Rams.
Despite the heroics of Red Lake goalie Stephane Gagnon, who saw more rubber than Highway 401 at rush hour, the Muskies clinched first place in NorWOSSA with a 5-1 win Friday night and then an 11-2 victory Saturday afternoon.
The Muskies jumped on the Rams early Friday night as second-year forward Zach McCool scored his seventh goal in just 10 games off a set-up from linemate Taylor Jorgenson.
Just seven minutes later, the complete line of Bobczynski, McCool, and Jorgenson combined to forge a two-goal lead. Bobczynski was credited with his seventh league goal of the season, with McCool and Jorgenson drawing the assists.
The Muskies then made it 3-0 with 4:41 left in the first period as George Halverson, who sits fourth overall in NorWOSSA scoring, netted an unassisted tally.
The barrage of shots continued in the second period, but sharp goaltending by Gagnon and Muskie Justin Pryde allowed for just one goal per side.
The Muskies built a four-goal lead 6:31 into the second frame as Ryan Witherspoon scored on the power play, assisted by Matt Beck and defenceman Mike McCaig.
The Rams spoiled Pryde’s bid shutout six minutes later as defenceman Casey Anderson did the damage, assisted by Matt Hubeny and captain Peter Martone, to close out the period with the Muskies leading 4-1.
The third period produced plenty of action but just one goal as Bobczynski tallied his second of the game, assisted by McCaig, to clinch the 5-1 victory.
With the win, the Muskies officially wrapped up their second-consecutive NorWOSSA regular-season crown.
On Saturday afternoon, the howling winds outside were a precursor to the icy hospitality of the host team. Though the Rams came to play and battled hard, the Muskies’ fast and physical style wore them down.
If not for the stellar play of Gagnon, the black-and-gold might have scored early and often. As it was, the game’s first goal came off the stick of Ram defenceman Layne Daley on the power play 3:36 into the second period.
After taking a feed from defensive partner Ryley Pace, Daley unleashed a wrist shot from the left point just inside the blueline to put the Rams up 1-0.
It was to be their only lead of the weekend. The Muskies got on the board with six minutes remaining in the second frame as relentless pressure on the power play finally produced a tally.
Muskie defenceman Patrick Bobczynski jumped deep into the left corner of Red Lake’s zone and fed a picture-perfect pass that cousin Kevin Bobczynski ripped into the top corner—just over the outstretched glove of Gagnon—to make it 1-1.
The Muskies then stormed out of the gate quickly in the third period as Kevin Bobczynski, with his fourth goal of the weekend from linemates McCool and Jorgenson, gave the host a 2-1 lead 2:31 in.
Matt McLellan, with his first of two in the third period, then scored on a beautiful backhand low to the glove side, assisted by Riley Caul, to make it 3-1.
A three-goal binge then ensued as the Muskies built a commanding 6-1 lead midway through the third.
First, Jorgenson took a behind-the-net pass from K. Bobczynski and put a quick wrist shot behind Gagnon for a power-play goal.
That was followed by Halverson, who deposited a Ryan Witherspoon rebound (McCaig also assisted), and Caul who, after winning the draw back to defenceman Justin Scott, banged home Scott’s point blast for the five-goal cushion.
Martone did get one back for Red Lake midway through the third, but the Muskie scoring juggernaut produced five more goals in the final four minutes to ice the victory.
Caul made it 7-1 (from McLellan), then it was Witherspoon (with assists to Matt Beck and Cody McCool) for an 8-1 lead, followed by Halverson with his ninth of the regular season from Beck and Witherspoon.
McLellan with his second (from Hebert) and finally Halverson, with his hat-trick marker from Beck, who had a four-assist weekend, closed out the 11-2 victory.
With the pair of wins, the Muskies’ record stood at 10-1 heading into their final regular-season game last night in Kenora (the outcome wasn’t known as of press time).
Meanwhile, the Muskie girls’ hockey team remains in pursuit of the one point they need to clinch their first-ever first-place finish in NorWOSSA.
The girls hosted Dryden last night (the result was not available as of press time), then will finish the regular season with a road tilt versus the Kenora Broncos on Friday starting at 4:30 p.m.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
