Mitch Calvert
The Muskie boys’ hockey team wrapped up their best-of-three NorWOSSA semi-final series with the Kenora Broncos in convincing fashion Sunday.
Mike Jourdain, Blake Wepruk, and Zach McCool netted two goals apiece while Ryan Shortreed, Brett McMahon, Kyle Herr, and Taylor Jorgenson added singles in the 10-2 win to cap a series sweep after winning the opener 5-3 here last Thursday night.
The black-and-gold now will face Dryden in the best-of-three NorWOSSA final after the Eagles eliminated the Red Lake Rams in two-straight games with a 6-4 win Sunday.
The Muskies will host Game 1 on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena, with Game 2 going Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Dryden.
Game 3, if necessary, will be back here Tuesday (time still to be determined).
A series win for the Muskies would mean yet another trip to the all-Ontarios, which is being held March 25-28 in North Bay, although Muskie head coach Shawn Jourdain warned not to look past the Eagles, who will be eager to pull off the upset.
“They’ll come in ready to play. Darryl [Mousseau] is a good coach and he’ll have them prepared, and it’s my job to get our guys ready to go, as well,” Jourdain stressed.
The Muskies cruised to victory Sunday despite being without defencemen Josh Scott, Robbie Rae, and Chris Cousineau due to injury, although Rae is considered a possibility for Friday’s series-opener against Dryden.
“Robbie Rae might come back,” Jourdain said. “I don’t expect Chris to come off, and I don’t expect Josh back, he was still limping quite badly, and David Chambers I’m doubting, as well.
“We actually moved Donovan Cousineau back there and our defence was stellar [Sunday],” added Jourdain. “Until we get some of the guys back, he’ll play back there.
“[Jamie] Kaun and [Ryan] McDowall played well as a pairing, and Cody McCool and Donovan moved the puck up well and made it easier on our forwards to get it out.
“[Donovan’s] been itching to give it [defence] a try and [Sunday] we gave it a go and he did well.”
Wepruk opened the scoring quickly in Thursday’s opener, picking the pocket of a Bronco defenceman before streaking in alone and fooling goalie Bradin Seniw on a backhand deke just over four minutes into the game.
Jorgenson extended the lead to 2-0 with a quick wrist shot from the slot 6:40 into the second period.
The Muskies got another one three minutes later when Cousineau won an offensive zone face-off directly to Wepruk, who snapped a quick shot high past a surprised Seniw for a 3-0 lead.
Penalties allowed the Broncos to get back in the game as both Jordan Meyers and Dustin Boucha scored power-play goals before the end of the second period to close the gap to one after 40 minutes.
“The refereeing wasn’t very good and we knew that, but we’ve got to adjust when it’s like that and we didn’t,” Jourdain said after the game. “We still took penalties when we shouldn’t have.
“It’s just a matter of being more disciplined,” he stressed.
The Muskies re-grouped in the third, though, when Shortreed tipped a Kaun point shot past a screened Seniw for a much-needed insurance marker just two minutes in.
Zach McCool added to the lead with a five-on-three power-play goal right on the doorstep—banging home a loose puck that had slipped behind Seniw.
Jourdain said the power play, which had struggled at times this season, has been much improved of late.
“The puck really moves around well,” he remarked. “I think we had one goal [with the man-advantage on Thursday], but we had plenty of chances and we just have to learn how to bury it a bit more.”
Brady Myles scored on a wraparound late in the game to account for the Broncos’ final goal.
For video coverage of the semi-final series, visit www.fortfrances.tv
