Joey Payeur
The Muskie girls’ hockey team let the Dryden Eagles worry about tweeting.
The black-and-gold were more interested in delivering a beating.
A three-goal outburst in the first six minutes of the game propelled the Muskies to a 5-2 victory and two-game sweep over the Eagles in the best-of-three NorWOSSA final last night at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
The squad captured its second-straight NorWOSSA title and now advance to the OFSAA ‘AA’ championship March 9-12 in Kenora.
As it turns out, Dryden also will be in the OFSAA field after a southern Ontario conference declined its invitation to attend, thereby opening up a spot for a second NorWOSSA rep.
The Eagles heated up Twitter in recent days with some spirited comments regarding recent media coverage of the two teams.
The Muskies, meanwhile, adhered to a coach-imposed social media ban.
“The key for us was to keep going and not worry about what they were saying,” said Muskie captain Amy Penner.
“We made sure we stayed off social media.”
The Muskies’ focus was evident from the outset, with their forechecking pressure on the first shift leading to Taylor Croswell putting the puck past Eagles’ goalie Jacquie Grandmont from a scramble in front.
Croswell then converted Penner’s feed after Annalise Hayes won a race to the puck in the Eagles’ zone.
Dryden’s problems multiplied when Sydney Allen took a hooking penalty less than a minute later.
The Muskies sent out the “Kids No More Line” of first-year regulars Rylee Redford, Lauren Hamilton, and Emma Noga—a decision proven wise when Redford pounded a rebound of Hamilton’s shot past Grandmont from in close to make it 3-0.
Veteran forward Kaily Greengrass stretched the lead at 4:39 of the second when she wheeled down the left side and cranked a missile from the face-off circle that beat Grandmont (35 stops) on the glove side.
Greengrass’ smile said it all as she high-fived members of the Fort High student body reaching over the glass on the way back to the bench.
“I can’t even explain how good it feels,” beamed Greengrass.
“We wanted to jump on them early and get under their skin as soon as we could and prove we wanted it more,” she added.
Penalties to Mallory Payne and Croswell on the same sequence left the Muskies two players down around the midway point of the period.
Dryden capitalized when Rachel Getson popped home the rebound off the end boards of Allen’s point shot.
The Eagles notched another power-play goal early in the third when Allen’s shot deflected off a Muskie stick and fluttered over goalie Kate Parsons’ shoulder.
Dryden mounted consistent pressure the rest of the game but couldn’t break through against the rock-steady Parsons (30 saves).
Janelle Kaemingh iced the title with an empty-net breakaway tally with 35 seconds to go.
“The only thing I was thinking was don’t mess up, don’t miss the net,” laughed Kaemingh.
“I’m kind of known for that.”
The Muskies head to Kenora with plenty of OFSAA experience after reaching the quarter-finals last year in Sudbury.
“Our expectation is to win it,” said Muskie blueliner and Game 1 hero Lauren Vold.
“To be champions would be amazing, and the plan is for us to go and do exactly that,” she added.
The OFSAA seedings and pools are expected to be announced next week.
