Muskie girls earn bye

The Muskie girls’ soccer team clinched a bye to the NorWOSSA final with a win and a draw here Wednesday.
The black-and-gold opened the day with a 1-0 win over the defending champion Dryden Eagles. Kelsey Quibell netted the lone goal of the game.
Then needing only one more point to secure first place, the Muskies opted to play a more defensive-styled game that afternoon en route to a 1-1 tie with the Kenora Broncos.
“We are very excited about grabbing [first place] because it means that we get a bye into the NorWOSSA finals,” noted co-coach Adam Craig.
“[With the bye], we will have the opportunity to play some of our younger players and also experiment with some different formations in our upcoming game [next week in Kenora].
“Having the bye is critical as we should be well-rested for the finals,” he stressed.
The Muskie boys, meanwhile, only could manage a split in their two games here Wednesday.
They started the day on the right foot with a 4-0 win over the Dryden Eagles, with head coach Shane Beckett saying his players “finally found the back of the net.”
“We really capitalized on our scoring opportunities,” he enthused.
Beckett added the return of Mitch Cain added a real boost to the team, as well.
But the Muskies were not so lucky in their second game as they fell 2-0 to the Kenora Broncos.
Beckett said Kenora really played a great game, controlling the field and dictating most of the play. “We did not take advantage of our opportunities and they did,” he conceded.
“We need to be hungrier in front of the goal, which is something we will work on for our next games,” he added.
The boys’ squad also will meet the Broncos up there next week before the NorWOSSA playoffs are held.