Joey Payeur
It wasn’t a monkey, or even a gorilla, the Muskie girls’ hockey team got off their backs Friday in Dryden—it was a big, irritating bird.
After four unsuccessful tries earlier this season, the Muskies (2-7) finally vanquished their chief NorWOSSA foe with a 3-2 shootout win over the host Eagles.
Fort High, which had fell twice to Dryden the previous weekend at the annual John Taylor Piper Classic Tournament of Champions in Winnipeg, topped the Eagles 2-1 in the shootout after letting a 2-0 lead slip away in the third period.
“It was pretty emotional for the girls,” said Muskie head coach Mel Langtry, whose squad snapped a five-game losing streak in NorWOSSA play.
“We’ve got quite a rivalry with Dryden,” he noted. “It was nice for the girls to get one up on them for once.”
Jillian Langtry scored at 12:22 and 17:01 of the first period, her 10th and 11th goals of the NorWOSSA campaign, to stake the black-and-gold to an early lead.
After a scoreless second period, Kristin Bartlett carried the Eagles on her back in the third, beating Melissa Payne at 12:44 and again at 16:42 to knot the score.
With nothing solved in overtime, it came down to the shootout.
After Alexis Reed for Dryden and Taylor Dixon for Fort Frances both scored, Payne turned aside Morgan Church of the Eagles.
Langtry then made good on her opportunity to put the Muskies a save away from the win.
In a surprise move, the Eagles kept Bartlett on the bench and went with Alex Wesley, who was turned aside by Payne to lock up the two points.
The Muskie girls next travel to Baudette this Thursday (Jan. 20) for an exhibition battle with the Lake of the Woos Bears, then get eight days off from competition before heading to Winnipeg for the Pembina Tigers’ tournament Jan. 28-29.
Fort High’s next home game is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 7:15 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena, when the International Falls Broncos cross the river for the team’s annual exhibition battle.
The black-and-gold don’t resume NorWOSSA play until Friday, Feb. 4, when they host the Sioux Lookout Flyers at 7:15 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
