Jamie Mountain
With all the pre-season tune-ups now in the rearview, the Muskie girls’ soccer team will be looking to start the NorWOSSA regular season strong.
The Muskies compiled a 1-3 record in some exhibition matches against Thunder Bay teams there over the weekend and now feel better prepared to take on the visiting Dryden Eagles and Kenora Broncos in the season-opening double-header.
Muskie head coach Sara Roach felt as though her squad got better with each game in Thunder Bay and they are learning how they want to dictate games with their play.
“Mainly wanting the girls to see how effortlessly Thunder Bay plays, they control the ball really well in the mid field and create so many triangles and give and go passes,” she cited about what she was looking for from her players.
“The more games they played, they were really starting to click and adapt to that type of play.
“I think the games got better as they went,” she lauded. “Their communication was more consistent, they were utilizing the wing midfielders, and sending the ball into the corner.”
The black-and-gold opened play on Saturday with a 4-0 loss to the St. Patrick Saints and also were blanked 3-0 by the St. Ignatius Falcons.
But the weekend turned around for the Muskies on Sunday as they were edged just 2-1 by the Hammarskjold Vikings.
Montana Plasky buried the squad’s lone goal, which was their first tally of the weekend.
Then in their fourth and final game later that day, Fort High blanked the Westgate Tigers 1-0 on the strength of Pasquel Shortreed’s goal.
“We switched up some of the positions, mainly moving Alina Eldridge up into the midfield,” Roach recalled.
“She controlled the ball really well and created so many opportunities; she doesn’t panic when she gets the ball,” she lauded.
“I was very impressed with the newer girls and am confident going into the season.”
Although she was impressed with how her squad adapted and got better as the weekend progressed, Roach conceded that there still is a lot of room for her charges to grow.
Heading into today’s season-opening games against the Eagles and Broncos, she stressed the importance of pressuring the other teams when they get possession of the ball.
“We need to be able to keep the pressure on and know that once the other team gets possession of the ball that we are able to make that switch to defence and anticipate, and cut off, passes,” she urged.
“Over the course of the four games [in Thunder Bay], I think the girls’ confidence grew and winning that last game will set the pace for the games [today]. “They’ve seen how they need to play and I think they’re going to do really well going forward,” she predicted.
“Just keep the momentum going from the weekend, keeping the communication up, and taking lots of shots on net,” Roach added.
The Eagles then will host both the Muskies and Broncos next Wednesday (May 15) in the next slate of NorWOSSA league games while the regular-season finale is set for May 22 in Kenora.
The NorWOSSA playoffs are slated for May 29 in Dryden, with OFSAA to follow on June 6-8 in Belle River.
