Joey Payeur
The Muskie girls’ hockey team was working for the weekend–and it worked out well for them.
Fort High eked out a gritty 3-2 overtime victory over the host Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers on Friday, then downed the host Eveleth-Gilbert Bears 4-1 on Saturday to sweep the two-game exhibition set.
The Hilltoppers came in with a plan to shut down Muskie leading scorer Annalise (CC) Hayes, giving her little room to breathe with multiple checkers dogging her trail every stride.
Yet Hayes still found enough room to operate to notch two goals.
That included the game-winner at 6:24 of overtime, when she did a quick spin at the Hilltoppers’ blueline and eluded four defenders before blazing a shot over the goalie’s shoulder.
“Duluth Marshall was obviously looking at the stats and had someone on [Hayes] quite a bit,” noted Muskie head coach Todd Hamilton.
“Every time she got the puck, there were three players on her and they have some very good skaters,” he added.
“Everyone on our team had to battle to get ice space.”
Hanna LeDrew opened the scoring with 1:45 left in the first period.
Janelle Kaemingh passed ahead to Jess Steele, who skated into the Hilltoppers’ zone and then delivered a pinpoint pass to LeDrew, who one-timed the feed into the back of the net.
Olivia Boettcher tied the scored 38 seconds into the second before Hayes put the black-and-gold up back on top four minutes later with a backhander after a solo rush that started at her own blueline.
Claire Boettcher netted the equalizer with 18 seconds to go in the second.
But Sydney Beck (18 saves) would not be beaten again, allowing Hayes to come through in the clutch in overtime.
A far more dominant Muskie squad faced the beleaguered Bears, with Fort High owning the shot clock 50-16 while lighting the lamp three times in the first.
Reece McQuaker, tipping home a point shot by Avery Cates, and Hayes made it 2-0.
Jenna Clendenning gave the Muskies a three-goal cushion just 24 seconds after Hayes’ marker on a setup from Siobhan Mackintosh.
Katie Sherf finally beat Kamryn Sandelovich early in the second but Hayes capped the scoring just 1:28 later.
Sandelovich took it from there, making 15 saves to earn the win.
“Eveleth-Gilbert is developing their program, and they split their goalies during the game and they gave a very good effort,” lauded Hamilton.
“If we’re going to score on our opponents, we need to shoot a little less in the crest and more in the corners,” he added.
The Muskies then completed the back half of this season’s “Border Battle” against International Falls last night at Bronco Arena (score unavailable at press time).
Up next, Fort High (11-1) will hold its annual Parents’/Seniors’ Night tonight at the Ice For Kids Arena, with the pre-ceremonies getting underway at 6:45 p.m.
The Muskies then will face the Sioux Lookout Warriors (4-6) starting at 7:15.
The two teams also will square off tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
With Sioux Lookout shocking the Dryden Eagles (8-3-0-1) 5-1 on Monday, a sweep of the Warriors would clinch first place for the Muskies and home-ice advantage throughout the NorWOSSA playoffs.
