Staff
An excellent crowd was on hand Tuesday night to see the current Muskie girls’ hockey squad light the lamp 13 times enroute to a 13-4 victory over the alumni in their second-annual holiday tilt.
The alumni struck first as centre Katie McTavish, who suited up for the black-and-gold from 2002-06, took a feed from 2007-08 team member Nicole Beadle and banged home an goal for an early 1-0 alumni lead.
Taylor Meyers answered back less than four minutes later off of a nice setup by Miranda Kellar to knot the game at 1-1.
Lauren Krukoski then closed out the first period with a beautiful penalty shot deke to stake the young guns to a 2-1 advantage after 20 minutes.
The alumni team, featuring 16 rugged and reliable skaters (is there any 5’ female defender in the world who hits harder than MacKenzie Caul ?), along with goalies Kim Pacarenuk and Sarah Hoskins, maintained a crisp pace in the second period.
After Katie McTavish was denied by third-year Muskie stopper Sarah Trendiak, 14-year-old Muskie centre Jillian Langtry whipped home a nice wrist shot through a screen to increase the Muskies’ margin to 3-1.
Not to be denied, former captain Carly Holt dashed in on a breakaway eight seconds later, dangling Trendiak with a nifty deke glove side to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Less than two minutes later, the alumni tied the contest as Nicole Beadle fired a high hard knuckler that snuck past a surprised Trendiak.
Then third-year Muskie defender Erica Anderson put the current squad up 4-3, hammering home a point shot from the right side at 14:40.
At this point, the young Muskies pelted Hoskins with a relentless barrage of point blank shots but the veteran goalie who suited up from 2005-07 held the fort until the 7:08 mark of the second frame when Muskie rookie Jessica Taggart rifled a hard wrist shot top shelf for a 5-3 lead.
Krukoski then closed out the period once again by pilfering the puck from an alumni defender and tucking in her second goal of the game for a 6-3 Muskie advantage at the second intermission.
While the former stars gasped at the prospect of a full 20-minute third period, the current club salivated at the thought—and spat puck after puck at long-time Muskie tender Pacarenuk (2001-05) and Hoskins.
The floodgates opened early as Langtry, Krukoski, and Curtis dished the puck around with pinpoint precision, with Langtry whipping home the seventh Muskie goal at 16:37 of the third.
Just 28 seconds later, fourth-year centre Taylor Meyers took a feed from Anderson and fired home a wicked wrist shot from the high slot to advance the Muskie lead to 8-3.
The scoring parade continued just minutes later. After Hoskins had made a huge stop off a Curtis blast, Krukoski gobbled up the puck and unleashed a patented “Krock” howitzer for a 9-3 Muskie advantage.
Krukoski then counted her fourth of the game with just over nine minutes to go to push the Muskie advantage to 10-3.
The alumni squad regrouped as Cortney Caldwell scored through the five-hole, set up by Nina Bird and Erin Kaemingh, to close the gap to 10-4.
But the Muskies answered back quickly as Curtis from Krukoski, then Kellar unassisted, and finally Carlee Bosma with just 20 seconds left closed out the scoring to secure the 13-4 victory.
Now in its ninth year of play, the Muskie girls’ hockey program has had nearly 80 girls suit up, with the current squad enjoying one of the finest seasons in team history.
The squad returns to the ice for a NorWOSSA showdown next Tuesday (Jan. 6) when they host the third-place Kenora Broncos.
