Three teams will square off in round-robin play with a trip to the all-Ontarios at stake.
And it’s all going to happen in one day.
That’s what awaits the Muskie girls’ soccer team when they host the NWOSSAA showdown this Saturday at the St. Francis Sportsfield.
But the NorWOSSA champion Muskies and NSSSAA champion Manitouwadge won’t know until tomorrow (Thursday) who their opponent from Thunder Bay will be.
The three teams will play each other once on Saturday, starting with the Muskies against Manitouwadge at 9 a.m., with the squad sporting the best record heading off to Alliston to compete for the provincial title next week.
It doesn’t matter to Muskie head coach Struchan Gilson who makes the trip here from Thunder Bay.
“Whoever comes out of there is going to be a good team,” he noted, though adding he has been keeping an eye on perennial powerhouse St. Pat’s.
The Muskies are hoping to reach the all-Ontarios again after receiving a bye into last year’s provincial tournament as the host team. They haven’t won NWOSSAA since 1995, coming up short in 1998 and 1999.
And while they ripped through their fellow NorWOSSA opponents this season, including a perfect 4-0 record at the league tournament last week in Kenora, the Muskies are carefully optimistic.
“We know what’s coming but we think we’re a good team,” said Gilson. “We’re not the same team we were last year. Defensively and offensively, we’ve improved.”
Centre half-back Sarah Noonan and Chrissy Thomson lead the Muskie offensive attack but keeper Amy Shute has seen little action in their past wins due to a dominating defence.
The team coming out of Thunder Bay might give her a little more work.
The top players from the Lakehead participate in indoor leagues during the winter and can cause trouble for teams much the same way squads from Winnipeg do.
The Muskies’ lone loss so far this season was against Maples (Winnipeg).
All season long, Gilson has preached about giving his younger players lots playing time. But if crunch time comes, the veterans will be called upon.
“I will play who I consider the top 11 players [in a tight situation],” said Gilson.
The girls earned their 11th NorWOSSA soccer title in 15 years last Thursday after besting the host Kenora Broncos 2-0 in the final on goals by Noonan and Shannon Koval.
They earlier had beaten St. Thomas Aquinas (Kenora) 3-0 in the semi-finals after blanking Dryden 5-0 and Sioux Lookout 9-0 in pool play on Wednesday.
Noonan led the way with six goals, with Koval netting four and Trista Barker three. Thomson and ninth-grader Miranda Miller each scored twice.
Carling Barton and Marina Boileau added singles.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
