The Muskie girls’ hockey team has shown steady improvement all season and the coaching staff is pleased with how the squad’s play is trending as it approaches the NorWOSSA playoffs.
Fort High compiled a 3-1 record at the annual Scott Clendenning Memorial Showcase here over the weekend and head coach Nicole Clarke said what stood out to her the most was how much fun her players were having.
“With our busy schedule, it is easy to get burnt out on the game and always being at the rink,” she reasoned.
“Being able to reignite the passion and fun for the game will be beneficial for our team with some key games quickly approaching.”
The Muskies opened play at the “Showcase” on Friday morning with a 5-0 loss to the rival St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
Despite the score, Clarke felt like the team did well with executing different aspects of its game.
“Although it is nice to win games, this particular game showed our team that there are still some improvements that need to happen,” she noted. “It also showed the team that our opponents will always bring their top performance, and we will have to match that to compete. Over the course of the weekend, the team focused on playing the game for fun, as our February has been very busy with many meaningful games. This tournament allowed our girls to revisit their love and passion for the game.”
The black-and-gold then rebounded from the opening loss to the Saints by rattling off three wins in a row over the course of the next two days to finish the “Showcase” with a winning record.
Fort High throttled both the Sioux Lookout Warriors and Kenora Broncos by an identical 7-2 score on Saturday, with both games taking place at “The Duke”.
Kianna Atonick scored twice while Abbie Kenny, Jill Calder, Kathryn Fischer and Tatum Glowasky also lit the lamp for the Muskies in the win over the Warriors.
The squad then got two goals apiece from Kenny, Glowasky and Calder in the victory over the Broncos. Antonick also bulged the twine in the lopsided win.
The Muskies then ended play at the “Showcase” with a 4-1 win over the Confederation College Thunderhawks on Sunday morning at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
Calder, Antonick, Piper Cross and Issy Taylor all found the back of the net in that one to pace the Muskies’ offence.
“The other games were also important for the team in terms of executing systems and plays,” Clarke said.
“The coaching staff wasn’t overly concerned with the scores of the games, but the girls were able to play some great hockey and run offensive plays. It was awesome to see the team bond together and support one another.
“A few of our goals were the result of executing some of the plays we have been working in practice, so it was nice to see the girls being rewarded on the scoreboard for trying out some new things on the ice,” she enthused.
The Muskies were slated to conclude the NorWOSSA regular season yesterday with a doubleheader in Dryden against the Eagles, with the outcomes not known as of press time.
Fort High, which currently sits second in the standings with a 7-1 record, could clinch a first-place finish and pass the Saints (8-0-0-2) by winning both games against the Eagles.
That would setup a best-of-three NorWOSSA semifinal showdown against the fourth-place Sioux Lookout Warriors (3-6 heading into yesterday).
“With two big games approaching against Dryden, the ‘Showcase’ showed our team the skill and ability that we have on the team,” Clarke said.
“We have won games using our hard work ethic and grit, but now the team has an idea of the true potential that we have.
“By incorporating each component of our style of play (hard work and grit, but also our skill), we are confident in our teams ability to win against tough opponents. “We don’t know much about the Eagles’ team, as we have only played them once very early on in the year,” she admitted. “Just as all teams have improved, we know that Dryden has improved over the course of the season. Our team needs to be ready to play their best hockey against all teams.”
