Joey Payeur
Paul Cousineau was seconds away from leaving the Memorial Sports Centre on Monday when the Muskie boys’ hockey team trainer suddenly remembered he had one more pair of skates to sharpen.
That extra cutting edge on Lauren Vold’s blades just might be one of the reasons the Muskie girls’ squad is one win away from repeating as league champs.
Vold netted the game-winning goal with 1:55 to go, and Calie Clendenning made 44 saves, as Fort High edged the host Dryden Eagles 4-3 in Game 1 of the best-of-three NorWOSSA final Tuesday night.
The ’52 Canadians Arena should be rocking tonight when the two squads square off for Game 2 at 7:30 p.m., with the Muskies on the doorstep of a second-straight NorWOSSA title and a trip to the OFSAA ‘AA’ championships March 9-12 in Kenora.
“This is the best feeling ever,” said an exuberant Vold, who took Rachel Jean’s pass along the Eagles’ blueline and rocketed a shot through a maze of players along the ice that beat Dryden goalie Jacquie Grandmont just inside the right post.
“This is the one that counts the most,” added the Grade 10 blueliner, who now has three goals in three playoff games this season.
“I wanted to help my team and it couldn’t have come together any better.”
The tally capped off a gutsy comeback by the Muskies against a Dryden team that hadn’t lost in league play all season (14-0).
Dryden took its first lead of the game midway through the third when Leah Balla muscled the puck past Muskie goalie Calie Clendenning.
But the Eagles’ lead lasted all of 34 seconds.
Dryden’s Brenna Stratford was whistled for her second penalty of the period. On the ensuing face-off, the puck went back to the point to Mallory Payne, whose hard shot hit Grandmont and went high in the air.
Annalise Hayes controlled it long enough to hand it to Kaily Greengrass, who notched her second goal of the game.
“I had a good feeling we were going to come back,” said Clendenning.
Penalty-killing was a big part of the Muskies’ ability to stay in the game.
Fort High held Dryden’s power-play to a 1-for-7 showing and killed off all four penalties it received in the final frame, including a pair of brief two-man advantages.
“The girls really showed up tonight,” said head coach Scott Clendenning.
“It was good to see every girl get involved tonight,” he added.
“Dryden’s got a solid team and you’ve got to get traffic in front of [Grandmont],” Clendenning noted.
“Now we’re looking forward to holding that trophy [tonight].”
Calie Clendenning, getting a rare second-straight start, was outstanding all game, especially in the first with several big stops as Dryden carried the play.
But that changed at 17:05 when Greengrass tipped home Alexis Perreault’s point blast.
Dryden tied the game just over a minute later when Darra Zieroth shovelled the puck home off a scramble at the side of the Muskies’ net.
Fort High’s “Kids No More Line” (Lauren Hamilton, Emma Noga, and Rylee Redford), and another first-year player in blueliner Avery Cates, combined for the Muskies’ first power-play goal of the night at 7:58 of the second, with Hamilton getting the marker.
The Eagles drew even once again with 38 seconds left in the second, when Liv Carter won a draw back to the point to Cara Balla, who unleashed a bullet that beat Clendenning to the glove side.
But Clendenning was on her game down the stretch as she and her teammates turned away a last-minute barrage by Dryden with Grandmont on the bench for an extra attacker.
“That was amazing—the girls worked so hard,” lauded the Grade 12 goalie.
“If we bring that same game into Thursday, we will be very successful.”
For Vold, it’s all about the proper mindset heading into Game 2.
“We’ve got good confidence but we have to keep our heads on straight,” she stressed.
Muskie veteran forward Jessica Coran watched from the bench Tuesday night as she continues to recover from an emergency appendectomy almost three weeks ago.
She still is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game, as well as Game 3 (if necessary) back in Dryden on Saturday.
The Muskie boys’ team, meanwhile, will try to keep its hopes of repeating as NorWOSSA champs alive tonight in Dryden with a win in Game 2 of their best-of-three final against the Eagles.
Dryden took the opener 3-1 here Monday night.
If the Muskies prevail, Game 3 will go Sunday at 2:45 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
