Staff
There’s no place like home but the Muskie boys’ hockey team decided to make themselves at home in Red Lake last night.
Cam Gushulak had a goal and three assists, and 14 different Muskies had at least one point, in a 15-1 romp over the Rams in NorWOSSA action.
With the win, Fort High (5-0) moved two points up on the Dryden Eagles (4-1) for first place.
Mikel Ward had a hat trick while Eric Pitkanen, Brandon Kocuiba, Kendyn Faragher, and James Gushulak each tallied twice for the Muskies, who have won all three games against the Rams (0-6) this season while outscoring them 32-1.
Austin Armstrong, with his first career goal as a Muskie, and Sheldon Kelly Jr. had the other goals.
Matt Booth got the win in goal, as the Muskies played five players short (Mike Drouin, Jon Busch, Landon Woods, Cole Allan – injury/illness; Chase McGuire – disciplinary) and called up affiliate player Jake Barker for his first game as a Muskie.
Fort High was coming off a 5-2 victory over the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints on Tuesday night at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
Cole Allan’s rocket from the slot at 5:21 of the first period unleashed a flurry of stuffed
animals from the stands as part of the team’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss” for the Salvation Army.
James Gushulak then made it 2-0 before the end of the frame.
The teams traded two goals each in the second, with Cam Gushulak and Byron Stewart scoring for the Muskies.
Each team had great scoring chances in the third but Spencer Murphy slammed the door shut in Fort High’s net.
Chase McGuire added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left to round out the scoring.
The squad next heads to Sioux Lookout for games Sunday evening and Monday afternoon against the Warriors (2-1).
As for the first-place Muskie girls’ squad (7-1), a three-goal first period was the difference in a 4-1 win over the Saints on Tuesday at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Hanna LeDrew, Siobhan Mackintosh, and Taylor Croswell all beat Saints’ goalie Sarah From in the first, with Mackintosh and Croswell scoring 44 seconds apart inside the final two minutes.
Ally Turcotte put the visitors on the board in the second but the Saints would get no closer.
Croswell showed great hustle to win a race to the puck and collect an empty-netter with 15 seconds to go.
Sydney Beck made 25 saves to get the win.
The Muskies next face the host Kenora Broncos tonight.
