Muskie hockey teams both set for finals

The “Drive for Five” continues this weekend as the Muskie boys’ hockey teams look to secure a berth in the 2008 all-Ontarios in Ottawa in early April.
Standing in their way are the Dryden Eagles, who will face the Muskies in the best-of-three NorWOSSA final starting tonight (Feb. 29) at 7:15 p.m. in the Ice for Kids Arena here.
Game 2 goes Sunday at 4 p.m. in Dryden, with Game 3 (if necessary) back here on Tuesday night (March 4).
The black-and-gold have qualified for OFSAA the last four seasons, heading to London in 2004, Windsor in ’05, hosting in ’06, and then travelling to Oshawa last spring.
In two or those four provincial tournaments (2005 and ’06), the squad advanced to the quarter-finals.
This year, a veteran squad—featuring seven players in Grade 11 and a dozen in Grade 12—hope to make the trip to the nation’s capital.
The Muskies demolished the Kenora Broncos in their NorWOSSA semi-final series, winning the opening game 9-2 here last Friday night and then 6-1 in Kenora on Sunday.
Ryan Witherspoon (with three goals and five assists) and George Halverson (four goals/two assists) lead all playoff scorers to date.
The Eagles, who are led offensively by Josh Semeniuk, Ryan Lobreau, and Brenden Church (seven goals and seven assists between them), enter the NorWOSSA final fresh off a semi-final sweep of the Red Lake Rams by scores of 7-4 and 4-0.
The Muskie girls, meanwhile, are navigating uncharted waters this weekend as they also host the NorWOSSA.
The squad won its first-ever playoff series last weekend by defeating the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) by scores of 6-0 and 5-3 in their semi-final showdown.
Fort High will battle for the league crown against the Kenora Broncos, who knocked off the three-time defending champion Dryden Eagles 3-1 on Tuesday night in the third-and-final game of their semi-final series.
The Muskies and Broncos had a very tight battle during the regular season, with the Muskies sweeping all three games here at home while the Broncos won twice in regulation and once in a shoot-out up there.
The NorWOSSA final begins today (Feb. 29) at 7:30 p.m. at the ’52 Canadians Arena here.
Game two will go Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Kenora Recreation Centre, with Game 3 (if necessary) back here on Tuesday (March 4).
The winner will advance to the all-Ontarios on April 2-4 in Pembroke.