Staff
Not many wars go down in the record books as a draw but the this year’s “Border Battle” was exactly that.
Lexi Edwards scored all four goals as the International Falls Broncos rallied to a 4-3 win over the host Muskie girls’ hockey team in exhibition action last night.
Fort High tallied three times early in the second to jump out to a 3-1 lead.
But the black-and-gold couldn’t contain Edwards, who notched the game-winner with 2:26 left in regulation time when she stole the puck at the Muskie blueline and broke in on goal before beating Kate Parsons five-hole.
“It’s a learning thing and we’ve got to learn to win,” said Muskie head coach Scott Clendenning.
“Both [assistant coach] Todd Hamilton and I had an old coach who taught us that winning is an attitude,” he noted.
“We’ve got nine games left in the [regular] season. We have to find that attitude,” Clendenning stressed.
Amy Penner, Lauren Hamilton, and Annalise Hayes all beat Broncos’ goalie Kalaya McConnell before the seven-minute mark of the second period after Edwards had opened the scoring in the first.
Fort High won the opening game of the annual “Border Battle” with a 5-3 victory in the Falls back on Dec. 2.
The Muskies will take their 4-2 NorWOSSA record to Kenora tomorrow night against the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints before returning home to host the Kenora Broncos on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Meanwhile, it was the end of a run at a perfect NorWOSSA season for the Muskie boys’ hockey team, who fell 6-4 to the host Dryden Eagles last night to suffer their first regular-season defeat.
Fort High (10-1) likely was running on fumes in playing its fifth game in four days in three different towns.
That included a 12-1 win over the Sioux Lookout Warriors yesterday morning before boarding the bus to Dryden.
Jarred Taylor, Graeme Kitt and Kendyn Faragher scored for the Muskies, while their fourth goal scorer was unavailable at press time.
Jordan Carlson took the loss in goal.
The black-and-gold will get some well-earned days off before hosting the Detroit Lakes Lakers (Mn.) in an exhibition game Saturday at 7:15 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
