Muskies boys come close in Winnipeg

The Muskie boys’ soccer team grabbed second place at an tournament in Winnipeg last weekend. But they’ll think about the 10 minutes that got away.
That’s when Riverside scored four-straight goals to blow open a tight 1-0 tilt and secure a 5-0 win in the final of the annual St. John’s Ravenscourt invitational tourney.
After a series of Muskie scoring chances, Riverside headed a high cross pass to beat keeper Dan Poperechny in the 53rd minute. Three quick goals followed in a display teacher-supervisor Jason Kabel described as “rapid-fire succession.”
The Muskies never recovered.
“It really let the wind out of our sails,” said Kabel, the FFHS athletic director who accompanied the team to Winnipeg after coach Rick Chambers had business matters to attend.
Still, the Muskies did put on a very good showing at the tournament. They glided into the final with pool victories over Miles Mac (1-0) and Glenlawn (2-1), and then a 2-0 shutout over St. Paul’s in the semi-finals.
Centre-midfielder Adam McTavish scored three of the Muskies’ five goals. He and Poperechny also were named to the tournament all-star team.
Rick Ricard and Bryce Witherspoon netted the other two Muskie goals.
But not everything went smoothly. Mid-fielder Kyle Perry collided with a Glenlawn defender in Friday’s game and missed the rest of the tourney with a knee injury.
Kabel said the grade 12 student will try to be back in action this Friday and Saturday in Dryden for the first NorWOSSA tournament of the season.
The Muskies were the lone Ontario squad to attend the 12-team St. John’s Ravenscourt tournament. But it’s a trip Kabel said will only help the team in the weeks ahead.
“It helped us pick up the intensity when we needed it,” said Kabel, who helped coached the team for the last four seasons.