Joey Payeur
Canada gets bragging rights for another year–at least when it comes to boys’ high school hockey in this neck of the woods.
Eric Pitkanen tallied twice while captain Mike Drouin had three points as the Muskie boys’ squad beat the International Falls Broncos 5-3 on Monday night at the Ice for Kids Arena.
Fort High swept this season’s edition of the two-game “Border Battle” exhibition series with the Broncos after winning 1-0 in the Falls back on Dec. 23.
“It’s easy to say it’s just another game but it’s not,” said Muskie head coach Jordan Sinclair.
“We don’t play in front of crowds like that very often [roughly 800 spectators] and it’s important to get used to that because we’re going to have to deal with crowds that size and bigger when we host OFSAA next month,” he warned.
The Broncos, who had no luck scoring on home ice in December, didn’t wait long to light the lamp in the Muskies’ barn.
Brock O’Loughlin jammed home a loose puck that Muskie goalie Matt Booth couldn’t keep a grip on after an initial shot from Gust Lorenson off the right wing just 2:08 into the game.
Less than four minutes later, the vocal contingent of fans from across the river had more to holler about when Brandon Podpeskar went undetected behind the Muskie defence and zoomed in on Booth before netting a nice top-shelf shot.
“We were a little scrambly and really panicky with the puck for no reason in our own zone,” admitted Sinclair.
“Those boys [the Broncos] can skate and maybe that made us a little uncomfortable because we’re not used to seeing that.”
Order was restored just prior to the 10-minute mark of the first, courtesy of a perfect dump-and-chase by Eric Pitkanen.
The Muskie forward pounded the puck high over Broncos’ goalie Jake Klow, then beat everyone else to the rebound off the end boards to slam it into the back of the net.
“Pitkanen’s goal was huge, but I think also getting a couple of power plays after we got down 2-0 and getting some momentum on our side was just as important,” said Sinclair
Drouin also pointed to Pitakanen’s marker as the turning point.
“That goal got it started for us,” he remarked. “I think it was a big goal because it was early in the game still and let us know we had lots of time to come back.”
The second period was devoid of an abundance of scoring chances up until a shade over six minutes to go when the offensive dam burst with four goals before intermission.
James Gushulak had his wraparound try stopped by Klow. But for a surreal moment, all the players lost sight of the puck as it slid through the crease–all except Cam Gushulak, that is, who jammed home the equalizer.
The Muskies took their first lead of the game only 55 seconds later.
Brett Kenny’s shot from behind the net hit the side of the cage but bounced perfectly to Mikel Ward in the slot, who promptly buried it glove-side past Klow to make it 3-2.
Drouin’s slashing penalty set up Brett Lindvall for the tying goal with the man-advantage with 1:19 left in the period as he put home a rebound of Riley Nemec’s point shot.
But with just 48 seconds left in the frame, Pitkanen drilled a seeing-eye shot that went through two sets of legs in front and past Klow before the netminder even knew where the puck was.
“In players’ meetings recently, the coaching staff has been trying to impress upon [Pitkanen] how if he can become consistent with his skating, it opens up so much space for him and his linemates,” said Sinclair.
“He was really good tonight,” Sinclair noted. “In fact, his whole line was good.”
The late-period goal seemed to take the starch out of the Broncos.
When Simon Palm was tagged for slashing in the opening stages of the third, Drouin made the Broncos pay by reeling in a picturesque cross-ice feed from James Gushulak and pausing a split second before blowing a wrist shot by Klow 1:18 into the frame.
“I held it for half-a-second and then put it low,” grinned Drouin.
The Broncos–and much of the crowd–thought they had drawn closer again a few minutes later when it looked like a point shot was tipped in at the side of the net by Trimble Butler and then came back out quickly.
But the officials signalled no goal, saying it went off the post and stayed out.
Matt Booth got the win in net for the Muskies, who prevailed despite two of their top defencemen being out of the lineup.
Connor Tibbs is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion while Brandon Kocuiba is gone one-two more weeks with a slight shoulder separation.
In their place in recent games, including on Monday, were affiliate player Jake Barker and Bantam call-up Connor Nelson.
“They’re helping us out a lot and getting better every game,” lauded Drouin.
“I’m surprised how well they have dealt with the pressure, but they’re filling the spots well of the guys that are out,” he noted.
The Muskies edged the Kittson Bearcats (Hallock, Mn.) by a 2-1 count in overtime in an exhibition game Saturday at “The Duke” (Couchiching Arena).
Pitkanen scored in regulation time before Chase McGuire won it in the extra session, with Spencer Murphy getting the win in goal.
Fort High, who top the NorWOSSA standings with a 10-0 record, are scheduled to head to Dryden tomorrow to face the Eagles (9-3).
A win puts the Muskies on the doorstep of guaranteeing first place and home-ice advantage throughout the league playoffs.
After that, the team will hold its annual tea and bake sale this Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Fort High cafeteria (admission is $5).
Then it’s a two-day stay in Kenora as the Muskies face the Broncos on Monday and the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints on Tuesday.
Their next home game is Wednesday (Feb. 15) at 7:30 p.m. against the Broncos at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
