Muskies split season-openers at home

That’s more like it.
The Muskies took the first step towards exorcising the demons of a sub-par post-season last year by whipping the Kenora Broncos 6-2 in their NorWOSSA season-opener last night at the Ice for Kids Arena.
Muskie newcomers Jordan Bale (power play) and Brock Benjamin sandwiched goals around a Kenora marker by Dave Defeo to make it 2-1 after 20 minutes.
Mitch Green and Terry Kellar stretched the lead to three in the second, before Mike McLaughlin’s power-play goal at 12:58 cut the gap to 4-2.
Tyler Miller and Greg Flewelling added some extra insurance in the third. Matt Gamsby looked solid in net to earn the victory for Fort High over his Kenora counterpart Josh Carlson.
< *c>Halfway to victory
Meanwhile, for 30 minutes yesterday evening at the ’52 Canadians Arena, the Muskie girls’ hockey squad appeared ready to shake their losing ways and pull off a major upset over the defending NorWOSSA champion Broncos.
But despite all-world goaltending by Kim Pacarenuk in the first half of the game, the Muskies couldn’t turn back the Kenora tide and eventually were washed away by a 7-0 count to raise the curtain on their regular season.
Pacarenuk made numerous outstanding saves throughout the game, allowing only Ashley Goodridge’s rebound goal at 12:05 of the second. But 1:33 later, the beleaguered veteran goalie pulled herself from the game due to exhaustion after making an incredible 17 stops in the first half of the period.
Megan Bob took over between the pipes, but received no help from her defence in front. And the Muskies’ inability to maintain coverage on the Bronco forwards quickly cost them as Goodrich scored at 14:38, followed 30 seconds later by Kimber Carlson to make it 3-0 after two.
A chippy third period saw the Broncos tack four on four more goals, including two in the final minute. Joelle Charlebois, Carlson, Kaitlyn Gasparini, and Goodridge (finishing her hat trick) did the damage.
The Muskie boys resume action here Friday (6:45 p.m. warm-up) and Saturday (11:45 a.m. warm-up) against Pelican Falls.
The girls’ team, who had their exhibition game scheduled for tomorrow against St. Thomas Aquinas (Kenora) cancelled, next will play an exhibition affair Nov. 24 in Roseau.
Their next home game is Dec. 12 against Red Lake.