Muskies to play pair of exhibition games

The Muskie boys’ hockey team will continue to sharpen their skills heading into the all-Ontarios in early April with another pair of exhibition games over the next week.
The black-and-gold will take on a team crafted specifically for the tune-up games comprised of current and former local Junior ‘A’, Junior ‘B,’ college, and OHL players, including a large contingent of one-time Muskies.
The first game will take place this Saturday (March 22) at 7 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena, with the second one slated for Friday, March 28 (same time and place).
Admission for both games is $7 for adults and $5 for students.
The Borderland Selects is a talented group of players who should provide a great test for the Muskies.
The team will be made up of current Fort Frances Jr. Sabres’ Shaun Egan, Will Morriseau, Mitch Cain, Kyle Turgeon, Steve Sus, and Chris Sinclair.
Jake Esselink (Dordt College Blades), Tyler Miller (Port Hope Predators), Brian White (Winnipeg South Blues), Jordan Davis (Owen Sound Attack), AJ Tucker (St. Scholastica Saints), and Josh Sigurdson and Brian Glavish (both of K&A Wolverines) will round out the team.
The Selects also will provide Muskie back-up goalies a chance to get some ice time headed into OFSAA as Devon Stromness and Jamison Shortreed both will backstop the Borderland team.
“They have a lot of talent on that team,” Muskie head coach Shane Bliss noted.
The black-and-gold have been out of action since the beginning of March when they completed a two-game sweep of the Dryden Eagles in the NorWOSSA final.
The win secured the Muskies’ fifth-straight berth to the OFSAA tournament, which will run April 2-5 in Ottawa.
With a full month between games, the Muskies have relied on the exhibition games to put theory into practice.
“The boys are looking good,” said Bliss, who stressed the importance of taking what the team has worked on in practice and using it against actual competition.
While the month-long layoff might seem excessive, it has provided a few of the boys the chance to get back into playing shape following various injuries.
The Muskies hosted Thunder Bay’s ‘AAA’ Midget Kings earlier this month in a similar exhibition game, earning a 1-0 win in front of a sizable crowd at the Ice for Kids Arena.