Joey Payeur
Rainy River High School could have changed its team nickname to the Snow Owls for the day.
An unwelcome last burst of winter, combined with a chilly reception from their visitors, left the Owls’ girls’ and boys’ soccer teams with just a win and a tie out of six games during a two-day pre-season showcase last week.
On the girls’ side, the Owls lost consecutive 1-0 decisions to the Sioux Lookout Warriors before earning a 1-1 tie with the Red Lake Rams.
“My team started out with the defence a little deep, allowing too much penetration into the 18-yard box,” noted coach Rebecca Tolen.
“We adjusted that positioning and went on the attack,” she added.
“We struggled with the finish, however, and that is definitely going to be an area of focus for practice [this] week.”
Madi Whetzel and Bethany Sinninghe each played a half between the pipes in the first Warriors’ game, with Whetzel going the distance in the second one for an Owls’ squad that is returning 16 players from last year and has just four rookies.
“Experience will be a huge factor this year as we lost six key players last year,” said Tolen.
“And so several players are having to step up into new roles and it has been a learning process.
“Both losses to [Sioux Lookout] were goals that occurred in the last 10 minutes of the games, and [the Warriors] earned them,” Tolen noted.
“They were not easy goals.
“I think we outplayed Red Lake,” she added. “We just couldn’t seem to take advantage of our scoring chances.”
Owls’ co-captain Mika Kooistra netted the lone goal against Red Lake–something Tolen hopes will be a repetitive occurrence this season for her team, which will look to improve on its third-place showing in NorWOSSA a year ago.
“Mika is our main goal scorer and the other girls really look up to her for her ability and determination,” said Tolen, who also cited veterans Alia Big George, Abbey Tolen, and Madison Brown as some other key performers on this year’s roster.
“[Co-captain and midfielder] Alia Big George is strong in the middle and is able to produce multiple scoring chances each game,” the coach lauded.
“Madison Brown runs the defensive show,” she added. “As our longtime sweeper, she controls the other teams’s offence and she is consistently hard to beat and can get us out of trouble.
“Abbey Tolen on offence is the one who pumps everyone up, supports her teammates, and is a tough striker,” said Tolen, who also talked glowingly about her goalkeeping tandem.
“Bethany is hard-working and pushes herself to the limit, and started playing net last year, while Madi has been playing that position for the last three years,” she noted.
“Both are fairly strong and looking very good this year,” Tolen enthused.
“Both are strong, fearless, and determined, allowing only three goals in three games between the two of them.”
The male Owls, meanwhile, lost 2-1 and 2-0 to Sioux Lookout before crushing Red Lake 8-1.
Tyler Hamm had Rainy River’s only goal in its first clash with the Warriors, with Nick Teeple stationed between the pipes.
Zak Quran guarded the net in the second loss to Sioux Lookout while both netminders got in one half of action versus the Rams.
They had plenty of offensive backing from their teammates in that one, with Reece Chorney leading the way with a hat trick.
Asher Chorney, Hamm, Wyatt Jackson, and Patrick Vogan added singles (the eighth goal scorer was not provided).
The Owls next head to Kenora this week for another pre-season tournament hosted by the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints.
