Soccer teams look towards weekend to gauge selves

Despite a stellar start to the season here last weekend, both the Muskie boys’ and girls’ soccer teams know this weekend’s tournaments in Winnipeg will be their first real test.
“It’ll be our toughest challenge. There are no weak teams in the field,” said Muskie boys’ co-coach Rick Chambers about the upcoming St. Johns Ravenscourt Invita-tional, which kicks off there tomorrow night.
The black-and-gold, who finished second at this event last year, enter the 10-team competition as the lone NorWOSSA entry. They went 3-0-1 at the first league tournament at the St. Francis Sports-fields last weekend.
They downed Rainy River 7-0 and Red Lake 4-1 on Friday before playing a pair of close matches with the Kenora Broncos (0-0 tie) and the defending Nor-WOSSA champion Dryden (1-0 win).
Chambers said it was the first time on the field for the Broncos and Eagles as their respective fields were still wet and covered with patches of snow.
“I’m pleased with the start,” he remarked. “Even in [the tie against Kenora], our younger players were holding their own against them.
“[But] it’s hard to judge how good we are after this tournament,” he added.
The only reported scorers were from the Rainy River match as Jeremy Wilson (two), Tanner Kaemingh, Kyle McTavish, Matt Basaraba, Chris Plett, and Tyler Barker hit the mesh.
Meanwhile, the girls also will be looking to improve on a second-place finish when they join seven other teams at the third-annual Kelvin Invitational city tournament.
The Broncos and Eagles will be the other NorWOSSA teams to compete there.
“I always like the Winnipeg tournaments because it gives us different competition,” said Muskie girls’ head coach Struchan Gilson after guiding his club to four lopsided wins here last weekend—5-0 over Rainy River, 7-0 over Red Lake, 4-1 over Beaver Brae, and 5-0 against Dryden.
Christin Thomson led the way for the Muskies with seven goals on the weekend. Miranda Miller and Trista Barker scored three apiece, while Hillary Morgan, Tara Lloyd, Rebecca Cornell, Jessica Wilson, Andrea Boileau, Carling Barton, Ashley Wilson, and Noreen Hartlin all added singles.
While they had their way against the first two teams, Gilson said the Broncos impressed him with their play, which led to the only goal against the Muskies—a penalty shot late in the game that beat keeper Jessica Wilson.
“They’ve got a good defence and a good goalie,” he noted. “They can run all day. We were fortunate to score on them quickly and put them on their heels.”
Weather wasn’t any team’s friend. Action on both days were pelted with cold wind and some rain. “It didn’t make it a lot of fun,” said Gilson.
Records from the tournament here and one in Dryden on May 10-11 will go towards seeding for the NorWOSSA final in Kenora on May 25.
Meanwhile, both Rainy River Owl teams held their own against their bigger counterparts. The boys went 1-1-2 here while the girls finished at 0-2-2.