Heading into the NorWOSSA soccer playoffs that got underway today in Kenora, the Muskie girls’ soccer team feels pretty good about its chances of winning yet another league crown
And you can’t blame them. The black-and-gold came away from two NorWOSSA pre-season tournaments in Dryden with a sparkling 5-1 record overall, including several wins in lopsided fashion.
The second-seeded Muskies–playing in the four-team Pool ‘B’–opened round-robin action this afternoon against the Rainy River Owls and Red Lake Rams (no scores were available at press time), then will face the Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) tomorrow morning.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the playoff round later Thursday, with the championship game set for 6:30 p.m.
“None of the teams bother me at all,” Muskie head coach Struchan Gilson said confidently. “All the teams play kick-and-chase. No one moves the ball like us.
“In terms of skill level, we are the far better team but whether or not we’ll win, we’ll see,” he added.
The consensus among players at practice Monday was the only way they can lose is if they beat themselves.
“We’re the most skilled team, the most controlled,” said veteran Muskie Christine Noonan.
“We have more depth [than last year],” noted Sarah Vanderplaats, standing on the sidelines nursing a shiner on her left eye. “We have two solid lines that can fill in at any position.
“Being such a good team, we shouldn’t let in any goals,” she added.
Gilson said he’s been finding many of their opponents have opted to play a sort of defensive shell against them by “packing” their players deep in their own end.
But that’s okay with him, said Gilson, noting his players simply move the ball around the perimeter in order to create better scoring chances.
Sarah Noonan said they’ve tried to work more of a “triangle” offence to combat that defensive alignment.
“We’ve tried to pull the ball back for a shot, with 10 players crammed in the box, and just shoot the ball over this mess [of players],” explained Gilson.
Part of the reason the Muskies have been so smooth in moving the ball has been the veteran leadership up front in the likes of Vanderplaats, Laureen Cousineau, and Chrissy Thomson. The trio gives them a potent offensive attack that’s created fits for opposing defences.
“Veteran players, as always in many sports, are the key. You live and die with your veterans, and hope you don’t die,” joked Gilson.
But it’s hard to give up goals when the ball is at the other end of the field most of the game. And that’s been the case for the black-and-gold in most of their six NorWOSSA games so far.
In fact, they controlled much of the game in their 2-1 loss to Beaver Brae (Kenora) on penalty kicks.
The defence certainly has been bolstered by the strong play of Sarah McTavish. “She has been a force to be reckoned with,” said Gilson. “Because of her, we don’t see the ball in our end too much.”
Thomson agreed the team is “strong” at both ends of the field but added they’re quite capable of playing solid in the defensive end when “they have to.”
Meanwhile, the NorWOSSA playoffs will be the Muskies’ final test before they host the all-Ontario championship May 31-June 3 (the league had ruled earlier this month that the team won’t move on to NWOSSAA even if they win NorWOSSA).
“This is our NWOSSAA,” said Gilson. “We’re pumped.”
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The Muskies have scheduled an exhibition game Friday, May 26 at 6 p.m. versus all former Muskie players in order to stay in game shape before the OFSAA tournament here May 31-June 3.
All Muskie alumni are asked to call Struchan Gilson (274-6312) or Caroline Spencer (274-6203) if they want to play.
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In last Friday’s Bulletin, Noreen Hartlin was incorrectly referred to as Laureen Hartlin. As well, the correct spelling of Chrissy Thomson’s first name is this way as opposed to Chrissie (as it’s been spelled in past articles).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
