Joey Payeur
Two days, three games, 25 goals scores, none allowed.
The bad news? That belongs to the rest of NorWOSSA because both Muskie hockey squads say they can play much better.
The girls’ squad dumped the Kenora Broncos 8-0 in their regular-season home-opener Tuesday night at the Ice For Kids Arena.
“It wasn’t our best effort right off the start,” admitted head coach Todd Hamilton.
“Credit Kenora,” he added. “They came ready to play and we didn’t.”
But once the goals did start coming, they did so quickly as Taylor Croswell, Jill Calder, Lauren Hamilton, and Annalise (CC) Hayes all beat Broncos’ goalie Sage Skead before the end of the first period.
Hayes netted her second in the middle frame—finishing an excellent give-and-go with captain Janelle Kaemingh by burying the return feed.
Abby Plourde then scored a gorgeous goal of her own in the third after barrelling in from her usual defence position and uncorking a blast to make it 6-0.
Croswell got her second of the night on the power play before Calder ripped Kelsey Langtry’s backhand centering pass behind Skead, who did all she could to keep the score respectable with her team being outshot 76-8.
Sydney Beck stopped all eight shots she faced for the shutout.
Hamilton used back-up goalie Kamryn Sandelovich as a forward Tuesday with veteran Siobhan Mackintosh sidelined with a back injury suffered in the season-opening series in Sioux Lookout.
“The reason you do that is in case the ’flu strikes or there’s injuries or suspensions, you can still have three complete lines,” Hamilton explained.
“Kamryn’s played before at the Bantam ‘AA’ level as a forward and she did well for just having one practice.
“It’s exciting for the other players to see her succeed in another position. But we’re never going to try that in goal,” he smiled.
The Muskies (3-0) are back on the ice tonight when they host the Dryden Eagles—their most fierce NorWOSSA rival—at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Game time is 7:15 p.m.
The Muskie boys’ squad, meanwhile went from lackluster to blockbuster in less than a day—following up an uneven 6-0 win over the Red Lake Rams on Tuesday night at “The Duke” (Couchiching Arena) by delivering a far better effort yesterday afternoon in an 11-0 romp at the Ice For Kids Arena.
“There was a night-and-day difference,” head coach Jordan Sinclair said after yesterday’s victory.
“It’s a simple matter of having that drive and having pride in what you’re doing.
“I would have had a tough time coming up with positive things to say after [Tuesday] night’s game,” he added.
The Muskies (3-0) scored twice in each period Tuesday, with Jon Busch and Eric Pitkanen tallying in the opening frame against Bradley Saskosky.
Cole Allan, moved up to forward from his normal defence position due to the absence of forwards Kendyn Faragher and Cam Gushulak, and Brandon Kocuiba had second-period markers.
Brett Kenny and Brent Jourdain cap the scoring in the third.
The Muskies then put yesterday’s game out of reach early by notching six goals against Rams’ starter Garrette Peloquin.
Chase McGuire, Byron Stewart, Kaden Nelson (on back-to-back backhanders), Sheldon Kelly Jr., and Allan all bulged the twine.
After Pitkanen and Kenny made it 8-0 in the second, Kelly Jr. and McGuire each added their second of the night.
Kocuiba had the lone goal of the third.
Matt Booth recorded his second-straight shutout.
The Muskies next host the Dryden Eagles this Tuesday (Nov. 29) at 7 p.m. at the ’52 Canadians Arena.
