M’CHIGEENG—The Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) Mustangs girls’ hockey team can hold their heads high after an outstanding season and a silver medal for their efforts.
The Mustangs dropped a heartbreaking sudden death overtime championship final game three 3-2 to Bishop Carter last Tuesday in Sudbury. “The girls played a heck of a game,” stated MSS coach Mike Meeker. “We controlled the play and had many chances during the game and the overtime to score. Their goalie played very well, but we had so many chances, it was just one of those games. Randy Pascal, who keeps track of the scoring chances, told me after the game that we must have out chanced them four to one.”
The Mustangs were behind 2-1 in the third period until Anna Migwans scored with just a couple of minutes left to tie things in regulation. Mr. Meeker explained the teams played three on three in the overtime and were almost through the first five-minute overtime period when Bishop Carter scored the game winner.
Earlier in the game Mustangs sniper Kennedy Lanktree had scored for MSS. “Kennedy played a heck of a game,” said Mr. Meeker. “She was really sick, having missed school on Monday, but I knew she would be here for the final game.”
The Mustangs had rebounded from an opening game loss to Bishop Carter, defeating the latter by an 8-3 score in game two held in M’Chigeeng. The win tied the best two of three series. The Mustangs started off slowly getting behind 2-0 early in the game, but recovered very well, scoring three unanswered markers to take a 3-2 lead into the first intermission. Bishop Carter scored the lone marker in the second period, but MSS dominated from start to finish in the third period, scoring five straight goals.
“The girls improved an awful lot over last year, and one of the reasons is that the younger players really come on this year,” said Mr. Meeker. “This team never gives up and they’ve earned everything they accomplished this year.”
The Mustangs qualified for the finals by winning their best two out of three semi-final series against Espanola in two straight games.
Mr. Meeker noted that Ms. Lanktree, “is disappointed as is the whole team (with the loss to Bishop Carter). The two teams were really equal.”
Ms. Lanktree will now be moving onto Laurentian University next fall. “This was my fourth year at MSS,” she explained. “I was proud of how we came together during the season, working toward achieving something that has never been done at MSS—winning a championship.”
“We showed a lot of heart throughout the season,” said Ms. Lanktree. “I want to mention our goalie Sophie Bondi, who was a rookie this year. She stood on her head all year long for us, keeping us in every game, she never gave up.”
The future looks very bright for the Mustangs. “We are only losing two players from this year’s team, and 12 of our players are either in Grade 9 or 10,” said Mr. Meeker. “So we are going to have a heck of a team next season.”
