MUSKIES FORWARD Chris Greer chases down a loose puck in game one of their WOAA Senior Mens semi-final series in Elora last Wednesday. Photo/MIKE MALONEY What a difference a week makes. Even after dispatching with the Ripley Wolves in four straight 10 days before, many of the so- called hockey scribes still pegged the chances of the Shelburne Muskies getting past Elora in the WOAA Senior A Mens semi final as slim to none. Now two games into that series, those same scribes are reexamining their tea leaves as the Muskies cruise into this coming weekend up 2-0 in the best of seven series on the strength of two 6-3 back to back wins over the Rocks last week.

Opening the series last Wednesday night in Elora, the Muskies found themselves the under the gun early when Rocks' Steve Walter opened the scoring just under three minutes into the game..

Brad Horan would have the touch, though, for Shelburne this night, scoring his first of three 10 minutes into the first period, and then tagging his second on the night to offset Elora's Jeremy Machin's power-play marker and send the teams into the second tied at 2-2.

Derrick Robson teamed up with Horan and Chris Greer to put the Fish out front for the first time before Rod Bauman knotted up again at 3-3. But from there on, the Muskies seemed to gain momentum as the Rocks began to tire. Derrick Smith gave Shelburne a lead they would not relinquish from that point forward; a power-play marker of their own late in the second.

It was followed in the third with goals by Smith and Horan to give the Muskies a well deserved 6-3 win.

Playing Saturday back in Shelburne, the Fish started off slow, falling behind 2-0 before Horan picked one past Rocks goalie Joe Amlinger with 1:08 remaining in the first.

Kevin Tuckey would have a good night Saturday for Shelburne. Early in the second he and Matt Lougheed would combine on Tuckey's first of two second period goals while Zac Duerden offset the Rocks third and last of the night to make it 4-3 after two periods.

Again, Adam Clarke continued to play solid

between the Shelburne pipes, shutting down the Elora shooters through the final 20 minutes while Bill Boyes and Greer added singles to seal off the score sheet with the second 6-3 win in as many games to give them a commanding series lead.

Action continues between the two teams this weekend. Friday night is game three of the best of seven series back in Elora. Should the Fish win Friday, they can wrap it up Sunday night back at the CDRC before the hometown crowd where the game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.