Getting behind in a team sport brings out any number of interesting traits in athletes. Perhaps the most instinctive reaction is to mount the single-handed comeback, but not far behind that is to become discouraged and mail in the rest of the game.
Less common is to stick to the game-plan and dig out of the hole as a team. This takes discipline, training, trust and experience that is often beyond our young hockey players.
I鈥檓 not going to say that the comebacks mounted by the Jasper Atom Bears last weekend were wholly of the disciplined type, but they were a hopeful blend of personal and team effort without any sign of tents being packed up.
On Saturday, the Bears found themselves in Edson facing off against the home team. Despite heroics by goaltender Kelan Polard, the Bears found themselves in a 4鈥�0 deficit early on in the second period.
The Aidan Deagle, Lucas Oeggerli, Camas D鈥橝ntonio line worked that puck hard in the offensive zone, but just could not get that red lamp lit. It took a five-hole marker by Dylan Dekker seven minutes into the second to get Jasper on the scoreboard, only to be negated a few minutes later as Edson regained its four goal lead.
Then the comeback started in earnest as Dekker assisted on the second goal fired in by Sebastian Golla and a third scored by Lucas Prud鈥檋omme, pulling the Bears within two by the end of the period.
Five minutes into the third, Golla brought the Bears within one, but despite two periods of strong defensive play by Jasper, Edson reclaimed its two goal lead with time ticking away.
Golla completed his hat trick with two minutes on the clock, but time expired before the comeback was complete, and Jasper had to go home with a hard fought, but disappointing 6鈥�5 defeat.
On Sunday, the Hinton Snipers rolled into town to take on a Jasper team determined not let the first period slip through its fingers as it had the previous day. This determination paid off as Dana Angebrandt got the Bears on the board early to take a one-nothing lead.
But Hinton would answer with two goals of its own, one with only 30 seconds to play in the opening frame. Up 2鈥�1 as the second period commenced, Hinton would add two more to its lead putting the Bears in familiar territory; three goals down and half a game to play.
Angebrandt, a gifted skater who has been working on her finish, shifted into another gear and, working with line mates Golla and Prud鈥檋omme, fired in two goals in quick succession, not only completing a natural hat trick, but also putting her team back within one. Golla then tied it up, sliding in a puck far post as he fell to the ice before the second period buzzer sounded.
Angebrandt opened the third by putting Jasper ahead again with her incredible fourth marker on the day, only to watch that lead disappear less than a minute later as the Snipers buried their fifth goal behind Deagle, the Bears鈥� hard working goaltender.
The teams then exchanged goals, including a trademark end-to-end beauty by Dekker. But now tied at six, Jasper bore down. Deagle remained solid between the pipes, defencemen Owen Kearnan, Josh Howes and Jacob Bartziokas were strong in support, all while Golla scored twice more and Dekker once to give the Bears a 9鈥�6 victory.
Two great comebacks, two different outcomes, but one great weekend of hockey from a team that continues to demonstrate that no hole is too deep to discourage digging.
The kids are on the ice again this Saturday at 2:45 p.m. against Fox Creek.
See you at the rink.
John Wilmshurst
Special to the 51暗网
