The pre-game rituals had a peculiar air on Saturday morning. There was a quiet muffle to goings-on, as though a fresh blanket of snow had hushed the house. Our staple meal of fried potatoes, salsa and eggs was gingerly picked at and not consumed with the usual vigour.
In conversation with other parents before the game, it became apparent that this was a common affliction throughout the team.
Butterflies? Nerves at the 11th hour? Absolutely!
This was the division championship and, given the small town we鈥檙e in, the graces of a trophy match are few and far between.
In a best-of-three series, Mayerthorpe arrived in town with the goal of tying it up. Like a rock in the pit of the Bearcats stomachs, game three on Sunday could not be an option!
The first period amounted to what many expected; a careful 20 minutes with neither team making a mistake. All tied up, 1鈥�1 after one.
Sources inside the Bearcats dressing room indicated that you could cut the tension with a Zamboni. In the second period, the team had to wake up immediately as it could not afford to allow the opponents to believe in themselves.
The full stands did not have long to wait.
The Bearcats rallied and the score was 3鈥�1 early in the period. And, it didn鈥檛 stop there. From all positions on the ice, the lads prolifically filled the net, from high, low and at every angle. We witnessed a great display of unselfish hockey, much to the pleasure of fans and parents alike. Five unanswered goals in this frame, 6鈥�1 after two.
The division championship was at hand with 20 minutes to play. The game could still go either way鈥攚e鈥檝e all seen that before. The Bearcats rose to the challenge and scored five more, with a few trickling in from the Mayerthorpe side. All in all, it was a rather calm third period. One might acknowledge the officiating staff at this point for a fine job throughout the game and the entire season. The final score was 11鈥�3 for the hometown Bearcats.
This became a game where the outcome should never have been questioned. For the five young men in their last year of hockey, and the entire team in general, there couldn鈥檛 have been a better way to end a season and a minor hockey career.
Congratulations Bearcats and thank you to those who made this season possible.
Many good people invested many long hours volunteering for the Jasper Midget Bearcats Hockey Club. Because of this, our club ran as smooth as any team I鈥檝e seen.
From day one, the locker room housed a great camaraderie that was obviously reflected on the ice. The older lads helped the younger and a strong team was born.
Two keen assistant coaches, giving back to the community they grew up in, were a tremendous bonus for the squad. A huge thank you goes to Nathan and Nik for their mentorship and commitment. Head coach Tony kept it all together with his no-nonsense, fair approach. Everyone plays, everyone buys in.
Marci and Kathy held down the front office with diligent management of team and funds. Smooth. Parents stepped up on many occasions for a variety of tasks including a very successful home tournament. And who could forget Tamar, the 50/50 gal with a wealth of hockey knowledge when we needed it. The Bearcats would like to thank everyone involved in making this a successful season.
Submitted
Special to the 51暗网
