Every September we plant our hockey garden. For the Jasper PeeWee Bears, the soil is rich and the seeds, deeply sown, are beginning to germinate. The garden is fertilized twice weekly at practice and last weekend, in two games against the Fox Creek Bulldogs, green shoots began to emerge.
On Saturday, it started to rain early on the Bears with a couple of penalties and a couple of goals against in the opening six minutes of the game. The sun came out briefly with seven minutes to play when Baden Koss hit paydirt top shelf, burying a beautiful two-way passing play from Sebastian Golla and Owen Kearnan. But more rain was to fall before the period was out and the Bulldogs reclaimed their two-goal lead to make it 3-1 with three minutes to play.
In the second period, Jasper got scorched by the penalty box, but sometimes a little inclement weather is good for young plants. The Bears ended up winning the period scoring two more goals, one from Lucas Oeggerli, short-handed and the other, a blast from the point from Dexter Fawcett. Briefly tied at three, the Bulldogs again scored in the closing minutes of the frame to go ahead 4-3 after 40 minutes.
Jasper equalized five minutes into the third, this time off Kearnan鈥檚 stick who buried a pass again from Golla and D-man Jacob Bouchard. But then halfway through the period, the Bulldogs regained their one-goal advantage, followed by another tough penalty kill for the Bears. With the period winding down, it wasn鈥檛 looking good for the Bears. However, a Bulldog cross-checking penalty with a minute-forty to play gave Coach Eric Bouchard the chance to reap what he had sown, pulling netminder Donovan Fawcett to create a six on four advantage for Jasper. With three consecutive faceoff wins, Golla created the offensive opportunity, and with 10 seconds on the clock Oeggerli scored, tying the game and earning Jasper their first point in this early season. Final score, Jasper 5, Fox Creek 5.
The rematch on Sunday was an entirely different harvest. Determined to stay out of the penalty box, backstopped by a calm Fawcett planted between the pipes and supercharged by Oeggerli who was tilling up a lot of fertile soil in the offensive zone, Jasper took immediate charge. He scored two early goals and got helpers on two more to give Jasper a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes. The noteworthy recipients of his largess were Nash Hilworth, who hadn鈥檛 scored since the first game of the season, and Henri LeClerc who hadn鈥檛 scored since鈥� well, he couldn鈥檛 really remember.
The second period belonged to Fawcett who kept his team in it, stoning the Bulldogs on not one, but two breakaways, and flashing the leather to track down some high, hard shots. Fox Creek did manage to sneak two by him against the grain of play, but with the Jasper forwards buzzing, the Bears grew their four-goal lead after 40 minutes. Jasper goal-scorers in the middle frame included Hilworth鈥檚 second of the game, Tanner Carlton and Kearnan鈥檚 second marker with 17 seconds to play in the period giving Jasper a 7-2 cushion.
In the third Jasper was working hard to seal the deal. Fox Creek scored early, and seemed to gather momentum from the goal. But hope was dashed by Koss鈥檚 wrister from the slot which was tipped into the back of the net at the period鈥檚 halfway mark. Oeggerli completed his hat trick with a power play marker and Golla rounded out the scoring, stepping into a slapper from the point right off the faceoff. Final score, Jasper 10, Fox Creek 3.
Next weekend, the Bears travel to Whitecourt on Saturday to play the high-flying Wolverines. Then they are back in Jasper on Sunday for a 1:15 p.m. home game against local rivals, Edson. Green shoots have emerged from Coach Bouchard鈥檚 tilled soil. And despite the inevitable winter, there is every expectation for a rich harvest. I鈥檒l see you in the stands.
John Wilmshurst special to the 51暗网
