Goals punctuate a hockey game, providing excitement and helping to tell the story. But they are not the whole story. They only describe the end point of the play that involves many players, coaches and even referees.
In last Sunday鈥檚 game in Edson, the Jasper PeeWee Bears faced-off against a team that Jasper had yet to encounter this season and, it is fair to say, the goal scoring was only a small part of the spectacle on the ice.
The first period ended one to nothing in favour of Edson, who scored a power play marker that went underneath goaltender Severin Golla鈥檚 stick and into the net. Well, not quite. Golla didn鈥檛 have his stick when the goal went in. He had lost it in an earlier scramble and opted not to retrieve it when the play temporarily left the Bears鈥� zone. Had he had a stick, the shot would have either gone under it or hit it. Hard to tell, but it went in the net and Edson took the lead.
This lead was in spite of some pretty fancy stick work by the Bears. First year defenseman Eric MacMahon is a presense on the ice for his hard work and cunningly timed poke checks. Not a big kid, MacMahon has to use guile to fend off rushing opponents and he does just that shift after shift. By my count, he prevented a dozen scoring opportunities and stopped three sure goals with hard work and great defensive timing.
Helping him out on the blue line is Drew Tank, a second-year defender who seemed to have taken a few too many lessons from his heroes on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was in the sin bin when Edson scored their first goal, but Tank more than made up for it with a few confident rushes and otherwise solid defensive play. Although he had no points in this contest, he鈥檚 another strong contributor.
In the second period there was no scoring by either side, which again highlighted Jasper鈥檚 defensive play.
Tyler Carlton is a defenseman who plays loose on the ice, clearly anticipating a play. Carlton鈥檚 ability to get in passing and shooting lanes is uncanny. He even shows some grit along the boards these days, imposing himself into the fray to move the puck out along the boards.
While Carlton works the wall, Trenton Rea plays the middle of the ice with line-mate Rhys Malcolm. Their passing sprung Rea on a breakaway in the early going of the third period, but he was unable to beat a strong Edson goalie.
I anticipate Rea will be on the scoresheet a lot as the season progresses, as he has all the hockey-sense and drive that make goals go in.
In the face of steady offensive pressure from the Bears, Edson went up by two early in the third period. That was off a nice two-on-one passing play on which second half Bears鈥� netminder Duncan McLeod had no chance.
Malcolm finally got the Bears on the board five minutes into the third, walking in from the neutral zone and lifting a wrister over the Edson keeper鈥檚 glove. Malcolm can clearly score all on his own, but working with Rea and Matteo Tassoni, he is showing increasing confidence in up-ice feeds and passes from the corner that, while missing on Sunday, will come with practice.
Edson regained their two goal lead on another third period powerplay marker. MacLeod had the puck covered, but Edson took advantage of a late whistle, dug it out and it trickled over the line. Malcolm put Jasper back within one about a minute later, but that was as close as Jasper would come.
Edson scored twice more in the final three minutes of the game for a 5鈥�2 final score.
These teams are more even than this outcome indicates, and when the entire Jasper team is healthy again, the score will be much closer.
The PeeWees are idle next weekend, making way for the Atom tournament, but they will play Mayerthorpe in two weeks.
See you at the rink.
John Wilmshurst
Special to the 51暗网
