The Slave Lake PeeWee Thunder had plenty of reasons to be excited to be in Jasper this past weekend. Not only was it a good 15 degrees warmer here than in Slave Lake, and the skiing was good with our recent snow, but they could look forward to redemption against our hometown PeeWee Bears, against whom they lost 7鈥�4 during tiering earlier in the season. These teams met twice last weekend in a much anticipated two-game series that was their first in the regular season.
The first game was an evening start on Saturday. The Thunder scored early and scored often. A bad change by Jasper鈥檚 opening shift gave Slave Lake an early two-man breakaway, scoring just 90 seconds into the game. And by the time the first period buzzer sounded, the Thunder had scored four more times versus Jasper鈥檚 lone goal, a power play marker by Jax Kading, off a Rhys Malcolm pass.
The second period was penalty filled but scoreless thanks to some heads up defense by Jasper and solid goaltending by Bears鈥� netminder Duncan McLeod. But then early in the third, Slave Lake got two quick markers off goal mouth scrambles that set Jasper well back on its heels. Facing a six goal deficit, the Bears did not give up, managing two more late period goals from Matteo Tassoni and Malcolm. Slave Lake was equal to the task, though, with two more of its own to win Saturday鈥檚 match 9鈥�3.
With only 15 shots in this game compared to the Thunder鈥檚 30, the Bears were in dire need of some puck pressure if they were to compete on Sunday.
Sunday鈥檚 game started similarly for Jasper, getting down two goals in the opening period. But you could tell early that there was more flow to the game and jump in the Bears鈥� players compared to the previous day鈥檚 effort.
Sure enough, Malcolm opened the Bears鈥� scoring with five minutes to play in the first, and with under a minute to play in the period, Drew Tank pinched in from the blue line and wired Jasper鈥檚 tying goal over the outstretched glove of a sprawling Slave Lake netminder.
The first period ended with a tie at two.
In the second period, both teams got into penalty trouble again and this time paid the price.
Twelve minutes in, Slave Lake reclaimed its lead with a power play goal, which was countered three minutes later by the Bears鈥� Tassoni, who was dished the puck by Malcolm.
Slave Lake took advantage of yet another goal mouth scramble to re-reclaim its lead, but then Cooper Hilworth, Tassoni and Malcolm combined once again for Jasper鈥檚 fourth goal of the game. All tied at four after two.
It was anyone鈥檚 game in the third with lots of tight defensive play by Eric MacMahon and solid goaltending at both ends. Jasper captured its first lead of the game off a goal by sometimes goalie, sometimes skater Severin Golla, who popped in a loose puck in front of the net.
That 5鈥�4 lead evaporated five minutes later when an unmarked Slave Lake forward picked up the puck in the crease and buried it behind McLeod.
Slave Lake re-re-reclaimed its lead five minutes after that, but then immediately had to kill a two minute tripping penalty. Despite intense pressure by Jasper during that power play, Slave Lake held on, defeating the Bears 5鈥�6 in a hard fought battle that had Jasper ahead on shots (33-21), but behind in goals.
It was an excellent game that could have gone either way.
The Bears hit the road next weekend to take on Whitecourt and Mayerthorpe on a two game swing through the province鈥檚 boreal fringe. Check back to read about those games.
聽John Wilmshurst
Special to the 51暗网
