Evolution occurs in several ways.
I’ve written before how Jasper’s PeeWee Bears have evolved their game by learning to pass and cycle the puck, trapping opponents in their own zone and creating scoring opportunities. In the world of evolution, this is called an epigenetic shift where the players on the team haven’t changed, but how each player uses his or her skills has changed. However, last weekend the Bears displayed a more dramatic development.
The origins of the Edson-Jasper rivalry favour the Mighty Macs. They have been the hunters and our Bears have been the hunted, losing by wide margins in each of their two previous meetings. However, last weekend the hunted became the hunters.
As the world marked Charles Darwin’s 208th birthday, it was quite appropriate that it was survival of the fittest on the ice in Edson.
Jasper got off to one of their best starts of the season. While it took more than half the period to find the back of the net, the hard work was to adapt to Edson’s big star. Their top player leads the league in scoring by a wide margin and dominates the opposition end of the ice each time he steps on the rink. Edson peppered Jasper goaltender Donovan Fawcett with 13 shots in the first period, but he turned each one aside. Donovan was helped by one of the best games I’ve seen the Jasper defense play all season. Donovan’s brother, Dexter, and Jacob Bouchard were like beagles on a scent, containing the Edson forwards in the neutral zone with perfect gap control. Meanwhile, the other defensive pairing of Michael Hayashi and Jacob Bartziokas were using their diverse skills in the corners and in front of the net clearing pucks out of harm’s way.
At the other end of the ice, 13 minutes in, Baden Koss picked up a pass from Owen Kearnan and ripped it into the net to give Jasper a 1–0 lead that they brought into the dressing room.
The second period was not Jasper’s finest. At times they looked like a flock of nut-cracking finches on a prickly-pear cactus; a bit lost and with the wrong tools. The Bears got into some penalty trouble and, combined with some less than tenacious play, the Mighty Macs were able to get back in the game. Two goals 10 minutes apart turned the tables on the Bears and gave Edson a one-goal lead heading into the third period.
Between periods a quick reminder from Coach Eric Bouchard of what gave Jasper the early lead was all it took to fire the Bears up for the third period. Winger Apollo Hardman buried a loose puck in front of the net to draw Jasper even with nine minutes left on the clock.
A minute later, it was time for the very hard-working centre, Tanner Carlton to work his wrap-around magic to give the Bears the lead. The hunted had resumed their role as the hunter, but they were fighting a very slow-moving clock trying to protect their thin lead.
Enter wingers Nash Hilworth and Ty Crozier. Neither of these first-year PeeWees is a pure goal scorer, but both are great athletes and whether they were centred by Sebastian Golla or Carlton, they were a force to be reckoned with. Donovan was his usual stellar self, but Edson was struggling to get offensive opportunities thanks to strong fore-checking, and managed only six shots in the final frame. With 43 seconds to play though, Edson’s power forward busted through Jasper’s defensive wall and slid the puck inside the far post past Donovan to tie the game at three. A last-minute flurry from the Bears would not be enough, and the game ended all tied up.
Were Charles Darwin still alive, he would no doubt be a huge Bears fan. He would also note how the Bears are undergoing a speciation event under selection pressure from coach Bouchard. These two clubs tangle again next weekend in Edson.
Thanks to Michael Sullivan of Devon, Alta. for the hockey improv idea. Â
I’ll see you in the stands.
