It was an uncommon loss for the Jasper PeeWee Bears on home ice last Saturday. Not that they are without setbacks this season, sporting a two and one record going into the game, but the manner of the defeat was new.
First, they were missing two of their key defenders: Drew Tank who was at the Grey Cup (he just might be playing for the Riders) and Cooper Hilworth, who is usually good for a couple of goals per game, but is out with an impalement injury only he could incur.
Second, they were missing power forward Troy Jackson who was off crashing tropical waves instead of frozen boards.
In response, Coach Steve Malcolm called up Kelan Polard from the Atom ranks and moved goaltender Severin Golla to defense, giving Duncan McLeod a shot at playing a full game. Polard and Golla were both impressive in their unfamiliar roles, and McLeod was a standout for 60 minutes, but it was not enough to eke out a victory against this determined opponent.
The Fox Creek Bulldogs, who Jasper soundly thrashed three short weeks ago in their barn, rolled into Jasper seeking revenge.
The first period was thrilling, end-to-end hockey with both goaltenders serving notice that scoring today was going to take some skill. McLeod was solid with his glove hand, perfect with his positioning and made a few impossible saves that seemed destined for the back of the net.
Jasper held the advantage in shots after the first, but neither team was able to get on the scoreboard.
Scoring opened seven minutes into the second when Bears鈥� Rhys Malcolm slid a seeing-eye backhand between the post and the outstretched pad of the Bulldogs鈥� netminder. Two minutes later, hard-working winger Jax Kading, who is always a threat, fired in a low blast from the slot to put the Bears up by two. This seemed to fire up the Bulldogs power forwards who equalized in the ensuing three minutes of play.
Deflated, but not defeated, it was time for Jasper鈥檚 energy forwards to exert themselves. Olivia Fonger is always a presence and when she gets the puck, she doesn鈥檛 give it up easily. Nathan Howes, who scored against Fox Creek on the road seemed destined to improve his stats, and together with the tireless pressure of Trenton Rea and Matteo Tassoni, he and his line mates must have fired a dozen shots on net, forcing the Bulldogs鈥� goalie to come up big.
It took a perfect feed from Rea and a bar-down slapper from Malcolm to once again solve the Fox Creek goalie and then another backhand marker from Malcolm to re-establish the hometown Bears two goal cushion.
The second period ended 4鈥�2 for the kids from the Rockies.
In the third, the dominance of the Bulldogs鈥� power forwards was just too much for the hard working Bears. Four unanswered goals, all of them unstoppable solo efforts, put the Bulldogs up by two.
Sure, the absence of key Bears鈥� players was felt here, but what was inspiring was the unflagging work ethic that Jasper showed. In the end, they bested the Bulldogs in shots, in possession time and in effort, but simply lacked the finish that would have put this game away.
If they continue to work as hard as they did this game, it will surely come.
Next game is this Sunday in Edson, the first meeting this season between these perennial rivals.
John Wilmshurst
Special to the 51暗网
