Last weekend, the Jasper PeeWee Bears hosted two games against a solid unit of Mustangs from Mayerthorpe in the penultimate home stand for 2013.
This was the first time the Bears had faced off against the Mustangs since tiering back in October, and again the squads proved to be evenly matched in terms of both skill and depth.
The Bears were missing something, though. They had the tic and the tac, but no toe. The dipsy, but no doodle. They were missing the dazzle to the razzle, and we all know what happens if you鈥檝e mislaid your dazzle.
Game 1 on Saturday afternoon was time for the unlikely Bears goal hounds to shine. Down by a goal after 10 minutes of play, defenseman Drew Tank, who played a strong two-way game, picked up a pass from Olivia Fonger in his own zone, chugged down the ice and buried high stick-side to tie it at one.
Trenton Rea was pushing all afternoon, making him the most effective play-maker on the ice, and Troy Jackson was the hardest working Bear with an effective forecheck. But with 20 seconds to play in the first, Mayerthorpe won a faceoff in the Jasper zone and planted a low blast under goaltender Severin Golla鈥檚 butterfly. The period ended 2鈥�1 for the Mustangs.
In the second, Mayerthorpe extended its lead off the opening faceoff, but then Fonger, who has been setting up other goal scorers all season, picked up a pass from Rea in the blue paint and found pay dirt. Jasper was back within one, but again, before the period would expire, the Mustangs would reclaim their two goal lead to finish the period at 4鈥�2.
In the third, Mayerthorpe would get into penalty trouble, but with the roll missing from their rock and roll game, Jasper was unable to capitalize. In fact, it was Mayerthorpe that got two more before Bears鈥� Matteo Tassoni, following Fonger鈥檚 lead, gobbled up a pass in front of the net and buried it.
The Mustangs would get one more before the end of the game for a final score of 7鈥�3.
Jasper had 29 shots in 60 minutes, but with the duper taking a leave from their super, this did not translate into enough goals to best Mayerthorpe.
On Sunday, the story was much the same. There were a lot of good signs: Cooper Hilworth, back from the injury list, was buzzing, moving the puck, setting up plays, pressuring the Mustangs puck carriers, and Eric MacMahon was solid on D and as a late game forward.
In general, the Bears are getting better at offensive zone passing, headmanning and cycling the puck, but the execution is just not there yet. It is nothing more practice and experience won鈥檛 solve, but it鈥檚 not translating on the scoresheet just yet. Even the goalies, Duncan McLeod and Golla, are being bolder with the puck, playing and controlling it like an effective netminder has to do, but they are still in the trial-and-error stage.
Rhys Malcolm got the Bears鈥� lone goal in the first period with a classic end-to-ender, wrist shot top cheese. And again Jasper got 30 shots and lots of good looks. Despite decent effort, this one goal was not enough. Mayerthorpe made no mistakes around the net and bent the twine eight times to walk away with this one.
The Bears are in action again this weekend in a home-and-home series against Edson. The Jasper game is on Sunday, the last for 2013. Come check it out and see if by then Jasper has found the hunky to go with the dory, and if the frutti is reunited with its tutti. Okey dokey?
John Wilmshurst
Special to the 51暗网
