Some weeks I take the easy road when scribbling these rants. That path is to focus on the score, the goal scorers and the penalties; the essential nuts-and-bolts of the game. But this overlooks the efforts of the kids you came here to read about. The play-makers and role-players who may not end up on the scoresheet, but who are keys to the team and the community. This past weekend, the Jasper PeeWee Bears were tourists in Whitecourt on Saturday and hosted Edson on Sunday for a two-game series against some tough local rivals. And it was the unsung heroes who came to play.
Saturday鈥檚 game in Whitecourt was an unexpected defensive battle. When these teams met in the pre-season, the Wolverines bested our Bears by double digits in a domineering performance. But last weekend, the Bears jumped out to a fast, 2-0 start with Sebastian Golla and Baden Koss providing the offence. Jasper鈥檚 defence, consisting of Jacob Bartziokas paired with Ty Crozier and Michael Hayashi beside Dexter Fawcett, provided some early shutdown play that held the dominant Whitecourt forwards to the outside. Their steady D was a key to the Bears鈥� success in this game. The Wolverines managed to equalize late in the period, thanks to some tenacious pressure around the net. The score was knotted at two after 20 minutes.
The second period was all Donovan Fawcett; Jasper鈥檚 netminder and shortstop wannabe. After letting in an early goal four minutes in to the frame, he played amazing shut-down hockey, stymying all of Whitecourt鈥檚 biggest shots. On the Jasper bench, the winger pairing of Apollo Hardman and Nash Hilworth were outstanding. They made it tough for the Wolverines to get shots in our zone and pressing in the offensive zone, trying hard to solve the Whitecourt netminder. No scoring for the Bears in the second, so they entered the third period down a goal; 3-2.
The defensive battle resumed in the third, with both Bartziokas and Fawcett foiling the Whitecourt breakout. And the Hardman-Hilworth line turned up the temperature. Winger pairing Liam Crozier and Henri LeClerc also picked it up,听 providing some O-zone pressure and getting shots. Whitecourt, which is among the top teams in the league, were beginning to show signs of strain. Only up by a goal, this was foreign territory. Donovan was absolutely standing on his head in the third, and with Golla banging in a rebound from a Tanner Carlton blast, the game was tied with five minutes to play. Jasper held off a last-minute flurry, and walked away with a single point and a moral victory. Final score: Jasper three, Whitecourt three.
Sunday was a slightly different matter when Edson came to town. This time the Bears got off to a slow start, giving up a quick goal, but managed to claw back to take a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Credit Carlton and Hayashi for the Bears鈥� goals. But in the second, the wheels came off, with the Mighty Macs scoring five unanswered goals. The score was 6-2 after 40 minutes and Jasper was firmly behind the eight-ball.
In the third period, Jasper got two of those back quickly with Carlton scoring his second and Hardman bending the twine with his first (but no doubt not his last) regular season goal. He also picked up two helpers for a three-point day. Jasper winger, Janelle Tank was doing her quiet work along the boards and in the defensive zone, keeping the puck out of harm鈥檚 way while Hilworth hammered home Jasper鈥檚 third of the period from the slot. But by then Edson had awoken and scored two of their own, suppressing Jasper鈥檚 comeback. Final score: Jasper five, Edson eight, for the Bears鈥� first loss of this young season.
This weekend, the Bears host this same Edson team on Nov. 27 at 3:30 p.m. Expect Jasper鈥檚 unsung heroes to sing an entirely different tune. See you in the stands.
John Wilmshurst special to the 51暗网
