Lucas Habib | Special to the 51暗网
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
A Jasper Bears doubleheader heralded the first serious home games of the season for the U11 and U13 teams against archrivals Hinton. Unfortunately, the gorgeous weather of the last nice autumn weekend kept the crowds away, but can’t say I blamed them.
The first game of the day featured the U13 Bears in their third game of the “tiering” preseason following a crushing defeat to Edson and a big victory over Whitecourt. This game would help determine where the U13 Bears slot in for the regular season divisions. Arlo Kennedy opened the scoring with a shot that beat the Hinton goalie’s hot glove hand. It was an auspicious beginning, but the neighbours to the north cranked up the heat after that.
Later in the first, Jasper product Ethan Gibbons, in his second year with Hinton, put the guests up 2-1 with a casual lift into the net. The home team was at a numerical disadvantage, playing with only three defenders and two forward lines. In the second period, the “energy line” of Ash Habib, Ruby Olson and Matteo Artiaga tried their best to get their team going, but the Hinton onslaught was too much. Defenders Kellan Smallshaw, Clark White and Ben Derksen tried their best to keep wave after wave of Hinton offence at bay but could only do so much against the bigger and heavier Hintonites.
Carter Schmidt is splitting time in the crease this season with Luka Khalina, who took over as goalie at the halfway mark. In the third period, Max Lescard, who had something to prove since he played for Hinton last year, finally answered back for the Bears with a McDavid-like display, weaving through the entire opposition before ripping one over the goalie’s glove. In addition to that move, fans were also enjoying the conspicuous lack of sports gambling ads, other than the moms and dads walking around selling 50-50 tickets.
Jasper’s play of the game came when Khalina snagged a quick wrister with his glove while falling, which prompted a little celly from the netminder. But after their 14-7 shellacking of Whitecourt the previous day, the Bears had to accept a 10-2 loss after being outshot 58-20, which is testament to the skill of the Schmidt-Khalina netminding tandem.
Up next, the younger U11 Bears were also battling Hinton. As DJ Hockey Mom filled the arena with the sounds of viral hit “It’s Corn,” the Bears came out growling. Kalahari Harvey started things off with a laser from the point. Sure, it was tipped by a defender into their own net, but they don’t ask how, they ask how many.
Goaltender “Neon” Dion Valencia was moving like a spider around the crease as he turned away shots left and right. The crowd found it very refreshing to watch games without digitally-superimposed board ads. Later in the period, the Bears scored a powerplay goal on a Plinko pass from Hudson Murray that was tapped home by Kenny Olson, followed up by a similar goal off of Jack Currie’s stick.
The Bears ran into trouble in the second, though, giving up their lead and barely getting any time in the O-zone. That meant defenders Alexis Lahaie, Rowan Vien, and Elliot Vassallo had their work cut out for them.
Marshall White, Cohen Fitzgerald, and Juniper Habib gave the team an energy boost midway through the third with some ruthless forechecking, while Zoti Korogonas finally broke the drought late in the period with a patient shot. It wasn’t enough though; the Bears dropped this one 7-4. But with a few games left in tiering, there aren’t any tears to be shed – regular season is just around the corner.
