The Jasper Bantam Bearcats met the Athabasca Hawks last weekend to finish their regular season in the Sturgeon Pembina Hockey League. Saturday’s game started with strong passes and fast feet from both teams. Athabasca dominated play in the Bearcats’ end and goalie Jake Melanson was put to work early. Athabasca hit the score board first with two goals at the halfway mark and pumped one more in just at the end of the period. Jasper players tried hard but were unable to slide that puck into the back of the net. The second period saw Jasper start to turn things around led by an effective hit by Ben Keays. Defensemen Noah Bangle, Jake Huculak, Liam Fengler-Wood and Kolby Kongsrud held Athabasca off until the 11 minute mark of the second period.
Jasper had a few opportunities from our diligent forwards but they were regrettably held off. Jasper hit the ice with more speed in the third period and this time their hard work paid off with a goal from Jack Hilworth that trickled over the goal line after a flurry of sticks in front of the net and help from Tristan Nissen. A short time later, Bentley Fawcett fired a pass over to Hilworth again and he shelved it top corner. The game, now 4–2, was getting close and Athabasca was feeling the pressure. Their short bench had to work hard to get up the ice but of course the game wasn’t over and the Hawks were able to put one more in. The final seconds of the clock were ticking away and it looked like the game would end 5 – 2 until Fawcett saw a way to get the puck to Nissen for one last goal to end it 5 – 3. In contrast to the games Jasper played earlier in the season, this was a very close one.
On Sunday at noon the Bearcats and Hawks were at it again. Once more, the pace was fast and hard-working for both teams. Jasper held Athabasca off the score board for most of the 1st period but the team went to the dressing room down two. Maybe things were looking up and Jasper would be in the thick for the next period, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the outcome. There was hard work by Erik Paukstat, and Liam Urie, passion and effort by Crimson Derbowka, back-checking and digging in the corners by Manuel Bolduc and Kolby Kongsrud, the Bangle boys working defence and Melanson standing tall in the net but to no avail, Athabasca slid four more in and the second period ended with the score reading 6 – 0. Jasper could have given up and taken the loss but the team came out with heads high and worked hard in the 3rd period trying to wear down that opposing bench and make their few shots on goal count. Bolduc had a chance and it just went wide. After two more goals from Athabasca, one which broke the water bottle into two pieces, Jasper was able to find the back of the net with 46 seconds left in the game. It ended with a loss but not for lack of trying.
Jasper will now begin playoffs against Plamondon next weekend with two games in Whitecourt. “Whitecourt?” you say. Meeting halfway is better than a 7 hour drive any day. Good Luck Bearcats!
