Lesleigh Campbell | Special to the Fitzhugh
With two of their three round robin playoff games already won, the Jasper PeeWee Bears stepped onto the ice for their third and (possible) deciding game, this past Saturday.
This game was intense.
The opponent being the Ponoka Stampeders made for interesting odds as Jasper has both defeated and fallen to them in the past.
The Bears opened up the scoring five minutes into the first period when Drew Kovacs buried the puck in the back of Ponoka's net. The Stampeders answered that with a power play goal just a few minutes later to tie it up.
Controlling most of the period, Jasper finished it off with one more goal, scored by Callum Campbell, Kovacs with the assist.
The second period was like deja vu.
Jackson Irwin scored for the Bears five minutes in, only for that goal to be answered by Ponoka, four minutes later.
Irwin then found the net for a second time before the end of two periods. Joshua Doyle and Tyler Pearson getting the helpers on the 4-2 goal.
Now who here is superstitious?
Because there is no other explanation for what happened in the third period.
The Stampeders capitalized on a power play to begin the period, only to be answered by Callum Campbell two minutes later. (Pearson also got that Apple). Campbell then got his hat-trick goal, helped by Bode Hofhuis at the ten minute mark.
Jasper was up 6-3 and the person sitting next to me said, "There's no way Jasper can lose this now.”
The next thing you know, a Stampeder has a breakaway and goes and scores.
Shortly after that, they squeaked another one past the Bears' goaltender on a power play.
And with two minutes left in the game, against all odds, Ponoka evened the score 6-6.
The Bears were unable to reclaim their lead before the buzzer, resulting in sudden death overtime.
The extra five minute period had fans on the edge of their seats. With both teams battling it out, it appeared it would go to a shootout.
But wait!
A Stampeder suddenly escaped from the pack and with 0.04 seconds on the clock, Ponoka took this game 7-6.
And yes, you better believe I had words with Mr. "Jasper can't possibly lose now".
But perhaps the funniest part of this story is that the most intense game of the season, ended up not mattering at all. I mean, it mattered because hockey games always matter, but because of the way a couple of other games ended up in this round robin, the Jasper Bears still end up playing in the final series of this consolation round.
The series will consist of one home game and one away game for Jasper next weekend. The opponent, none other than the Ponoka Stampeders. And so we will meet again.
Come on down to the Jasper Arena Sunday March 15 at 1 p.m. to watch the final game of the season for the PeeWee Bears. See you at the rink.
