础听road trip this time of year with the West Edmonton Mall at its geographical centre is a hockey manager鈥檚 dream. Connecting the dots between a Friday night game in Barrhead and a Saturday night game in Drayton Valley puts a dozen teenagers within cannonball distance of the World Waterpark and a dozen parents within swiping distance of Christmas shopping. That鈥檚 one fine road trip. Last weekend the Jasper Midget Bearcats sandwiched a day at 鈥渢he mall鈥� between games against the Barrhead Steelers and the Drayton Valley Stars.
On Friday night, Barrhead got off to a fast start with a pair of goals in the opening five minutes. The first shot against Bearcat netminder Severin Golla was a blue bullet that found the top corner. A big lineup in front of the net allowed their second goal, a screen shot, a few minutes later. Jasper got on the board when Hunter Zenner corkscrewed a pass from Rhys Malcolm to the net that eluded the Steeler goaltender. But then Barrhead responded with three more howlers to take a 5-1 lead into the dressing room.
Despite giving up the first goal in the second period, Jasper鈥檚 scorers finally got going 27 minutes into the game. This time it was Tegan Barker leading the charge by converting a pass from Brendan Auger. Then Zenner returned the favour from the first period by finding Malcolm in the open and he made no mistake firing it top shelf. Malcolm was also responsible for Jasper鈥檚 fourth goal, wiring another shot top shelf, served up by Auger.
With the score 6-4 entering the third period Jasper had a shot, but the ride was almost over. The Bearcats could only manage a handful of shots in the third, and Barrhead squeezed one more goal across the line to seal the deal. At the end of game one, it was the Steelers seven, Bearcats four.
Game two on Dec. 10 in Drayton Valley was the fourth meeting between these teams. The Bearcats were looking for a bit of Nessie鈥檚 Revenge in this matchup, having been thrashed in previous meetings. But Drayton Valley had something else in mind, icing a big, physical squad that brings the heat like a tropical typhoon.
Wave after wave of Drayton Valley rushes swamped the Bearcats in the opening period, but it wasn鈥檛 until the end of the frame that the Stars could solve Golla between the pipes. But they were able to do it three times in those final minutes, thus taking a three-goal lead into the intermission.
In the second period, now with Jake Melanson in net for Jasper, the same rhythm emerged. Despite lots of shots from Drayton Valley, Melanson was able to turn aside most of them until the dying minutes. With 1:39 to play in the period, and Jasper still not on the board, the Stars extended their lead to four.
Drayton Valley scored twice more in the opening minutes of the third period to take an insurmountable six-goal lead. Despite getting some chances, the Bearcats were unable to score. So for the first time this season, they hit the showers being shut out after 60 minutes. Final score: Drayton Valley six, Jasper zero. Once again, the Bearcats were unable to withstand the tsunami that the undefeated and league-leading Stars bring to the rink. Get in line, Jasper.
Next weekend the Midgets play a two-game home stand Dec. 17 and 18 against second place Athabasca. Should be some good hockey. I鈥檒l see you in the stands.
John Wilmshurst Special to the 51暗网
