John Wilmshurst | Special to the 51暗网
By the time you are reading this, the election will be done and dusted, and the political games will just be getting started in Ottawa.
Just in time for the games that matter, the Jasper Bantam Bearcats鈥� 2019/20 hockey campaign started to ramp up.
Last weekend, our Bearcats went on their first road-trip of the season, through Whitecourt and Calahoo, for the final series in the pre-season tiering race.
Whitecourt is Jasper鈥檚 official, and pugnacious, opposition.
They have a deep hockey system and impressive talent.
But it only took Owen Kearnan six minutes to convert a pass from Sebastian Golla and put the Bearcats in the lead.
Far from conceding defeat, the Wolverines kept up the pressure, peppering Bearcats鈥� netminder liberally.
Donovan Fawcett faced 20 shots in the opening 20 minutes but nothing got past him.
With 22 seconds to play in the first, Golla buried his first of four on the day, giving Jasper a two to nothing lead heading into the second period.
The Bearcats kept it conservative in the second period, trading goals with Whitecourt in the opening 10 minutes.
Power forward Tanner Carlton gave Jasper a three-goal lead to take into the second intermission, making a veteran play on a give and go with Golla.
In the third, the Bearcats put this one out of reach with four unanswered goals; Golla鈥檚 final pair and two pretty markers from Ty Crozier.
Ty has moved decisively from the scoring backbench to a cabinet position in the early going of his second year of bantam hockey.
Jasper would skate away with an 8 to 2 victory after 60 minutes and an important victory over the league鈥檚 strong leadership candidate.
On Saturday afternoon, the Bearcats travelled to Calahoo to take on the CR Knights.
The Knights have crushed every team they have faced in the pre-season, so Jasper went into their house with judicious respect.
And CR brought it, firing 11 shots on Donovan in the opening frame and leaning in on the physical play.
When it comes to contact hockey, there are a few Bearcat rookies that are green, but most of the veterans know how to lay down the law, and more importantly, capitalize on that game.
At the end of twenty minutes, with Donovan standing on his head, and Golla doing what he does, burying the pill, had Jasper ahead by one after 20 minutes.
In the second period, Jasper established their natural defensive prowess (NDP) against which the Knights had no answer.
At the other end of the ice, Jasper鈥檚 forwards were taking their liberties.
The Bearcats scored four goals highlighting their depth with Jacob Bouchard, Dexter Fawcett and Kalen Sawchuk all factoring into markers from snipers Golla and Ty.
A parade to the penalty box in the middle frame didn鈥檛 hurt Jasper鈥檚 production, but it also allowed the Knights to get one past Donovan.
After two periods, the Bearcats held a five to one lead.
In the third, Jasper coaches Eric Bouchard, Jim Koss and Theren Sawchuk elected to keep the NDP going and let their four-goal cushion ride.
Too young to vote, Michael Hayashi and Carlton both went against the party line and bent the twine, extending the Bearcats鈥� lead.
Chalk Rowan Koss up for an assist and his first point of the season.
The Knights scored a powerplay goal in the third, but it wouldn鈥檛 be nearly enough.
Jasper led by six and won by a seven to two margin after 60 minutes and ending their tiering campaign with a four and one record.
They鈥檙e ready.
Who knows what happens now.
The league will now vote on whether Jasper plays tier 2 or 3, and that decision will dictate the Bearcat鈥檚 schedule through the winter.
I鈥檒l be there for the majority of the season, so I鈥檒l see you in the stands.
Scoreboard:
Drayton Valley 12 vs Jasper Atom Bears 5
Max Lescard 2 assists, Luka Kahlina 2 goals
Jasper Atom Bears 13 vs Mayerthorpe 8
Carson Miller 2 goals, Carter Derksen 2 assists.
Jasper Peewee Bears 4 vs Mayerthorpe 4
Brady Campbell 35 saves
Jasper Bantam Bearcats 8 vs Whitecourt 2
Michael Hayashi 3 points, Ty Crozier 2 points
Jasper Bantam Bearcats 7 vs CR Bantam1 2
Owen Kearnan 3 assists, Jacob Bouchard 2 assists
