David Miller - Special to the 51暗网
Four games, four days, three rinks, 1,000 kilometres and about 50 ticktalk videos, that鈥檚 how the Jasper Atom hockey team enjoyed their past weekend.
The first game on the slate was a provincial play down game against the CR Knights who are the top Tier 5 team in their division.
Considering Jasper is one of the top Tier 4 teams in their division they knew if they played hard they should be able win.
To add to the game, if Jasper won the game by 10 or more they wouldn鈥檛 have to travel to CR to play a second game. The trip up to CR would most likely cost the team around $2,000, so there was a lot on the line.
Jasper came out gunning in the game and after one period the Bears had a five goal lead.
The Bears controlled the second period but only had a six goal lead with two minutes remaining in the period and that鈥檚 when Jasper exploded. They ended up getting four goals in just over 90 seconds and the Jasper parents could breathe a sigh of relief as Jasper had its ten goal lead and the entire third period to add to it if needed.
The CR team didn鈥檛 go down without a fight and ended up getting six goals past the Jasper keepers but after everything was said and done Jasper got 23 including a hat-trick from Sebastian 鈥淏assy鈥� Oeggerli and goals from Max Lescard and 鈥淟ights out鈥� Louis Campeau.
The next day Jasper had a regular season home game against the Edson Sabres.
The Bears have had a little trouble starting off games and in this one Edson made them pay. Edson managed to score on their first few shots and before you could blink Jasper was down 2 to 0.
The Bears did manage to get one of their own before the period ended but were still trailing after one.
But the Bears calmed down in the second period and started to create some flow. They managed to score a couple beauties from Luka Kahlina and Carson Miller while also shutting out Edson.
The save of the period came from Carter Schmidt who flashed the leather and made an amazing glove save validating his nickname 鈥淕love Hand鈥�.
After being shut out in the second the Sabres looked deflated and in the third Jasper took advantage.
The Bears scored five goals and ended up doubling up the Sabres 8 to 4.
Carson Miller ended the game with a hat-trick and his cousin Dustin Derksen had two goals of his own along with an assist.
The next day Jasper made the five hour drive to play the 10-1 Slave Lake Thunder.
This game was for first place in their division and Jasper knew if they wanted to win they would have to start the game off strong and not play from behind.
Maybe it was the drive, maybe it was the team was tired or maybe it was because Carson Miller threw up on the way up to the game but within five minutes Jasper was down 3 to 0 and reeling.
Not being used to being down some of the Japer players turned to 鈥榗ry baby鈥� mode and tried to do everything by themselves, sure that might work against a Tier 6 team, but when you鈥檙e playing a top opponent you need to play as a team.
Jasper started to come around in the second out shooting the Thunder 15-2 only to be turned away from a very hot Slave Lake goalie.
Jasper did end up getting a goal in the second but was still trailing 3 to 1 after two.
Both teams shared scoring chances in the third but thanks to some big saves from William 鈥淐ool as a Cucumber鈥� Routledge Jasper still had a chance to win the game.
Jasper fired puck after puck on the Slave lake goalie but he kept turning them away.
The Bears did end up getting a goal from Ethan Gibbons when the goalie was pulled but ended up falling short 3 to 2.
After the game the Bears headed back to the hotel, had a little pizza party and got ready to play the next day against Mayerthorpe Mustangs.
For those who have never been to Mayerthorpe and wonder what the town is like, just imagine if Hinton and Edson had a baby: Welcome to Mayerthorpe.
The Bears had a little sour taste in their mouth from the last time they played the Mustangs as they handed Jasper their first loss of the year just a week prior.
The Bears this time knew they had to start off strong if they wanted to win and that鈥檚 exactly what they didn鈥檛 do.
Mayerthorpe scored just 16 seconds in and deja vu was happening all over again.
This time though the Bears didn鈥檛 pout and manage to tie it up 45 seconds later and after 20 minutes it was 3 to 2 Jasper.
The second period was fairly even affair and after the period was over the Bears had a 5 to 4 lead.
The Mustangs came out the starting gates hard in the third but couldn鈥檛 find an answer from Carter Schmidt, who is fresh off the Ryan Verge goalie camp and is playing unreal.
Unlike the game the previous day Jasper found its scoring touch scoring five goals in the third and ended up coming home with a 10 to 4 victory.
Jasper travels again next weekend to Leduc for two games. Go Bears!
