John Wilmshurst | Special to the 51°µÍø
Let’s recap.
A month ago, the Hinton Bantam A team sauntered into Jasper and wiped the floor with our Bearcats, winning 8 – 1 in a lightly contested drubbing.
At the time I predicted that by the end of the season the tables will turn for these two teams.
Jasper looked raw in that, their first game of the season, and Hinton looked over-confident.
Last Thursday night, in a rare mid-week contest, the Jasper Bantam Bearcats traveled to Hinton to try their luck again against our closest of rivals.
My guess is that the Bearcats’ coaches, Eric Bouchard, Jim Koss and Theron Sawchuk reminded our boys of that embarrassing first game of the season before they hit the ice for the first period of play.
They were on fire as soon as the puck dropped.
And less then four minutes of dominating play, they cashed in.
Tanner Carlton, who does his best work round the blue paint, stuffed in a loose puck for the game’s first goal.
One nothing Bearcats.
I don’t normally highlight Jasper penalties, but there were two of note in this game.
A minute or so after Carlton scored, Bearcat blueliner Michael Hayashi got sent off for roughing.
Hayashi is a very mild-mannered kid and a great defenseman, but he’s playing the physical game this season with every pound of his slight frame.
The penalty was earned and easily killed, as was the penalty taken later in the game by Mac Carmichael for hooking.
The first penalty in his young bantam career.
No harm, no foul.
The foul came soon after when Bearcat defenseman Jacob Bouchard took a big hit behind his own net and was knocked out of the game. Speedy recovery JBouch.
Owen Kearnan gave Jasper a two to nothing lead with three minutes to play in the first, ripping the puck, low blocker from the right faceoff circle.
But Jasper’s hopes to take a two goal lead into the room was dashed by a Hinton goal with just 25 seconds to play.
Two to one after twenty minutes.
Kalan Sawchuk hit the ice flying to start the second period and got the Bearcats going after the late first period letdown.
Sawchuk is a big body who is learning the physical game.
He threw a few big checks, not all of them connected, but it turned some heads on both benches.
Jasper had their chances in the early going including a five on three power play but couldn’t convert.
Then once more, with just 19 seconds to play in the period, Hinton tied it at two.
You could see Jasper sag.
But on the ensuing faceoff the crowd was treated to an astonishing play.
Sebastian Golla, the Bearcats’ centre, fired the puck forward off the faceoff.
With the clock ticking away, the lone Hinton defender ambled after the puck with Golla in hot pursuit.
At the corner of the net, the Hinton defender tried to handle the puck, but Golla slapped at his stick and the pill ended up in the back of the net.
Facing a tied game after 40 hard minutes of play, Jasper had unexpectedly regained their one goal advantage at the buzzer.
The final frame was tight, Jasper pressuring to keep the play 200 feet from their own net, and Hinton desperately trying to put shots on net.
They were prevented from getting quality chances and with Donovan Fawcett between the pipes, you need quality shots to score.
Jasper was in full prevent mode, which was fine by Bearcats’ defensive forward Liam Crozier who is skilled on the defensive spin cycle.
Hinton had their chances.
A late Jasper penalty gave them a much-needed man advantage.
But Jasper’s blue line was too much for our eastern neighbours as Jacob Bartziokas and Dexter Fawcett controlled the puck for what must have been a frustrating two minutes for Hinton.
With four minutes to play, Golla sealed Hinton’s fate with an unctuous backhander that found the back of the net.
Desperate, Hinton pulled their goalie with about a minute to play but couldn’t solve either Fawcett boy.
Final score, Jasper 4, Hinton 2.
What a difference a month makes.
Jasper erased the seven-goal differential and the sour memory of October 6.
The league has nothing scheduled for Jasper for this week but look for games later in the month.
I’ll see you in the stands.
