John Wilmshurst 聽|聽 Special to the 51暗网
Jasper鈥檚 Bantam Bearcats played an away and home series last weekend against two of the toughest teams in the league.
While the style of play in these games was strikingly different, so too was the music that was being played in the two barns.
In Drayton Valley, home of the Stars, parents are spinning the tunes; a lot of stuff from the 90s.
Since the beginning of the season in Jasper, Bearcats鈥� team DJs Kira Peel and Varinka Gorontzy-Slack spin the tunes and this gives the game a decidedly different tone.
As they shared with me their playlist, I鈥檓 using it to help describe the weekends鈥� action.
Saturday鈥檚 game against Drayton was a classic.
The Stars are On Top of the league, having only lost once all season.
But Jasper鈥檚 been coming on of late, with a lot of polish in their game.
Barely two minutes into the game against Drayton, Jacob Bartziokas helped his team Get Loose, firing in a point shot to claim that all important early lead.
But then the Stars Shook It Off and put two past Bearcats鈥� netminder, Donovan Fawcett before the end of the period.
The momentum shift was palpable as the players marched to the dressing room, but, as is often the case with Jasper, the coaching team made an adjustment to the team鈥檚 approach and the rest of the game our boys Rocked the Casbah.
Donny was letting nothing by him while his forwards, particularly Ty Crozier and Tanner Carlton went Nonstop.
Early in the second, Crozier tied it up on a power play, then Carlton reclaimed Jasper鈥檚 lead, burying a pass from Crozier, and before the period was out Owen Kearnan gave Jasper a 4 to 2 cushion.
This could have evaporated quickly as Jasper got into penalty trouble in the third, gifting the Stars several 5 on 3 power plays, but the Bearcat penalty killers were Fireproof, holding Drayton off the board.
The Stars managed one more in a desperation play with three minutes to go, but a Kearnan empty-netter sealed the deal, and Jasper headed home with a 5 to 3 victory. Another One Bites the Dust.
Sunday, the Westlock Warriors came to town, fresh from a victory over Hinton the day before.
As on Saturday, Jasper jumped out to a quick lead as Sebastian Golla scored not quite two minutes in.
But again, their opponents didn鈥檛 Get Low, equalizing and then taking a one goal lead before the period was out.
Carlton led the Jasper鈥檚 Uprising, tying it beautifully midway through the second frame.
But the Warriors were Stayin鈥� Alive, posting two more of their own in rapid order to up their lead.
A second Carlton goal gave the Bearcats life, but Stronger offense by Westlock, and by the end of 40 minutes, they got that one back and then two more to take a 6 to 3 advantage into the intermission.
Again, though, Jasper鈥檚 coaching staff stepped up.
With Dexter Fawcett and Michael Hayashi calmly deconstructing the Westlock offensive game, they Let The Dogs Out against the Warriors鈥� defense.
Golla, playing like a Seven Nation Army, got things going six minutes in to bring the score to within two goals. Kearnan made it 6 to 5 a few minutes later, burying his own rebound, and then with three minutes to play, Golla tied it up, lunging for a loose puck in the blue paint.
With a Burn It To The Ground attitude that does not settle for a comeback tie, the Bearcats kept the heat up.
Less than a minute to play, Carlton with the puck in the neutral zone has Golla to his right.
Tanner gained the zone, saucered the puck to Golla who one-timed it into the back of the net.
Forty seconds on the clock and it was 7 to 6 for Jasper. Yeah!
The Warriors had nothing left, and that 7 to 6 score in favour of the Bearcats would stand at the final buzzer.
This weekend was a total team effort.
Players like Mac Carmichael stepped up on Saturday, and Jacob Bouchard was a warrior against the Warriors.
Road trip next weekend.
Light It Up Bearcats - and thanks for the fantastic music, ladies.
