Lucas Habib | Special to the Fitzhugh
It’s been a tough season for the Jasper U13 Bears. Playing in a difficult and geographically-expansive tier, the Bears embarked on their last road trip of the season – an epic 1,400-kilometre, cross-Alberta bus trip for the away leg of the 2022-23 playoffs. Thanks to Maligne Adventures for the bus!
First up on the trip was a stop in New Sarepta, southeast of Edmonton. The Bears were there for a rubber match after a loss in this same barn two weeks ago, a heartbreaker in which they gave up the winning goal with just 18 seconds left in the game. The New Sarepta Eagles have a reputation of being the bad boys (and girls) of the Northern Alberta Interlock Tier 3, with a penalty minute total nearly three times the Bears’.
New Sarepta got a flukey goal off the hop, but shortly after the Bears equalized on a pretty play by Jesse Groth and Max Lescard to gain the zone and put the defence out of position leaving Ash Habib alone in the slot to convert. Habib doubled up a few minutes later.
Living up to their rock ‘em sock ‘em reputation, the hosts couldn’t stay out of the box, giving Jasper several power plays. Ruby Olson, the lone female on the Bears, was fierce and fearless in the face of the Eagles’ aggression and didn’t back down in any puck battles. She’s a real gem.
The game tightened up after the freewheeling first. Going into the second tied 3-3, astute defensive plays by Kellan Smallshaw and Clark White kept the Eagles from getting too close to the net, while goaltender Luka Kahlina was able to kick out or glove down anything close to him. Unfortunately, New Sarepta started running away with it in the third and the game ended with a final score of 9-4.
After the game, Jasper hit the road for an overnight in Athabasca. Running on under six hours sleep, the Bears ended their hibernation before dawn to load the bus and drive to Wabasca for a morning tilt. I’m not sure if the Backstreet Boys are hot on TikTok these days, but the team serenaded the parents with “I Want It That Way” many times as the winter sun rose over the aspen highlands and spruce lowlands of north-central Alberta.
Outsized and outslept by their opposition, the Bears had a rough first period. The Wabasca (also) Eagles also had several players packing cannonading slapshots, the likes of which the Bears aren’t used to seeing. Matteo Artiaga finally got the Bears on the board late in the first by outwaiting the goalie.
The Bears started staging a comeback in the third, off the back of four goals by Arlo Kennedy. The backend of Derksens – Matthew and Ben – kept the Bears in the game. The Eagles’ lethal slapshots kept the crowd gasping – one rang off goaltender Carter Schmidt’s helmet but didn’t phase him, while another caught Arie Hofhuis in the back of the ankle. Fortunately, it bent but didn’t break. The Bears, however, dropped this one 10-6.
Still on the hunt for their first win of 2023, the Bears close out the season with two home playoff games this weekend at the Jasper Arena - Saturday at 1:30 p.m. versus Tofield and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. versus CNN/Bon Accord.
