Lesleigh Campbell | Special to the Fitzhugh
The U15 Jasper Bearcats played their last regular season game this past Sunday against neighbouring rivals, the Hinton OK Tire.
The anticipation leading up to this game had been building up all week, after a tough loss to Hinton the previous weekend. But with goaltender Brady “Soupy” Campbell back on the roster after recovering from a knee injury, Bearcats and Bearcat fans alike were hopeful for a win.
Short benched with only nine skaters, Jasper faced off against Hinton on home ice once again. Both teams started out playing defensively with high intensity in the first period, until around the 11-minute mark when Morgan Thomas intercepted a pass in front of his own net, and took the puck all the way to the other end to score the first goal of the game. Soupy kept the door shut for all 19 shots sent his way, keeping Jasper up 1-0 heading into the first intermission.
The second period got going, and it was looking like more of the same. With very few scoring chances for Jasper, while OK Tire tried time and again to no avail. That was, until around six minutes in when Hinton finally put a dent in the can of Campbell's soup, and got the tying goal. Tensions were getting high at this point in the game, and one of Hinton’s players got a head contact penalty, followed by another for unsportsmanlike conduct. Taking advantage of this power play opportunity, the Bearcats got set up into their positions with defenseman Jackson Irwin on the point. Irwin then launched a missile with precision accuracy that found its way through the maze in front, past OK Tire netminder. Jasper had the upper hand once again, after 40 minutes.
Wasting no time at all, Hinton came out of the gate in the third period and tied it back up. The teams then battled back and forth until OK Tire managed to get the go-ahead goal with about twelve minutes remaining in the game. Desperate to not see this game go down like the previous one(s) did, the Bearcats mustered up what energy they had left and gave it their all. Irwin broke up a play headed for his net, and passed the puck to Carson Campbell. Campbell then fought to keep control of it and managed to pass it out in front of Hinton's net, which is where Thomas was waiting to bank it in, and bring this game back to a tie. Standing on his head for the rest of the game, Soupy helped his team stay alive and ended up saving 53 of the 56 shots sent his way all game. Ending in a 3-3 tie, the Jasper Bearcats might not have got the redemption they had craved, but they also didn't give Hinton the satisfaction of another victory against them.
The U15 Bearcats have this weekend off as they prepare for play-offs. But come on down to the Jasper Arena and enjoy a change of pace when the U7 Bearcubs host their annual tournament on Feb. 19 and 20.
