The community was buzzing with activity on Dec. 7 and part of the big day was minor hockey’s annual Hockey Day in Bashaw event.
Started a few years ago, the day is about promoting the sport and showcasing all of the teams and players that are part of the Bashaw Stars association through hosting games at every level possible.
This year, things started off with some fun contests with the initiation Stars hosting Big Valley and the novice Stars taking to the ice for a pair of fun contests versus Lacombe.
That was followed by the atom Stars facing Ponoka’s Vantage Physio in Northern Alberta Interlock league action, with the Stars having to settle for a 3-3 tie.
The Stars’ Luke Pierson scored with 1:40 left in the first to open the scoring, followed by Easton Tansowny finding the back of the goal about five minutes into the middle stanza for a 2-0 lead. Ponoka would get a pair later in the second to tie it up.
Oliver Ringwall put Bashaw back in front with less than eight minutes remaining in the third. However, Ponoka would get that by scoring with close to three minutes left.
Stars fall
The peewee squad was edged out 5-4 by Camrose in Northern Alberta Interlock league play that same afternoon.
The visitors struck twice within the first two minutes of the contest, though Bashaw climbed back to tie it before the intermission.
Samuel Ahenakew scored with about seven minutes gone then Easton Sinclair got Bashaw even with a shorthanded goal with 10 seconds left on the clock.
Special teams played a big part in the second with Camrose notching a pair of powerplay goals, the first coming 1:23 in and the other with 59 seconds remaining in the period. In between those, Ahenakew notched his second goal of the contest.
The teams traded goals in the third, with Bashaw’s Karter Dawbin making it 5-4 with just 44 seconds left. However, time would run out before the Stars could get the equalizer.
First loss
The final game of the day saw four Bashaw players — Brock Dawbin, Colton Deleeuw, Lucas Ahenakew and Curt Dyberg — hit the ice with the bantam Blackout Stars that also has players from Clive and Delburne.
Unfortunately, the Stars suffered their first loss of the regular season in the Tier IV Blue division of the Central Alberta Hockey League after being held off the scoresheet 5-0 by the team based out of Caroline.