Meet Me at the Rink

Chapter 22

~ Austin ~

We were down by 3 with 10 minutes left into the second period. "White, Wright and Becker your up!" Coach says tapping Colton on the helmet."Let's go boys!" I say as I hop over the boards and into the play.

The defence bounces the puck off the boards and I pick it up at centre ice giving the boys a chance to get off and get some fresh legs out on the ice to regroup. Once Alex and Colton get on the ice, I start moving the puck up the ice and into the offensive zone before passing it back to our defence who have been left wide open.

I make my way to the front of the net and screen the goalie as best as I can, blocking his view of the puck. A shot gets taken from the left wing and I follow the piece of rubber as it flies to the net. I lose sight of it for a couple of minutes until I see it appear behind the net. I skate to it, the opposing team's defence right on my tail but not quick enough to gain possession of the puck.

I wrap around the net with the puck on my stick and somehow manage to sneak the puck in the back of the net. I'm not complaining though cause it puts us on the board.

"Fuck yeah buddy!" Colton shouts skating over as our line cells. "Nice one Buds!" Alex cheers. We skate our way over to the bench to fist-bump the rest of the team. "Way to go boys!" Coach says. "Let's get the second line out there and score another one!" He adds as my line gets off the ice and onto the bench.

** 1 Minute Left in the 3rd **

We were tied 3-3 with a minute left in the game. "Man I'm really hoping we don't have to go into OT tonight. I'm ready for a nap after busting my ass out there!" Alex says. "Me too man." I reply as the ref blows the whistle and coach calls for a time-out.

"Alright boys, there's 45 seconds left in the game and we're not going to give up now. White, Wright and Becker... You're gonna go out there and stick with your man at all times. Wherever they go, you follow. Defence, make sure that you're protecting the net at all times and don't leave a man alone out there. They screen our goalie, you get right in there and shove them out of the way." Coach says before the ref blows the whistle signalling the end of our time out.

I look out into our home crowd as they cheer louder and louder. When I see Ally, my eyes lock on hers and we keep solid eye contact as she nods her head and smiles. She mouths a "You've got this." Before the whistle blows, the puck is dropped and I win the face-off.

I play it back to the defence who passed it between themselves a couple of times before playing it up to me. I skate with the piece of rubber on the blade of my stick and see Ale who's left wide open up at the offensive zone blue line. I take a long shot up to him and he's off on a breakaway. The only thing left between him and a game-winning goal is the goalie.

"SHOOT!!!" I shout from centre ice.