stella zegras, twin sister of trevor zegras, navigates her way through the ups and downs of being the only female on the new jersey devils, or any nhl team for that matter.
while she lives in new jersey, and the rest of her family lies in anaheim, i...
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my first game back is today against the blue jackets.
the media has oddly been hyping this up, but i've missed a game before so it's not the big of a deal. they're acting as if sidney crosby missed a season and this was his big return.
nonetheless, so i don't disappoint, i'm going to show out as much as i possibly can today. i don't want to disappoint anyone.
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liked by nhl, jackhughes, dawsonmercer, oliviawilde, and 854, 289 others
stella.zegras13: i'm baaaaaaaacccckkkk
taylorswiftfan: REP ERA??!?!?! ^stella.zegras13: most definitely ;)
oliviawilde: so cute!!
dawsonmercer: SLAYING ^stella.zegras13: who taught you that word
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once i walked into the locker room, i was physically applauded by the team. why is everyone amping this up so much?
"this is the most corny thing i've ever experienced." i state setting my back down in my locker.
i take a dramatic bow before closing the shade around my locker. whenever i change at home games, i'm transported back to middle school when i had to change for gym class. i wasn't one of the girls who changed out in the open.
"gonna have a big game today?" jack asks leaning over so that i can hear him. for the first time in a very long time, we were sitting together on the bench.
"we are gonna have a big game today." i say. "i can't get all my goals by myself."
"speaking of goals, when is my lunch?" he asks. i haven't made my mind up about the lunch situation yet.
"how about dinner after the game?" i ask.
"so it is with you?"
"yeah, i'll invite the whole team. we can go somewhere chill." i say.
"cool." he says.
why is he so moody all of a sudden?
"twenty bucks i get more goals that you." i say nudging his arm.
"i'm not gonna bet that because i know you're gonna get more goals than me." he says.
"hey," i say. "have more faith in yourself."
"faith and hope diminishes when i'm going up against you." he says.
"should i take offense to that?" i ask.
"no, i'm just saying you're a great player." jack says.
"thanks, j." i say fidgeting with my stick that's sitting in between my legs.
"hughes, zegras you're up." coach ruff states. jack and i get out on the ice and get in position for the puck drop.
the first quarter goes scoreless for a while until there's about 3 minutes left, zetterland slides me the puck and i weave it to the top left of the net.
i high five my teammates, which is basically just glove tapping to celebrate. the devils are up 1-0 at the first intermission.
"just keep doing what you guys are doing i guess." coach ruff stated in the locker room.
after intermission, and a much needed bathroom break, 3 minutes in, i get an unassisted goal. that's my second goal so now i have two.
not even 45 seconds later, jack passes me the puck from behind the net and i swerve it in the bottom right corner.
"you're on freaking fire, stel." jack says celebrating our goal.
a couple of minutes later, the blue jackets score a goal brining the score to 3-1.
for most of the second period after that goal, no points are scored until marino hits it off of the post and i get the rebound. goal number four the the team and for me.
"atta girl." jack says shaking my shoulders slightly from behind.
we go into the locker room for intermission again, up by 3 goals. "zegras, maybe chill out a bit, don't crush their dreams." dawson jokes in the locker room.
"eh, it's not as fun if i don't." i state.
during the third period, a couple of minutes in, we get a power play. i take advantage of the opportunity.
jack, on the left side of the net passes me the puck and i get it in on the right side. i'm running out of celebrations to be honest. i pretend i'm counting my fingers and i put up 5 of them to represent each of my 5 goals today.
i could say i'm having a pretty good first game back.
towards the end of the third, i get another goal. jack and dawson have an assist.
"jesus christ, zegras. you don't have to mop the floor with them." dawson says nudging my arm.
i find myself in a similar situation, jack slides me the puck but instead of shooting it in, i slide it back to him.
i don't really need any more goals, i want him to take it. he shakes his head and slides it back to me.
i quickly wrist shoot it into the net. the game ends 7-1. jack has 4 assists, dawson, zetterland, and marino each have one assist. i have 7 goals, one without an assist.
vanecek saved 20 out of 21 shots the blue jackets had at the goal. we out scored them by 6, and out shot them by 32.
"heck of a game, zegras." coach ruff states as the team makes its way to the locker room.
"thanks coach." i reply.
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"yeah, i mean, like i always say, i couldn't have done it without my teammates." i state during my interview. "dawson, john, fabian, jack, it was all a team effort."
"and vanecek, he saved a lot of goals, so that means a lot too." i add.
once the interview is over, i take my hair out of my braids and leave it down again.
i see i have a missed call from my mom on my phone, i make my way towards the exit so i can call her back.
"going out to celebrate?" jack asks turning around to face me from his locker.
"i might, most likely." i say. "i'll figure it out, i have to call my mom back though, one sec."
once i open the all too familiar door that i've probably opened thousands of times, i sit down on the bench outside.
i've had a lot of memories back here, most of them good, but some of them quite the opposite.
