Shooting Star

Chapter 27

"The Semi-Final Game between the Everton Lightning and the Carlton Admirals is headed into its first overtime," the announcer said. "The last time the Admirals went to an OT playoff game, it lasted 7 periods! Can they end this faster and prevail? Or will the Lightning strike from the sky?"

I shook my head, smiling. The announcer was so funny, yet so annoying.

"Let's get the second line up," Coach decided.

Ella, Kelsey, Stephanie, Carla, Bianca, and Rochelle skated onto the ice. Bianca was usually on the third line, but she was bumped up after Coach took Annabeth off the second line.

The whistle blew, the puck dropped, and the play was off.

Straight into our end.

Yikes this was going to be hard to watch. Luckily we were only watching for about 6 minutes, since the third line had to go on before us.

Almost as if she'd heard me, Coach Hiller said, "First line on at the next whistle."

I grinned at Kylie. "Let's do this thing."

5 seconds later, the whistle blew for an off-side for the Lightning. We switched lines with ease.

10 seconds later, after Kylie was shooed out and Alyssa was brought in, the puck was dropped.

5 seconds after that Alyssa had won the faceoff and flicked the puck to me.

10 seconds after I'd received the puck I was in the offensive zone, sliding the puck across the ice to Kylie.

3 seconds later she'd deked the goaltender out and sent a saucer pass to me.

Lifting my stick, I fired a one timer which should've gone straight home, but the goalie lunged across the last second and grabbed it with her glove.

Damn.

I took the face-off. I may have been a right-wing, but I played like a natural center. Unfortunately for me, I lost. Damn, I thought again. Stupid stupid stupid!

The other team flew across the ice with the puck, Alyssa, Kylie and I racing off after them. 

This was not looking good, not at all.

Fortunately, one of the players banged a shot off the post and sent it ricocheting towards me. It bounced off my stick and skittered towards Kylie, who snatched it up immediately. 

Fast as lightning (no, not the other team), the three of us darted back to the other side. Alyssa faked a shot and left it there, and I grabbed it and tried to get it past the goaltender.

Luck wouldn't hold out for me yet. The goalie bounced the shot easily off of her pad, and the puck was sent sailing into the mesh netting above the boards.

The referee's whistle blew and the five of us changed lines.

"That officially sucked," I grumbled, plunking myself down between Ruby and Michelle.

"Aww, don't feel bad," Annabeth cooed. "Everyone has their moments."

"Shut up, Fowler," I growled.

Annabeth's face flushed; she sniffed and turned away, scowling. 

The rest of us turned our attention to the action on ice.

7 minutes later...

Coach Hiller barked, "Line 1 up please!"

The five of us hopped over the bench and skated out onto the ice to take a face-off in our zone. 

I won the face-off and flicked the puck to Kylie, who darted off with it, passing it back to Ruby. The three of us rushed on ahead, stopping short at the blue line to avoid an offside.