Falling For Hockey

Chapter One

Meeting him? I wouldn't call that chance. Falling in love with him? Fate.

●●●

I laced up my skates, threw on my Team Canada practice jersey and went to join the boys in their locker room.

The head coach, Dominique Ducharme, stood in front of all of us Team Canada hopefuls and started talking.

"Alright. Listen up boys. Oh and girls. There are thirty two of you and we can only take twenty two of you. But if the choice was mine, I'd take all of you talented young men, and women. The only things I can say are play your hardest and I hope to see you on the team!"

After he spoke we all hit the ice. I skated a few laps, just to get a feel for the ice, then I started skating faster and faster, hearing my ponytail swoosh as I whipped around every turn. I felt powerful and indestructible.

Then I grabbed a puck and took a shot at one of the goalies. It went top shelf into the back of the net.

Girls-1 Boys-0

"Whoa girl can shoot!" Carter Hart yelled to the guys. I smiled, hoping they wouldn't see.

Then coach called all of us to centre ice, and we started power skating drills.

After a few laps I fell behind. Then I got lapped.

Girl-1 Boys-1

It was so embarrassing.

But I aced the shooting drills, and I'm killer at crossovers. It's easy enough to say that they're my strength.

When we scrimmaged near the end of practice, the guys took every chance they could to slam me into the boards. Every single slam was followed with the sickening crunch of me against the boards. Usually I loved this sound, but not when it was me making it.

And I wasn't anywhere near strong, or heavy enough to slam them back. Definitely something I could work on though. I wanted to slam them all back as payback and to prove myself to them.

After practice was over, coach held me back.

"Lucy, I know you're a good hockey player, and to prove your worth to this team, you need to try a lot harder. I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out. I want you to put more effort into everything on and off the ice; I know you can make this team. And I want you to make history. But I want to see more effort. I know you can do it Lucy. I know you can."

"Thanks coach, I'll see you tomorrow," I said as I grabbed my gear.

"See you tomorrow."

●●●

It was later that evening, around seven thirty, eight o'clock, when I stepped back inside the rink. I had my workout shorts and tank top on, and my Nike's.

I went straight to the weight room and grabbed the ankle weights, strapped them on and went to the bottom of the stairwell.

I started running up the stairs of the Bell Centre, the weight still unfamiliar to my ankles.

I was heaving, trying to catch my breath when I reached the top. But I had to push on; I had to be strong for myself, and all of the little girls looking up to me.

It was going to be so embarrassing when I let all of these little girls down. I hate filling people up with false hope.

I walked over to the second stairwell and started running down those stairs. That was a bit easier. I was definitely feeling the burn in my legs as I continued up and down, stairwell after stairwell.

And then someone joined me. I was about a quarter ways through the entire building.

"Come on you can go faster than that," a french accent called out just before running ahead of me.