The Diary Of A Wanna Be Ice Hockey Player

1/02/2018 - New Year

It has been a while - Three months?

A lot of time has gone by, and my skill is rising. Recently, I had a development camp in the other side of the country. I had an absolute blast - Meeting the whole U18 team for the first time, training, talking, and having fun! I learnt a lot and I am so happy I am able to have such massive opportunities. 

I was also asked by the Woman's Rep team of my city (That I've been training with) to stay for another three days and play four games with them. I said yes.

And let me tell you, it was amazing.

The first two games were hard fought against Canterbury and Southern, and we left with two victories. Just before the third game, coach asked me to play winger. Immediately I knew I was way out of my depth - I've never played winger before, apart from once in League 2. But, I said yes. It was another opportunity to learn and to play.

I am so happy I said yes.

We were up 4 - 3 against Canterbury, and it was getting tighter. They were getting more aggressive with the puck and were leaping at every mistake we made. It was my turn to hop on. We were up on the offensive, and I stayed in front of the net, as it was all I could think of doing. My god, it was awesome. The defenseman couldn't leave me screening her goalie, and as I had the height and weight card, she couldn't move me. 

Quickly, she was getting frustrated, so was her goalie. I was sitting in front of that net for ages - We're talking two to three minutes here - and finally, I saw the gap. I yelled out to my team mates, who were behind the net. Unknown to the D-man, I'd shoved her in front of her goalie, and on the far side of the play. 

My center took a back-door shot, which rebounded weakly off the goalie's pad. It was right in front of my stick, and their D was on the far side. What did I do? I slammed it against the goalies pad as hard as possible (A couple of times, too) until I couldn't see it. Their team, thinking I was slashing their goalie decided to push me (Into their goalie) and the refs flew over, telling us to cut if out. 

I skated away, disappointed. Surely, the puck had stopped under the goalies pad, right?

"You got a goal Jessie!!" One of the girls grinned, fist-banding me. "What?" I asked "You scored!!" She repeated, and I grinned. "Really? No way!! That's my first goal! That's my first goal!" I had said, overwhelmed and so, so happy. 

The whole team cheered for me and I was grinning for the rest of the game. To this day, just thinking about it gets me really excited and grinning. And, to make things better I was given the puck with some tape around it, reading '1st NZWU18 Goal 20.1.18' It sits in front of my mirror in my room. 

The next game, I was still high from the last and it was no surprise that I was put on wing again. 

I played even better than the last, and although I didn't get a goal, I did manage to take the puck up the ice. It was a 2v1, and I only had a second to glimpse my other wing speeding towards the net, two D between me and her. I gave a (blind) pass to her as hard as I could in the awkward position I was in, and it was a perfect tape-to-tape. She dumped it in top-shelf and it was a good goal. 

Yet again, I was on a high. 

Later that day I flew back to Auckland and have been training hard ever since. Going for runs, completing fitness circuits, riding, and training hard. I am prepared for Malaysia, and I am excited to play for and represent my country.

I have also been invited to play for League 1. I know people who've been playing much, much longer than me and still haven't gotten into the league, so I see it as an absolute honor. My dream is to get into the Ice Fernz, New Zealand's official Women's Ice Hockey Team.

I'm going to get there one day.

- J