“Heads down. Keep working. We’ve got this.”
And then I leave, let Lake and company get the guys to focus.
After some extensive changes in the off-season, we’ve been left with a great core of players. There are still a couple guys from the old guard who are lazy and unmotivated, who don’t completely buy into my choices as coach—or me as a coach at all.
But they’re in the minority.
Most are good. Most can rise to the occasion that a game like tonight presents.
And most of them do.
Twelve minutes into the third, Colt Madden, one of last season’s additions, picks up a great pass from Storm and drives hard into the offensive zone, dancing around their defensemen like they’re cones and not living, breathing hockey players.
Colt isfastand has great hands.
He struggles with battles in front of the net and occasionally on the boards, but we’re working on his strength there—well, he and Ivy are working on it—and Kaitlyn has suggested some adjustments to his positioning that have given him a new lease on life in those instances.
Something he proves tonight, using those great hands to make a pass to Lake before sprinting to the goal and circling tight.
Screening the goalie for just a moment.
Not getting tied up into a battle for position and taking away productive space for our guys to use.
Because he’s sliding back, ceding that lane to Lake…
And then putting himself in the perfect position to receive a pass back.
Lake dekes, throws the puck, and?—
I hold my breath.
Crack!
Colt’s one-timer sails into the top corner of the net.
And five minutes later he, Lake, and Storm connect on another goal.
Fuck yeah.
Then it’s a matter of hanging on—something made more difficult when we receive another penalty with a minute left in the game.
It’s a scramble of clears and hard forechecks, solid defense and great saves by our goalie.
But we squeak it out for those two points and a satisfying as shit victory when the odds were stacked against us.
During my post-game interviews, I talk about perseverance and grinding out wins, about blatant unfairness and…I address misogynistic questions head on for a change instead of just ignoring them?—
“Do you really think that it was necessary to scream obscenities at the refs?”
Iwantto scream obscenities at the smug fuck with the tape recorder pointed in my direction.
“You again,” I mutter under my breath. It’s the same asshole who asked about my love life.
Yup. I definitely want to invoke those obscenities.
But I find my calm, fix him in place with a stern stare, and say, “You wouldn’t ask a male coach that. I’m protecting my players and sometimes that gets messy, and I will call out unfairtreatment whenever necessary.” A beat as I stare him down, andfuckit feels great when I add, “Including when it comes to me.”
I allow my mouth to curve up then turn back to the rest of the reporters.
