Look at all the faces watching us. They’re here to see us play. I spend the next few stretches searching for a number thirty-eight jersey. It always hits differently when I see someone in my number. Knowing that they’remyfan. They’re maybe here to see me.
I spot one and grin. My grin widens when I find Torin inside Surry the Seal right away, facing my direction. I wave.
At first, I don’t notice the young girl beside him as he waves in return. He’s more animated inside the costume. The girl beside him is maybe eight or nine. She thinks I’m waving to her. I wasn’t, but this time I do.
It seems to snap Torin out of whatever he was looking at. He looks at the girl and makes a display of covering his big seal mouth with his hands. Then he points at me excitedly with the girl. When he starts waving his hands in the air and jumping in excitement, I laugh.
Getting to my feet, I swipe a stray puck from the ice and move to the boards. The girl nods excitedly, jumping up and down. Torin-as-Surry joins her again.
It takes me a few attempts to get it between the net and the glass. Torin catches it and hands it to the girl. She’s beside herself with excitement and runs off. I wink at Torin. This time, he covers his face with his hands and turns away.
Still laughing, I join my team in shooting pucks at Morrison, our backup goalie. Though he’s not playing tonight, he always takes some time in the net during warmups. Just in case. You can never be too prepared.
It isn’t long before we’re signaled to head for the locker room while the ice is cleaned up a bit before the start. We gather in the locker room with excitement hovering in the air and humming under my skin. Another season begins tonight. I’m stoked.
“Are we ready?” Coach Ajo asks.
There’s a chorus of enthusiastic, manly ‘yeahhhhs!’ I grin, feeling all jittery. I’m so ready. These last few minutes before the game are really difficult to wait through. I’m ready. I want to play now!
“Vegas is a tough team. We need to be completely on our game tonight. Focus. Teamwork. And take the shots. What’s the saying?”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” we repeat back.
“Exactly. Even an accidental goal is a goal. Take the shots.”
Don’t look Azure in the eyes. That’s a mental note, not one I share. It almost doesn’t matter though. I probably won’t go toward the other end of the ice, anyway. That’s not my job unless I’m sure I can make it.
I’ve made it as long as I have in the league not because of my amazing score record, but because of my defensive success.
Coach continues to talk to us and we respond with energy. We’re ready to show that we’re a force this season. We’re going to be the team to beat.
Finally, it’s time to get back onto the ice. Since I’m practically bouncing, Winny nudges me with his stick and I grin. That’s his reminder to calm down. Focus. I need to focus. I know that. I definitely need to focus.
As I circle to my spot on the ice, I glance into the crowds. Torin-as-Surry the seal is at the boards with both furry hands flat on the glass. I grin and raise my stick to him. He steps back and points wildly. Taking several steps back, he taps the person in the front row. A young kid. He points at me excitedly.
I love how much energy he has.
“Hugo,” Winny calls and I turn my attention to where our team is lining up. I give Miles, our center, a nod since he’s waiting for me to pay attention.
Okay, no more crowd. Now it’s time to play.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. With it goes the distractions until my focus is narrowed on the puck.
The puck drops and we shove it away toward the other end. I follow closer to the center and hover, watching as Azure catches the puck and almost lazily hands it off. Their player moves around behind the net. They think they’re clear and chuck it down this way, but I’m waiting and catch it.
Noah swings in front of me and I hand it off. He takes off toward the other end against the boards. When the other team gets close, he digs his skates in and halts, passing it off to Atty. Atty makes a shot, but Azure stops it.
My other defenseman, Rigbe, catches it on the rebound and makes a loop around to get a better angle at the net. It’s a game ofpass for a few minutes as we keep moving it between our sticks. It hits mine twice before Noah makes another attempt at goal.
It gets blocked by one of Vegas’s defensemen and they take possession of it, bringing the puck behind the net. He hovers there for a second, letting his team reposition themselves. Then he comes toward us.
He skates down the side and I try to move to be in front of Winny. One of their guys gets super in my face, which I find really annoying. I’d love to put my stick between their legs and let them trip over it. I’m standing still, so theoretically they just weren’t paying attention.
That’s not the way the refs would see it, unfortunately.
I keep my hand on his back, fending him out of my bubble as much as I can while I watch the puck come down this way. Three passes between Vegas before Rigbe steals it back and takes off for the other end again.
They spend the next few minutes going back and forth near the boards, stealing the puck from each other but never making it beyond the length of the circle. Atty and a Vegas player get in a tussle over the puck against the boards as they wrestle for possession while one of the refs and several players hover around them. Ready to get involved if it takes too long or breaks out in a fight.
