Apollo snorts. “I’ll say.”
Ares is too busy laughing and sending pictures to Eloise to answer me.
“We’ve got you, boo.” Scott steps up next to me, flipping out a pocket knife from his key chain and starting to cut the plastic.
She’s gone too far, this time. And to think that I spent that whole practice distracted by her, while she was outside wrapping my damn car.
I growl in frustration, tearing at the piece of self-adhesive film that Scott cut free. Unwrapping this thing is going to take forever.
Tomorrow night is game night. When it’s over, we have a week or so with no games. I can figure out what punishment I’ll wreak on her then.
We’re well into the second period, we’re up by two, but the game could always turn on a dime, so it’s never enough.
Apollo gains control of the puck at center ice and sends it forward to me, it’s a short pass though, and it’s intercepted by a Snow Pirate before I can reach it. He turns it over, makes his way back through the neutral zone, and passes it to one of their offensive line but he crosses the blue line before the puck and the offside whistle blows.
Just a step over the line, forcing the offside, but it was a step too far.
Sucks to be him, I guess.
There’s an energy in the air, a shimmer of electricity around the rink. And when the Snow Pirates chip one into the back of the net from a sneaky pass after the face off, I can’t help but groan.
The down-shift after a conceded goal is always the biggest one. But Ares stands tall and solid, blocking three attempts at his goal, and both rebounds that came with it. The guy’s a freakin’ force, even under good pressure from Minnesota—it was a great response from the Snow Pirates for sure. And it pains me to admit—even to myself—that they’re playing decently.
I’ve had a look around the crowd, there are a couple of Snow Pirates shirts in the stands but none of them are being worn by Penelope. I guess she couldn’t make it to the game tonight.
The puck is in the Snow Pirates zone, it’s picked up by McArthur. He looked like he was going to play it away but Artemis intercepts with a centering pass. Robbins couldn’t get to it as he was checked by Scott.
We get a line change, and I’m back on the ice, legs burning. Chandler, a rookie Snow Pirate, pulls up on the backhand and puts it in deep to his teammate. It heads back to the blue line, but I manage to keep it in. I shoot, but it’s deflected by their goaltender back out into open ice.
I chase the puck, stumble when my skate gets caught in one of the opposition’s sticks. I spin, and before I can blink, breathe, or cuss, my face explodes in unimaginable pain.
CHAPTER 15
Tabitha
Hey, Trash Panda fans!
For those of you who are new to TCT, my name is Tabitha Tucker and I am your resident sports-blogger-salacious-newsletter-author extraordinaire, spilling the tea on all things hockey and hotties.
Trash Can Tattle is a regular column that falls somewhere between gossip and game, bringing you all the things in one convenient place – away from the excellent news, features, and opinions and interviews from the rest of the NCAA, right here at UCR (the University of Cedar Rapids).
I know many of you are as worried as I am about Tate Myers after last night’s game. For those of you who missed the action, Tate took a slapshot to the face at point blank range and was rushed to the emergency room at Mercy hospital during the game where he’s expected to stay for at least a few days.
Tattlers, it’s pretty grim. But we have high hopes that he will make a full recovery and rejoin the team as soon as he can.
Myself and all TCT readers would like to wish a sincere “Get well Soon” to you, Tate. You will be sorely missed on the ice. Keep scrolling for well wishes from the entire fan base and beyond. We look forward to seeing you around the Trash Can soon.
In better news, it’s never too early for MVP talk, and even just six weeks into the season there are already some names making cases for the Hobey Baker Award. Our very own Apollo de la Peña remains out front with a league-leading 1.7 points per game that fuels the Raccoon’s third-ranked offense.
However, there are others close on his heels in the scoring race. Shay Taylor of the Wisconsin Wolves is quickly becoming one to watch on the college free agent market. The senior forward leads the country in goals and is tied with only top-five NHL Draft, Baylor Crum, of Michigan in points per game.
Problem is, the number one team in the country is so stacked that it will be nearly impossible for any one player to make a clear case for the Hobey Baker.
A standout on a top team where NHL talent is sparser will have a better shot, such as our own de la Peña, or even Shay Taylor, or Lachlan Fergusson of the Wisconsin Wolves.
Am I wrong? Convince me.
That’s it for this week, hockey fans, don’t forget to...
