I might not have known who the fuck he was when I let him touch me, but I do now. And I know something else, too.
That fucker will never kiss me again.
CHAPTER 3
Tabitha
TRASHCAN TATTLE WITH TABITHA
Happy September, Trash Panda fans!
Who’s ready for a new andamazingseason with the Cedar Rapids Raccoons? We only have a couple more weeks to wait before the team takes to the ice for their first home game of the season.
I don’t know about you, but I. Am. Psyched. It’s been a loooooooooooooooong and painful off season.
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).
Speaking ofgossip, a little birdie told me they spotted the one-and-only Oliver Lindstrom in Bitches Brew a couple of days ago. Sure, he’s probably here seeing his sister, Penelope, before they both start the new school year at their respective universities, but a girl can dream.
As much as Oli Lindstrom would be an amazing addition to our lineup, I think your favorite sports reporter might have to finally accept he’s not leaving Wisconsin any time soon.
Le sigh.
We did get some fresh meat this season, new blood on the bench in the form of a few rookies eager to prove their worth to the team.
Rico Palffy and Mikko Lindell are two such rookies. Newbies to wearing Cedar Rapids green, but they both come with exceptional records from Benton Community High School. I can’t wait to see what they can do on the ice, and I bet netminder Ares de la Peña can’t either.
Having lost his backup to a school halfway across the world over the summer, we’ve all been waiting with baited breath right alongside de la Peña to see who our new back up would be. Mikko Lindell, you heard it here first. And I’d bet he’s one to watch.
With such a senior-heavy team, it’s nice to see an influx of players to the bench. Yours truly will of course be arranging interviews with various players over the course of the season to help y’all get to know the freshman off the ice.
Seniors this year, the de la Peña twins, Apollo and Artemis, their best friend Scott Raine, Raffi Shaw, and Tate Myers will likely try to leave their mark on this season, go out with a bang, if you will. They’ll each be graduating at the end of this year and going their separate ways. What will their last season as a team have in store for them?
Let’s find out.
CHAPTER 4
Tate
OCTOBER
It’s game day, and I’m on the bench.
If I wasn’t already drafted to the NHL, I’d probably be worried. I mean, sure, they left me here at NCAA level for development, and I can’t really develop if I’m not playing on the ice, but that’s beside the point. Kinda, sorta.
I can’t get into the AHL or NHL if I’m stuck here circling the development drain on the fucking bench.
I’ve been drafted to the pro league since my freshman year, I’m moving up as soon as I graduate, but considering how fucking hard I worked to earn my slot, I don’t want anyone to think I’m slacking. And I sure as shit don’t want the opportunity taken away from me either.
I’m a Myers. The Iowa equivalent to NHL royalty. And slacking is something we don’t do, taking our foot off the gas is something we don’t do. We succeed. We thrive. And we play pro-hockey.
Regardless of all that, I’m a healthy scratch for tonight’s game. Coach didn’t tell me why. Realistically, it could be due to any number of reasons, such as team strategy, lineup adjustments, or the need for a different style of play against a particular opponent. I can’t work it out.
And that’s bugging me too.
Meanwhile, my buddy, Raffi Shaw, has me out in the crowd, in my fly-as-fuck Ralph Lauren suit, doing his bidding.
