“Remember what we talked about at our last practice,” Banning called out. “Take advantage of their defensive weaknesses. I want to see aggressive plays, clear communication, and nothing less than your best.”
“Yes, Coach!” we shouted in unison, shattering the calm.
“Good. Now get out there and bring that fucking championship home where it belongs!” he shouted.
There were more cheers as Banning motioned for us to get our asses moving.
The rink lights were low, the music was loud, and the crowd was feral. The excitement of playing in front of a packed rink never lost its appeal, or its drama, as, one by one, we skuttled onto the ice, getting warmed up.
Eventually, the music quelled, and the lights brightened, and suddenly the magnitude of this moment hit me. How far we’d come in a year. Making it to the finals was a big win already. And I knew there’d be players who’d get drafted within months, maybe a year. I doubted I’d be one of them, but I knew that soon, my time would come. Call it instinct or plain stubbornness on my part, but I knew it was going to happen eventually.
I was on the first line, along with Kayden, Dane, Jace, and Axel, with Maddox in net. The referee called up Dane and Kallinger’s captain for the official puck drop.
Dane snagged the puck, and we were off. I didn’t believe in omens, but I’d take it.
The game was fast; five minutes of play went by like it was five seconds. Axel got cross-checked by Gross—no penalty called—and Jace, who always managed to eek out an opportunity, couldn’t get near Kallinger’s goalie. Gerard was well protected. So much for their defensive weak spots.
With a line change called, I took my turn on the bench and grabbed my water bottle to cool down.
“This game is fire,” Kayden admitted as he wiped his face with a towel. “Fucking hell, did you see the reaction time from Strong?”
“Yeah, their defense is on point tonight. Even Jace couldn’t get a shot on goal,” I muttered. “It’s wild.”
I didn’t need to hear Banning pacing behind me to feel his stress. I could smell him, or rather his fancy cologne. He was probably sweating through that tailored suit with all his angsting. Unlike the rest of us, who smelled rank already, Banning was fresh, like a hot summer day. No doubt that scent was probably as expensive as that fancy-ass suit he wore.
Banning suddenly leaned forward between me and Kayden, his face close to mine, and I nearly slipped off the bench.
Jesus, jumpy much?
“Watch out for Gross,” Coach warned us. “He nearly clocked Axel on the last play, and it looks like he’s champing at the bit for more. He also has a habit of using his stick as a weapon when the refs aren’t looking.”
“Right,” Kayden replied.
“Got it,” I added, keeping my eyes strictly on the opposing team, studying and analysing every move.
The period flew by even though we ended it with neither team scoring. Right before the clock ran out, Gross slammed Finn into the boards with a telltale crunch. My teammate wasshaken but, thankfully, okay since he was back on his feet quickly.
We started to push ahead during the second period. Axel and Jace did their magic, deke’ing around so many players it was difficult to keep track of them. And despite Kallinger’s solid defense, they were no match for Jace’s wicked slapshot.
Halfway through the period, he slammed it home and our team went nuts.
One goal for the Cougars and one period to go.
Intermission was a much-needed time out and had us guzzling down electrolytes in between catching our breath and comparing notes. We reviewed the plays, listened to more feedback from Coach, and hit the ice at full speed again.
Shit became real in the third period.
Seven minutes in, and despite our best efforts, Gross got the drop on our defense, specifically, on me. He ended up scoring, tying the game one-one. This was not the position we wanted to be in, but I had to hand it to my teammates; none of them showed any outwards signs of disappointment, except for a few chosen curse words.
When confronted with my error, I had a choice. I could either let it fuck with my head or keep pushing.
As if reading my mind, Coach yelled out. “Moss, get back in there!”
So, I did.
CHAPTER 5
DAMIEN
