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Yeah, for a moment I feel all that.
And then New Jersey cuts through our defense like butter and shoots a bullet past Aaron in the net.
“Where the fuck were you on that play!” Lars shouts to Walsh over the cheers of the New Jersey crowd.
Did Walsh get out of position allowing their winger to line up a good shot? Yeah. It happens. There’s not a single player even in the damn NHL, much less college hockey, who isn’t out of position now and then, who doesn’t make mistakes. We can’t be at each other’s throats every single time it happens.
“Cool it, Lars,” I say to him sternly. “Keep your head focused on the next play oryou’llbe the one making a mistake.”
He scowls at me, but minutes later proves me right.
Walsh steals the puck from one of Jersey’s players in the middle of a passing attempt. He’s immediately swarmed and needs to pass, but Lars is nowhere to be found.
New Jersey wrestle the puck back from Walsh, by-pass Lars completely, and sink another goal. The first period ends with us down 2-1.
Second period is a deadlock. Coach calls for a shift-change as he can see that we’re all on the verge of collapsing. The second line skate onto the ice while the first liners collapse onto the bench.
If there’s one benefit of how desperately we’re all sucking air, it’s that none of us have the breath needed to bicker about what’s going on.
I know that we’re all playing our hearts out. In fact, we’re playing harder than we need to, physically. We’re skating harder and shooting harder to try to make up for the lack of communication and teamwork that the Hot Shots used to have.
But everyone who’s played hockey knows that no amount of effort and individual skill can make up for a team whose lines of communication have broken down.
Watching the second line, I can actually see them working together. The second line is mostly the same as it was last year. They hold their own, and at least keep New Jersey from scoring another goal.
But if you want to win against a solid opponent like New Jersey, it’s the first line that needs to really pull it off. We’re back in for the third period, and none of the problems plaguing us during the first get any better.
Jersey sinks one more goal in our net for good measure. When the end of game buzzer cuts through the frigid air, the final score is 3-1.
This is the first time since I’ve joined the team that we’ve lost the season opener. I can’t lie, it fucking stings.
Lars and Shane are grumbling at each other in the locker room. I think about intervening, but decide against it, since they’re keeping it between themselves and not shouting for everyone to hear. Still, I’ll need to address the shit between them sooner than later, as it was their teamwork especially that broke down tonight.
I thought those two were sort of, almost, kinda starting to get along for a little while—but Shane ate more of Lars’s eggs the other day, Lars flipped out, and they’ve been frosty to each other ever since.
They end up being the last two to board the bus back home and have to sit next to each other.
They spend the ride with their arms crossed over their chests, sitting as far away from each other as possible, with sour expressions on their faces as they look away from the other.
Every now and then turn their heads to throw the other a look of disdain.
They’re like two siblings who got in a fight but still have to sit next to each other in the backseat of their parents’ car.
Liam and I sigh, shaking our heads.
I don’t think we’ll be throwing a non-victory victory party this time.
13
PHOEBE
Alone on a Friday night.
Casey’s spending the night at Nick’s house. When she came home just ten minutes after I did that night Hunter walked me home from the Ice Box party, I felt like shit. I knew she came home before she wanted to because she couldn’t enjoy the party anymore, worrying about me after I’d left.
Luckily, her and Nick hung out the following week, and since then, they’ve been hanging out more and more. This is the second time she’s spent the night as his place.
“Yousureyou’ll be okay alone on a Friday night?” she asked as she stood in the living room with her book bag slung over her shoulder about an hour ago.
