Page 106 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
Right. I’m on the ice. The game.
I shake my head, clearing the haze of happiness clouding my focus. The bright lights of the arena glare down at me, reflecting off the ice. The crowd is roaring, the boards vibrating with the force of the fans on their feet - cheering, chanting, and buzzing with nervous energy.
I glance at the scoreboard. 2-2. Twenty minutes left on the clock.
We’re up against the Ridgefield Thunder -the winners of the other division semifinals, fighting for the division finals. Last week, we took the Blue Hawks down in the best-of-seven series. This? This is another best-of-seven - the division finals - and we’re locked in a war on ice.
They’re tough, aggressive, and relentless.
I tighten my grip on my stick, eyes locked on the puck as the Thunder’s center wins the face-off. They’re coming in fast, their left winger breaking past our defense.
My entire body tenses as the puck flies across the ice, passed from stick to stick, the Thunder pushing hard into our zone.
The shot comes quick - too quick - a slapshot from just outside the crease.
I drop low, my pads sealing off the five-hole as I snap my glove out - caught.
The crowd explodes.
But there’s no time to breathe. The moment the puck is back in play, they’re at it again, pressing hard. I block another shot with my chest, the puck ricocheting off my pads. Another comes. I read it, shift right, and deflect it with my blocker.
But then….
A bad bounce. A rebound I can’t control.
The Thunder’s forward crashes into the net, his stick catching the loose puck, and before I can react - it’s in.
2-3, Thunder.
The arena goes silent, and then excitement from the Thunder fans fills the arena.
For a second, I just kneel there, heart hammering, my breath coming fast inside my mask. But then…
The puck drops at center ice. Liam lunges forward, battling for possession. The Thunder center gets a stick on it first, flicking it back to their defenseman.
They reset quickly, passing between their blue liners, looking for an opening.
Then - Nick charges in.
He extends his stick, poking the puck just enough to throw off their rhythm. Liam seizes the moment, stealing it clean and taking it off the ice. He fakes left, dodging a Thunder forward, and snaps a quick pass to Jackson on the wing.
Jackson speeds past the blue line, but a Thunder defenseman is already on him, closing in fast. He tries to weave through -
Stick check.
The puck snaps loose, bouncing off the boards.
A Thunder player -#86 - swoops in, grabbing possession. He pivots, looking for an outlet pass, but before he can react…
Liam strips the puck right off his stick.
Clean. Fast. Brutal.
Liam cuts inside, faking a pass to Tomas, drawing a defender out of position. He threads a sharp pass to Logan, who’s lurking near the blue line.
Logan catches it, takes two strides forward…
Then, boom.
