Something So Right (Something So 1)
“I hate you all,” I say, looking toward Matthew, hoping to get him to look at me, but he doesn’t. His eyes are on the game. The score is still 0-0, but it doesn’t stay like that for long because a pass in the neutral zone causes a turnover, making it a two on three. When they enter the zone, they set up the play with a one timer hitting the back of the net, making the other team move up by one. Matthew gets out of the penalty box with his head down, shaking. My heart sinks for him because I know he blames himself.
“He needs to wake up,” I say.
“He knows what he needs to do. Lots of time still,” Cooper says, rubbing my back, then placing his hand on my neck. Just like that they start the face-off with Matthew winning this one, passing it to his right wing, making his way around the other center guy. He skates up, waiting at the red line for his guy to cross over the line with the puck. He skates to the right of the zone just on the side of the goalie, knowing what is coming next. His right-winger passes him the puck. He lifts his stick, waiting for it, and snipes it into the net, hitting the back pipe.
We are on our feet in a flash, cheering for him, horns are blaring, towels are being swung around. Matthew celebrates his goal by jumping and smashing the glass on the side of the goalie, making everyone roar more. It’s now a tied game, with both sides doing whatever they can to outplay the other team.
The third period is halfway in, and Matthew has had seven shots on nets, all being stopped by the goalie. It’s now a line change with Matthew jumping over the board, intercepting the pass from the other team’s defense, giving him just enough of a push to get him his breakaway. He is skating up the center, his stick moving the puck along smoothly right to left. He’s not letting it get too much ahead of him. He looks at his left where the defense is skating fast to catch up with him, and just like that he skates up, dekeing the goalie, tipping the puck over the pad, making it past the goal line.
We are yelling so loud I’m sure I will have no voice once this is over. I’m receiving high fives from the other parents, and we are chanting the team’s name. Play together win together has always been their motto. It was never one is better than the other. We are now two minutes till the end of the third and leading by one. Everyone is on their feet chanting, but with one minute to go we get a slashing penalty. They have pulled their goalie, making it four against six.
Leaving the other team with lots of ice to work with, I’m not sure I can watch anymore. The top four players on the ice, against the top six from the other team. The puck is passed from one defense to the other with him passing to the winger in the corner. He passes to the front of the net where he shoots on the net with the goalie making the save and freezing the puck.
The face-off is to the left of the goalie. So far Matthew hasn’t lost a face-off. The ref throws the puck down with Matthew trying to knock it away from the goalie, but the center man for the other team gets a piece of it, sending it to the defense so they can set up their play. The defensemen now pass it back and forth to each other, each trying to get a shot at the goalie. When he finally gets a shot on nets, he takes it, but our guy blocks it with his body, making the puck bounce on the ice, sliding it out of our zone, and that is all Matthew needs.
It’s like he saw it coming, because he already got control of it and shoots it at the open net, sliding inside, making it an empty net goal, giving him his hat trick.
The hats are flying onto the ice. I look at Cooper where he throws his hat onto the ice. There are ten seconds left to the game. The kids’ gloves are flying off, as well as the sticks. They have buried Matthew at the bottom of the pile, and just like that, they win the championship. I’m so excited for him, so proud of him. Cooper leans over, kissing my smiling face. Looking onto the ice, I see both teams lining up to shake hands. When the other team leaves the ice, our boys gather in the middle of the ice to pose for pictures with the banner and cup. I’m so proud of him.