Ice in My Veins (18 page)

In two days we were playing the Czech Republic. I got a drive back to the hotel with one of my teammates. I had to transfer back to the hotel the team was staying at.

I went into my room and told Alex the good news. He was happy for me. I thanked him for coming when I needed him. He had to leave and get back to Rhode Island right away. He was playing the next day, then right after that game they were sending him back to Boston. The team was doing this to make best use of his just under a million dollar salary.

He told me that he was still in love with me. He added that he would give me space, but that he intended to wait for me. I told him not to hold his breath and laughed. Then I kissed him on the cheek and we said goodbye.

Once I had relocated back to the other hotel, I got comfortable in my room. I was given my own room. They didn’t have to do that now. I was so used to being on the road with guys, and they were all very respectful of me that it wouldn’t have bothered me to share.

The guys on this team were all very welcoming now. It was nice, I was expecting there to be problems. Aside from the first morning comments I had proven to the guys that I deserved to be there with them. I was glad there wasn’t. We were all there for the same reasons. To play for our country proudly. We all were professional about our careers and knew what was important.

I began studying game footage of the various teams from online clips. There were so many teams in this tournament: Austria, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. There were lots of clips online from past years but not really enough to give me much information about the way each player played. I researched as much as I could.

I was reading the IIHF U20 rules, because the tournament rules are a little confusing. I needed to understand them better. When coach explained them they kind of went in one ear and out the other. So first we would play a round-robin. The top three teams from each group advance to the Qualification Round while the fourth-placed team in each group moves to the Relegation Round.

Blah, blah, blah! I just wanted to know the finals because I knew the rest wouldn’t be a problem for our team this year. We had a good solid team. The winning teams of the semi-final games advance to the gold medal game while the semi-final losing teams play for the Bronze medal.

True Meaning of Pride

During the first period Havel Mohelnicky, from the Czech team hammered me hard from behind. The refs didn’t see it. The crowd went crazy yelling for a penalty. The Czech team had obviously decided to test me. I was in pain.

I skated to the bench to shake it off. I needed to sit down for a minute. Coach asked me if I was alright.

I shook my head yes then said “I remember when snap, crackle and pop, were noises I heard from my cereal, not my body.” Everyone on the bench including Coach laughed. It was true. I swear I heard something in my back crack from that hit.

In the room during our fifteen minute intermission I was worked on. I had definitely done something to my back. The trainer figured when I was hit I pulled a muscle. When I face planted into the boards, I hurt it even more. My neck and lower back were both in pain. The adrenaline in my body was helping with the pain a little. Coach asked me three times if I was able to play. He told me to sit out if I wasn’t. I told him not to worry, if the pain got to be too much I would pull myself from the game. He was satisfied with that answer.

I looked to the trainer. “Fix me up Paul.” He nodded. Then he gave me something for the pain and I skated back out to the ice.

I got my chance for revenge against the Czech team. In the second period, we were up 3-0. I took a nice pass from Jeremy and managed to fly by Greguska Palacky, their best defenceman and slide one in.

My teammates jumped on me in celebration. I had gotten my first point of the series. That showed people I deserved to be there. I also got a good laugh at Palacky, who broke his stick slamming it against the net pipes because he was pissed.

In the third period, I got an nice breakaway and scored top shelf, left side. That one was unassisted. I was rocking it out on the ice, but I knew that this wasn’t a team we had to worry about right now. It was Russia, Sweden and Canada. They were the teams that we needed to battle hard against. We won the game 6-1. It was a beauty of a game.

We all went back to the hotel. None of us were partying during this tournament. It would be bed early every night, until it was over. I only heard two of the guys talking about hooking up with some girls. The rest of the guys had their heads in the game. We all knew what an honor, and how important this tournament was to us and the country.

I debated sitting out the game against Finland. I told the coach I was still in a little pain, but I would play. He shuffled the lines around and I didn’t play much in the first period. In the second period I was needed out there. Two of our players had been injured. One had a concussion and was taken straight to the hospital, and the other we weren’t sure of yet. Paul, the trainer was looking at his leg.

I didn’t score at all in the game against Finland. I did manage to get an assist on one of Maxime’s two goals. We scraped by with a 5-4 win over the Fins. The Swedish team beat us 3-2. Coach rode us hard after that game. We had a lot of players who were injured playing and had to figure out how to work through it. None of us wanted to admit we were in pain. This tournament meant too much to all of us.

I got worked on all the next day by the team trainers. I needed to be ready for the game against the Russians. Canada and Sweden were playing, and if they, Canada, won their next game they would get a buy to the finals. We had to beat Russia.

I had just gotten back to my room when the telephone rang. It was my mother. As soon as I heard her voice I froze in fear. What if she was going to give me terrible news? I didn’t know if I could deal with it. I had just started to get close to my father and understand him. I couldn’t deal with losing him, not right now.

“Christine, your father is awake and he wants to talk to you.”

He must have grabbed the telephone from her “What is this I hear about that jackass Smith cutting you from team USA?” He yelled into the phone.

I had to laugh then. Thank God! He sounded like himself. “Yes Dad, he thought girls shouldn’t be playing a guys sport. Kind of reminded me of someone you know. As usual I didn’t take no for an answer though as you can see I made the team and doing well for our country.” I had a huge smile on my face, which he could probably tell from the sound of my voice.

“Well, if I hadn’t been so hard on you all your life, you would never have the guts to stand up to jackasses like Terry Smith.”

“You are absolutely correct about that Dad. Thanks for that.” I giggled.

“I saw Alex was with you, it was all over the news. Are you guys back together again?” He asked. He really liked Alex. I had only told my father it was the distance that ended our relationship. I would never embarrass Alex or disrespect him by telling my father the truth.

“No Dad, we’re not together, but we are still really good friends. How long have you been awake?” I inquired. He seemed in such high spirits. Almost like he had never been in a coma.

“Yesterday, but the doctor had to run tests. I told your mom not to call you until I was allowed to speak with you myself. I needed to give you the pep talk you know.”

“I see.” I laughed. “Well on with the pep talk Dad. I could really use one about now.”

“Well Christine, You can’t let those Russian communist bastards beat the USA. You need to shove the puck down their throats. Teach them what American hockey is all about. You always say Toby Chalke is your hero; well follow his example and hit those Russians hard, make them take it right in the ass.” He yelled.

“I promise, I will Dad. I haven’t been playing as good as I could out there.” I told him.

“Yeah that’s what Phil was telling me. Is something wrong?” he asked concerned.

“I did something to my back. I had it worked on again today, it seems much better. I just wanted to take it easy the last game.” I informed him.

“You’re back huh. Well get tough and get back out there kiddo. Do some damage and bring your pop back a gold.” he encouraged. “I have to go, I love you kid.”

“I love you to Dad.” I said and hung up the phone. I texted Alex right away to give him the good news about my father.

I wanted to follow my father’s advice and bring it out there on the ice, but my back was still in pain. I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize my career. I could just imagine what the press would say to that. Probably that I should never have been playing with the big boys in the first place.

The rest of the tournament went well for team USA. We won the rest of our games, and were heading into the finals. We would play Canada for Gold, just like we did the year before. We needed to win this year as well. Silver is still an honor, but our team was set to win Gold. Canada didn’t have the same caliber of players they used to have. The United States was producing some amazing talent. It was our time to shine. I know that I was getting the best training possible from Canadian teams in Canada, but I was still an American player.

Not only that, but Tyler Plouffe was in net. Lucky for me, I knew all his weak spots; because we had practiced together before coming. Also because he was the goalie for the Gophers. I knew if I went high stick side with him that my shot was too fast for him to handle. I hoped that he hadn’t been working on that. Coach pulled me aside before the game started.

“Christine, how’s your back today?” He inquired.

“Its good coach, I feel ready.” I announced. I was more than pumped up for today’s match.

“If it starts to bother you, you let me know immediately. This is not worth ending your career over, you just started.” He insisted. He reminded me a lot of Ben the way he cared about the players. It was refreshing. Smith didn’t care the way Ben or Youville did.

“I know coach. I promise if it gets bad I’ll let you know.”

“Plouffe and you play together correct?” He asked.

“Yep, we do and we practiced together before leaving for our camps. I am well aware that he can’t handle my high shots on his stick side. They catch him off guard and I intend to capitalize on that.” I smirked.

“Alright Christine,” he said and padded my back. I took my spot on the ice. I was part of the starting line.

Tyler Plouffe and Joe Sim were the only players from the Toronto Gophers on Team Canada. I was the only player from the Gophers on Team USA. We had no other team members in the tournament.

I took a deep breath, this was it. This was the start to the rest of my life. I knew how I played here today, in this game, would determine the rest of my career. I didn’t want to think about how many millions of people were watching this game at home or in the crowd. I just needed to focus. After a few more deep breaths I tuned those thoughts completely out of my mind. I only saw what was immediately surrounding me.

The puck dropped, Canada won the face-off and got it into our end zone. I skated hard and fast and knocked Paul Herman right of the puck. I passed it to our right defenceman. I skated harder and faster and the puck was returned to me on a 2 vs 1. I saw the opening, Plouffe had moved glove side anticipating my shot. I faked and then within a split second shot high stick side. Plouffe didn’t make it over in time.

The Buffalo crowd were on their feet. The clapping and screaming was overwhelming. I had scored the first goal in the game, 11 seconds into the game. I skated back to the bench in a daze. It had actually went in. I had my team off to a 1-0 start. The energy in the building was intoxicating.

Canada came back hard in the first, and scored two goals; then a short handed third goal. My team was getting restless. We couldn’t give up. I started to see defeat in some of my teammates eyes. Coach was getting frustrated. I looked at Jeremy.

“We have to do this Jer. If I can’t take it you take it, Tyler’s expecting it to be high stick side, so whichever one of us has the shot go five hole or low glove side.” I instructed.

“Sounds like a plan, we have to do something.” He agreed.

We took the ice. One mistake was all it took. Their right winger, Colton Terzoin fanned on his shot. Jeremy was able to steal the puck. I was ready, he passed the puck over to me and I took off like a bat out of hell. I was the fastest skater on the team and took it right to the net. I fooled Plouffe with a deak, and then got it high glove side. He was pissed. My team was ecstatic. That bought us right back into the game. The buzzer sounded and the period was over.

In the second period the Canadians were dominating the puck. We had to find a way to create our own chances. Kennedy managed to sneak one in on the glove side. It was a fluke goal, but we didn’t care. Then another teammate got one which, I believe, rebounded off Tyler Plouffe’s skate. The Canadian team matched us goal for goal. The score was now 5-5 going into the third period. It was going to be a tight game. Neck and neck, right until the end.

Right up until the last five minutes of the third period, neither team had managed a goal. Then Joe Sim daggled a nice one right into our net. I had to give it to him, it was a sweet goal.

The Canadian team started to get cocky. That pissed me right off. With 28 seconds left Jeremy passed to Maxime off the face off and he tied the game. We had one last chance to end it now.

Coach kept my line out for the last 18 seconds. Again off the face off I shot from just over the center line. I hammered that puck, and I heard it hit the pipe. Then it went behind Tyler Plouffe and fell right into the net. I had scored the game winner. The crowd went crazy. Buffalo was on their feet screaming and chanting. My team flew off the bench and pummeled me. I don’t know which team member had grabbed the American flag and started skating around with it. I was still in shock. We had won Gold for the United States. I was so proud of my teammates and myself. It was such a close game.

After making morons of ourselves with our celebrating; it was time to line up for the Anthems. We stood there, proud as we could be, all singing in the Star Spangled Banner. I had never been so proud and watching that flag be raised in this type of a celebration humbled me. Tears flowed down my cheeks. This was the greatest moment of my life. I had not only proved to the world that I was good enough, but I don’t know if anything could match the feeling of winning a gold medal for your country.

The media and celebrations after the game went well into the next day. After two days of media and celebrating, I was exhausted. My back was also in a lot of pain.

When I flew back to Toronto, I harassed Plouffe on the flight a bit with some chirping about the U.S. taking home the Gold, but it was all in good fun.

My family was so proud of me. Mom said the pure pride my father felt helped him to get better faster. Alex was thrilled for me. Moose called to congratulate me. I was walking on cloud nine. I knew this would only improve my chances to get drafted into the NHL.

After arriving back, the doctor informed me that I would not be cleared to play. I had pulled a muscle in my back. There was a bit of swelling around my spine, but it was already starting to heal. I would be back out on the ice hopefully by next week. I was forced to be a scratch for the next two games.

I was frustrated, so I decided that I would go out to the bar with some of the guys from my team. I never do that with them. I was never a big drinker. I met a guy there that night. I had been drinking a lot. I invited him back to my place after the bar and had sex with him. I had never done anything like that in my life. I had only ever been with Alex. I knew this would get back to him. I don’t know why I was so worried about it though. My teammates had casual sex all the time.