The Hockey Queen

The ice was smooth and solid beneath my skates. I looked at the goalie net sitting 5 feet in front of me. I lifted my stick up and with my signature slapshot, I drove the puck right into the net. I sighed, I was at Ice Castle in Pittsburgh PA. I lived here in Pittsburgh my whole life. As you probably already guessed, hockey is my life. I love the sport and live for the sport. I was a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins all thanks to my father John. He played hockey for a college team but never made it to the National Hockey League. I used to play for a local hockey team for girls but that was back when I was eight years old. I'm nineteen now and work at the Starbucks downtown. It's not what I wanted to do but I still get paid and I can still afford to live in my apartment downtown so I stuck with it. Growing up I always wanted to play for a college team like my dad and maybe even make it to the Women's National Hockey League. My mother played in the women's league and even went to the Winter Olympics to play for Team USA. I always dreamed of that happening to me. When I graduated from high school I applied for a college outside of the city to play for their hockey team but my dreams came to a tragic ending. Five months before I was to go to college, my mother Alison was killed in a head on collusion with another driver. She was taken to the hospital where she was in critical condition. I visited her everyday until after one week of being in the hospital she died. I couldn't bring myself to play hockey anymore so I dropped the college application and stopped playing hockey for 7 months. I wanted to play for a college team and I still do but it's too late. Colleges are in their 5 month of the first semester. I couldn't sign up for a team now even if I wanted to. I skated up to the net and grabbed the puck and did my slapshot again. "Trish, Trish what are you doing?" I heard my best friend Stacey call from behind me. I turned and saw her skating toward me. "Trish Taleson why are you all alone out here on the ice?" She asked.
"I'm not alone. You're here with me." I told her smiling as I hugged her.
"Ya you got a point." She said. Stacey Mason was my best friend since fourth grade. We became friends because we had a lot in common. We both liked hockey and both played hockey, we both had dark brown hair that was always straight and we both had dark brown eyes. My skin was a little darker than her's because I was Italian and she wasn't but other than that we were like twins. We liked the same things too. We both liked horror movies, we both talked about guys sometimes, and we both liked doing things that made us happy. Stacey was there for me when my mom died. She went to the funeral with me and stayed up all night talking about stuff and sometimes crying. I couldn't ask for a better friend than her. We passed the puck back and forth and took some shot, but then her cell phone rang from the bench. She skated over to it and answered, "Hello?" She said, "Oh hi mom, I'm at Ice Castle with Trish. Ok I'll be there bye." She said hanging up. I looked at her as she spoke, "My mom needs me to babysit my sister and brother."
"Oh ok, I'll probably stay here for a little while longer. Bye, see you later,"I said hugging her. She said bye and skated off the ice. I sighed. "Alone again." I said to myself. I took another shot at the net and watched the puck go in. After awhile I decided to leave. I skated off, and went to a bench. I took my skates off and put them in my duffle bag. I skated off, and went to a bench. I took my skates off and put them in my duffle bag. I put on my shoes and walked out of the rink. I went over to the food area and ordered a Pepsi. When I got my drink I sat down at one of the tables. I was alone for a few minutes because then a man wearing a Stanford University hokcey shirt sat down in the other seat. I looked at him; he looked to be about forty five years old with light brown hair and a smile on his face. His skin was pale and his eyes were a dark blue. "Is this seat taken?" He asked me.
"No." I replied.
"My name is Jim Conner." He said putting his hand out for me to shake. I shook his hand and smiled.
"Trish Taleson." I said.
"I saw you on the ice playing hockey. That slapshot you had was incredible." He told me.
"Thanks."
"Anyway, I coach hockey at Stanford University, and my team is really struggling with our games. We're on a six game losing streak and we're not even close to making it to the playoffs. But when I saw you on the ice I thought, that's it! That's what my team needs. A player like you, you skate great and your ability to handle the puck is amazing. You are very talented in playing hockey. Do you play for a team?" Jim asked.
"I used to but I stopped."
"Oh well do you go to college?"
"No I was going but I dropped out."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because my mother, well she died before I went to college to play for a college hockey team, and I just couldn't bring myself to play hockey anymore." I said.
"Oh I'm so sorry for your lose. Listen I think you're a very good player and I know this is going to sound crazy but how would you like to play for my team?" He asked me.
"Play for a college team? I... I can't. I don't go to college and I can't apply for it. It's too late."
"No you don't have to go to college. You can just play on the team. I know it's breaking the school rules, but let me talk to the head of the college hockey league. When I tell him how good you are, I'm sure he'll let you join."
"I don't know, I mean will I play on an all women's team?" I asked thinking about the idea.
He laughed, "I'm sorry but the women's teams are full. You can join my team."
"So I'll be the only girl on the team?" I asked shocked.
"Yes but don't worry. We can make some adjustments. You can wear extra padding if you want and you can change in one of the bathroom stalls instead of the locker room." I looked at Jim like he was crazy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to play for an all boys team or not. I mean I'm sure the guys on the team won't like me playing with them. "I don't know, it's just," I began to say but Jim cut me off.
"Listen I know this is kind of a shock to you but my team is the worst team in the league. We're dead last and about fifty points away from making it to the playoffs and I'm not just asking you to join because I want my team to be good. I also think your a very talented player and players like you belong on teams. Your even good enough to make it in the Women's National Hockey League." He said with hopeful eyes that I would say yes. It was always my dream to play in the women's league. "Tell you what, let me talk this over with my father tonight and I'll call you when I made my decision." I said smiling.
"Ok well here's my cell phone number." Jim said grabbing a white napkin and pulling a pen from his coat pocket. He wrote dwon his number and handed it to me. "It was a pleasure meeting you and whatever you decide to do I'll respect your choice."
"Ok thanks Jim." I said shaking his hand. Jim walked away and left the building. I sat there staring at the wet shiny ice in front of me and thought about playing for the team. Later that night I left my apartment and went to my dad' house waiting for him to come home. When he did I hugged him and started making dinner. We were in the kitchen making dinner together when I brought up the topic. "Hey dad today at Ice Castle this college hockey coach came up to me and was talking to me about his team." I started off.
"Ya did he see you play?" My dad asked.
"Ya he did and he thinks I'm really good and asked if I wanted to join his team cuz he thought I was very talented and just what his team needed."
"Really that's great Trish. You always wanted to play for a college team. Did you say you would join? Oh but wait you don't go to any colleges." My dad realized.
"Well he said that I might not have to go to the school. He said that he was going to talk to the head of the league and see if they let me play but I didn't say yes yet."
"Well why not?" My dad looked at me. I became quiet and looked down at the saucy red spaghetti I was making. "Oh sweetie I know you miss your mom but believe me she would want you to say yes and join the team. She would want you to play in the women's hockey league because she knew it was your dream and she wouldn't want you to give up your dreams. You mom didn't give her dreams up and she played in the league for seven years. I think you should follow your dreams and join the team." He said putting his arm around my shoulders.
"Ok I guess I could join the team. You know what I will join the team." I said smiling.
"Good I'm proud of you." My dad said grabbing two plates from the cabinets.
"But dad you should probably know that the team is an all boys team in an all boys league."
"Oh well that's ok. Besides you can show those boys what you're made out of." My dad said throwing fake punches at me. I laughed and got some spaghetti and put it on both of the plates. Then we walked into the living room and watched the pens game.
The next morning I called Jim. "Hi Jim, its Trish. I thought about joining the team and I decided that I want to join." I said.
"Oh that's great news because I talked to the head of the league and he said that since the women's teams are all full you can join a boys team. Yesterday I video taped you on the ice with my cell phone and I showed the head of the league and he thought you were incredible." Jim said.
"Oh thats not creepy at all." I said smiling.
Jim laughed, "Anyway at 2 o'clock we have practice sheduled. If you wnat to come to practice and meet the boys that would be great."
"Ok I'll be there."
"Great. We can get you your equipment and probably this Wednesday will be your first game."
"Ok um how many game left until the championship game?" I asked.
"We have 12 games and we have to win at least 9 of those games."
"Ok I think we can make it."
"I and the guys on the team hope so. Well see you at practice."
"Ok bye Jim or coach Conner." I said smiling. I hung up the phone and went to get ready for my first practice.