Working Together

    “Hey buddy, you’re softer than a tootsie roll fruit cup,”  I chirped as I skated passed Marty, who had just gotten checked by Victory Honda Hockey Club’s smallest player, Alex Berto, who was only five feet.  As I skated back to the bench, Marty gave me the you-better-be-glad-we’re-on-the-same-team-or-else-I’d-hurt-you look.  He hopped the bench and sat down next to me.

    Later that game, we were tied 1-1 in the third period with less than thirty seconds to go.

    “Marty! Marty! I’m wide open!”  I screamed with all the energy left in me. Marty looked at me, skated toward the net, and shot the puck right into the goalie’s chest.  If Marty would’ve passed me the puck, I could’ve shot a ripper, and I would’ve sniped bar down for the game-winner.  My shot was like a rocket, fast and accurate, while Marty’s shot was as soft as a marshmallow.  As soon as we walked into the locker room I questioned Marty about his actions.

    “I’m sorry Gluck, I didn’t hear you,”  Marty said as he started to undress.  Marty was an average sized teen with semi-long, curly hair and blue eyes.  He wore a white Bauer helmet on his head.  His sweat soaked hair flopped onto his face after he took his helmet off. I stared at him, growling.  Suddenly my anger took over and I lost it.

    “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T HEAR ME I WAS SCREAMING AS LOUD AS I COULD!”  I yelled at Marty, who tried to respond with a good answer but came up with nothing.  After my outburst, my coach, Kenzie Homer, came through the door and told me and Marty to talk to him out of the locker.  In a nutshell, he told us that he was going to sit both Marty and I during tomorrow's game versus Honeybaked in the semifinals.  There was nothing that Marty or I could do, so we both hung our heads low and quietly got undressed.

    The next day I made it to Taylor Sportsplex, where the semi-finals were going to be held.  I did my warm ups, got dressed, and took the ice.  Marty and I both sat the whole game and watched our team beat Honeybaked 5-3 from the bench.  Later that day, coach Homer called me into his hotel room.  I walked in and found Marty sitting across from coach, I took a seat.

    “Ok, I know that sitting out isn’t that fun for you boys,” Coach Homer said, “But the game of hockey isn’t all about being the best, and scoring all the goals.  It’s about leadership and teamwork and working together as a team to achieve greatness, and if you can’t work together as a team, then I won’t play you, ok?  So, tomorrow is the national finals against Belle Tire, and I know you guys want to play.  So the only way for you two to play tomorrow is if you can show me you guys can get along and work together as a team. Now, grab some dinner and get some rest.”

After we left, we both sat down to apologize.

“Look, I’m sorry for not passing to you, I thought that if I scored, I would’ve proved I was better, and I was wrong”  Marty apologized.

“Yeah, and I’m sorry for being mean and chirping you, but guess what?  Tomorrow we will pass, tomorrow we will score, all as a team,” I responded.

    The next day, Marty and I both walked into Taylor Sportsplex at the same time.  We did our usual pre-game routine, and soon enough, the game was underway.  Marty and I played a great two periods and Marty and I played great.

    Later that game, we were tied 1-1 in the third period with less than thirty seconds to go. 

    “Marty!  Marty! I’m wide open!”  I screamed to Marty with all the energy left in me.  Marty looked at me, and looked back at the goalie.  Body shaking and heart racing, I looked at the scoreboard, ten seconds to go.

    “Marty pass!”  I screamed to him.  Marty kept his body toward the goalie, but suddenly he made a behind the back, no-look pass.  As the puck traveled across the ice, I set up my stick for a one-timer slapshot.  I timed the shot perfectly and when my beautiful Bauer 1s stick, elegant and shiny, made contact with the puck, it gave off the most flex it ever had.  The puck zoomed through the air, and right over the goalie’s left shoulder. 

The goal light went off, and my teammates jumped the bench. Fox Motors AAA  Hockey Club had just won the National Finals, against the number one ranked Belle Tire, 2-1, because of a beauty play by Marty and I.  When I was interviewed for scoring the game-winning goal, I gave all the credit to Marty, who gave the pass of the year.