Page 94 of Playmaker

I clapped her shoulder. “You going to be all right out there?”

Her smile was brighter this time, and she nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Good luck. And don’t forget to enjoy it, you know?”

She laughed. “I won’t. I promise.”

I left her to continue putting her gear back on, and I stopped by Sabrina to wish her luck as well. She seemed to be in better spirits, which was a relief. The last thing a team ever needed—but especially during a playoff elimination game—was their captain out of sorts.

While the team headed back out to the ice, I made my way back up to the owners’ box and settled into one of the plush seats again.

Dad leaned over. “How is Sabrina?”

“She’s stressed because they keep showing her dad on the screen.” I rolled my eyes. “And there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”

He scowled, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to; I’d told him and Mom all about Doran, and they’d already decided theydid notlike him. My parents liked everyone, but Doran McAvoy didn’t make the cut.

Moments later, the game kicked off again.

It was a hell of a battle. Neither team wanted to give an inch. Defense was strong on both sides, but there were still shots on goal piling up as players fired puck after puck at each net.

By the end of the second, the score was 2-2. With four minutes left in the third, it was 3-2 in Calgary’s favor.

I was on the edge of my seat, barely noticing the ache in my leg as I tried to will the puck away from our goal and into Calgary’s. At the very least, we had to tie it up; that would keep us alive enough for overtime.

Jamie and Euli relieved Sims and her temporary D partner, joining Sabrina’s line in our zone. Sabrina and one of Calgary’s skaters battled it out for the puck, and the other skater ended up winning. She spun around to head for our net, but then out of nowhere, Jamie did a viper fast poke-check and stole the puck off her blade.

Before the player even knew what had happened, Jamie whipped around and started barreling toward the neutral zone with Laws and Sabrina on her heels.

A defender got in Jamie’s way, hindering her progress across the zone. Sabrina got into the offensive zone before she’d realized Jamie was tied up, and I cringed, afraid that Jamie—who’d untangled herself from the other defender—would cross the blue line and render the play offside.

Should’ve known she was too smart for that.

Jamie fired the puck across the blue line and right onto Sabrina’s tape. Sabrina bodied her way around a defender, then shot the puck at Euli, who tipped it right into the goal.

Everyone roared to their feet as the stadium lit up red. I had to lean on my crutches, but I got up too, screaming my voice raw alongside my parents as my teammates celebrated.

We were still alive. Still a chance to win.

“The Pittsburgh goal!” the announcer’s voice boomed over the roaring crowd. “Scored by number forty-three, Euli Eskola. Assisted by number five, Sabrina McAvoy, and number nineteen, Jamie Tucker!”

I pumped my fist and shouted as our teammates piled on the gobsmacked young defender. Jamie’s first ever point in the WHPL, and it had come not only in the playoffs, but in the Cup finals. On a decisive goal, too.

This was definitely a night she wouldn’t forget.

Chapter 28

Sabrina

Jamie’s drive had led to Euli’s goal, which tied up the game. Two minutes remained on the clock, and I could see my own thought in all my teammates’ eyes:

Forget overtime. Let’s win this in regulation.

I agreed. Especially since Calgary was dangerous in OT—of their twelve regular season games to go into overtime, they’d lost two. In the postseason, they were 3-0 after regulation.

Yeah, forget overtime. We’re winning thisnow.

My line was gassed, so we went to the bench. The second line went out, and right about the time the announcer called out that there was one minute left to play, Coach sent my line back onto the ice.

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