Page 1 of Neo

prologue

Valencia City University Valencia Suns Locker Room Freshman Draft Class

Two Years Ago

Neo

“I wantyou to look to the left and the right of you. Each and every one of you was hand selected to become a Valencia Sun by the coaches on my staff, not because you were the top players from your high school, but because we saw something else in you.

There’s some very special people in this room.

The man next to you is your teammate, your brother. The expectations I have of you, that you should have of yourselves, are high.

“I expect grit.”

“I expect greatness.”

“I expect that every time you get out on the ice, you give everything you’ve got. More than you did in high school. More than you ever have before.”

“There should be zero distractions, and I think you know what I mean by distractions. Nothing should come between you and the ice. No partying. No girls. Nothing but ice.”

“If you do this, if you’re committed to the grind of becoming a VCU Sun, then we will win.”

“We will win a lot.”

“And winning is part of this hockey program’s DNA.”

“If you’re ready to win, I’ll see you on the ice tomorrow morning at 8am. If you’re not up for it, I will have Coach Mike help you with your university transfer paperwork.”

When Coach Dixon leaves the room, the room is eerily silent. While most of us have played hockey at a high level in high school, there’s something about the no nonsense way that Coach spoke just now that has most of us shook to our cores.

The man is a legend and commands respect from hockey players across the country. Once upon a time, VCU was a university that nobody ever heard of. Now it’s known for having one of the most successful ice hockey programs in the country.

I come from a family that lives, eats and breathes hockey. It’s in our blood. My older brother Jake and I learned to skate before we could even talk. Trained by our father, who was obsessed with the game.

Jake was the prodigy.

I was not.

But Coach Dixon saw something in me when he came to scout me in high school. Something all the other scouts didn’t see or care to see.

My drive.

He told me I’d have to work my ass off twice as hard to keep my place on his team and I will. I know that if I make my mark during my time here, I’ll have a variety of pro NHL offers to choose from, which is the dream of any player who loves the ice.

So I’ll do this for Jake and his dream deferred.

I’ll do it for Coach, the man who took a chance on me.

And more importantly, I’ll do it for myself. Because it’s all I’ve ever wanted.

And everything that I am.

violet

Christmas Eve

The soft blueglow of twinkling lights draped around our small but mighty Christmas tree illuminates the room. Large snowflakes dance in the chilly night air, gently touching the window panes, painting a perfect Christmas picture.

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