Page 61 of Breakaway Heart
The players came back out to thunder in the air,drowning out the announcer and the music spilling from the PA. The change on the ice was visible. The Wranglers looked rattled, while our team looked determined and ready for the fight.
Two minutes in and Hayden swept onto a pass from Randy and rifled a bullet into the top corner from just inside the blue line. There was a split second as we all inhaled, and then an explosion of release in the crowd.
As they pushed harder to tie the game, more chances kept coming for the Wranglers, but Janek was a wall in between the pipes. Even up in the stands, you could hear him roaring after each save, and Kensy roared with him.
The game didn’t let up in intensity, but the players were clearly feeling the tiredness, and small mistakes were creeping in. It would have been thrilling to watch if it hadn’t been so nerve-racking.
After a Wranglers attack broke down, Randy glided over the blue line, squaring the puck to the onrushing Solly Ricek, who smashed a slap shot at the goal. Karlsson beat it away with his pads, but only back in the direction of Randy, who faked it once, then twice, then slipped the puck into the corner to tie the game with six minutes left to play.
I was on my feet, we all were, the swell of sound seeming like it would shake down the arena. Below us, I saw Frank, furiously waving his hands toward Randy in delight.
The momentum felt all one way now, Wranglers seeming a pace behind the Ice-Hawks to every puck. Easton made a cheap, missed bodycheck on Randy, but somehow still came out of it with the puck on his stick. Just as he threatened to drive forward, Randy stuck his stick into his skates.
“Randall Jackson… Two minutes… Tripping… Penalty timed at fifty-seven and forty-four seconds…”
There was a collective groan at the announcement. Randy shook his head angrily as he headed back into the box, Easton skating alongside him, telling him exactly what he thought.
Dan Janek was having the third period of his life, though. Even shorthanded, they couldn’t break down the wall he put up in the Ice Hawks’ goal. I looked at Randy sitting and watching, panting and frustrated in the penalty box, wishing he were out there.
As the last seconds ticked agonisingly by, Janek pushed away another shot, just at the same time as Randy burst out of the box. The Wranglers had all pushed up over the blue line as they looked for a power play breakthrough, and Randy found himself completely open on the wing as he returned to the ice. The crowd roared as they saw the opportunity. Ricek quickly hustled for the puck and then played Randy through, sending him over the center line. Two defencemen were hot on his heels, forcing Randy wide and closing the angle as he pulled back his stick to take the shot, and then there was a moment of confusion.
Our eyes all followed the shot where we expected the puck to be, desperate to see if it had rippled in the net, but there was nothing there except air.
Instead, Randy had let his stick rush over the rubber, his back skate then neatly playing the puck sideways, tricking us all, including Karlsson in the net. We looked back at the ice to see the puck drifting slowly across the face of the goal, with the unmarked Hudson rushing in.
There was a split second where the stadium collectively held our breath, and then there was only bedlam in the stands. Cups of beer flew into the air, raining down on us as we jumped and screamed at each other.
Back down on the ice, another scuffle broke out,delaying the restart. We all remained on our feet, needing only the assurance of the final buzzer to confirm it. Hayden won the face-off, and the last five seconds began to tick down.
“Ice Hawks WIN!”The announcer bellowed.
The jubilation on and off the ice was electric. My throat was sore, my bare feet were aching, my dress was soaked in beer, but my heart was pounding as Randy and the Ice-Hawks celebrated wildly below us.
26
THE WOBBLE
Beneath us, a short carpet was rolled out onto the ice, and a suited TV presenter came out onto the ice with a microphone, as the announcer bellowed out the three stars of the game.
“Tonight’s third star… Ice Hawks’ match-winner, Jake Hudson!”
“Tonight’s second star… Ice Hawks’ wall between the pipes, Dan Janek”
“Tonight’s first star… With a goal and two assists, give it up for our own Randall Jackson!”
The cheers rang out as Randy skated out, lifting his stick to the crowd, acknowledging the applause, then stopping by the presenter on the carpet.
“Randy, what a game!”
On the jumbotron, Randy’s face appeared, puffing out his cheeks and nodding in agreement.
“They talked about revenge tonight, would you say that was the case out there?”
“Revenge? No. Look, they played a good game. I’m sorry for them and their supporters, they’re a good team, theyplayed a hard game, and they’ll have their good moments to come.”
The announcer looked disappointed.
“Yeah, look. I know you’re hoping I’ll say something to write a headline about. But today, I’m just thankful. I’ve not always been the best person, but recently someone came into my life and showed me I can be something more. I owe it to her to be better than that.
