Lines Three scored and the buzzer sounded, ending the first period.
While Scott sucked on a slice of orange Skinny, sitting beside him, said softly, “Scott, Del ever tell you who really wanted
you to play with us?”
Scott frowned. “Wasn’t it you?”
“No. It was Del. He’d seen you skate and thought you were the best he’d ever seen.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Ask him,” said Skinny.
Scott stared at Skinny a long minute. “I guess I’ve really disappointed him,” he said. “No wonder he acted like he did.”
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and saw that it was Del. Del smiled as he tossed a sucked-out slice of orange
into a rubbish can and wiped his mouth. “Not anymore,” he said, smiling.
“You sure?”
Del’s smile spread. “Look, I think I’velearned to keep my mouth shut when I’m supposed to. Oh, by the way, Skinny and I decided we want you with us again.”
“As an Icekateer?”
“Of course!”
“Come on, boys!” interrupted Coach Roberts. “On the ice. Hustle!”
Lines One created a lot of action on the rink, but that was all. Lines Two continued the action, with one difference: Slim
Jason scored to put the Bullets one point behind the Golden Bears, 5 to 4.
Fat McCay fouled twice for Line Three, keeping him out most of the three minutes and giving the Bullets an opportunity to
score twice, going ahead of the Bears, 6 to 5.
“Our last time around,” Scott said to Del as Lines One shot the puck all over the rink for three minutes without getting a
good shot at the net. The buzzer sounded and Lines Two took over.
“And this is our last chance,” said Del. “How do you feel, Scott?”
“Fine.”
“Good. Let’s knock in a few.”
The face-off. The dropped puck. The fight for it. The clatter of sticks. And then Slim Jason had the puck, dribbling it down
center ice, ice chips flying from his skates as he sped. He was stickhandling the puck with one hand, zigzagging the disk
with speed and the greatest of ease.
Skinny tried to steal the puck away from Slim’s right side, Del tried to poke-check it from his left. Both Bears were good
hockey players, but Slim was better. He was fast, graceful, confident.
And then Scott, covering his zone close to the front and right side of the rink, saw it coming. Slim’s stick was rising. He
was going to shoot.
Just as his stick hit the puck Scott sprintedin front of the goal, directly in line of it’s path.
Fear gripped him as he saw it coming at him. But he didn’t panic. He didn’t shut his eyes. He didn’t duck.
Instead, he lifted his hand, stopped the puck, dropped it, then sent it spinning across the ice toward Del. Hockey sticks
thundered against the sideboards on the Golden Bears’ side.
“Beautiful stop, Scott!”
Scott skated up the ice after the puck. There was a scramble for it, then several shots for the goal. None went in. Moments
later the buzzer sounded, and the lines left the ice, replaced by Lines Three.
There was little said on the bench as Lines Three battled for three minutes without scoring. The game ended in the Bullets’
favor, 6 to 5.
“No disgrace to lose,” said Coach Robertsin the locker room. “You all played an excellent game. Forget this one. There’s a new game next week.”
“Think you’re over being puck shy?” Skinny asked Scott.
“I got a little scared that last time,” admitted Scott.
Del looked at him, smiled. “It takes a lot of guts to admit that,” he said.
Scott shrugged and put on his shoes. He swung his skates over his shoulder, stood up, and started for the door.
A shout from Del exploded behind him. “Hey, wait for us! We’re the Three Iceka-teers! Remember?”
He smiled as Del and Skinny came up beside him, and together they walked out of the building.
Matt Christopher ®
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Muhammad Ali
Mario Lemieux
Lance Armstrong
Mark McGwire
Kobe Bryant
Yao Ming
Jennifer Capriati
Shaquille O’Neal
Dale
While Scott sucked on a slice of orange Skinny, sitting beside him, said softly, “Scott, Del ever tell you who really wanted
you to play with us?”
Scott frowned. “Wasn’t it you?”
“No. It was Del. He’d seen you skate and thought you were the best he’d ever seen.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Ask him,” said Skinny.
Scott stared at Skinny a long minute. “I guess I’ve really disappointed him,” he said. “No wonder he acted like he did.”
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and saw that it was Del. Del smiled as he tossed a sucked-out slice of orange
into a rubbish can and wiped his mouth. “Not anymore,” he said, smiling.
“You sure?”
Del’s smile spread. “Look, I think I’velearned to keep my mouth shut when I’m supposed to. Oh, by the way, Skinny and I decided we want you with us again.”
“As an Icekateer?”
“Of course!”
“Come on, boys!” interrupted Coach Roberts. “On the ice. Hustle!”
Lines One created a lot of action on the rink, but that was all. Lines Two continued the action, with one difference: Slim
Jason scored to put the Bullets one point behind the Golden Bears, 5 to 4.
Fat McCay fouled twice for Line Three, keeping him out most of the three minutes and giving the Bullets an opportunity to
score twice, going ahead of the Bears, 6 to 5.
“Our last time around,” Scott said to Del as Lines One shot the puck all over the rink for three minutes without getting a
good shot at the net. The buzzer sounded and Lines Two took over.
“And this is our last chance,” said Del. “How do you feel, Scott?”
“Fine.”
“Good. Let’s knock in a few.”
The face-off. The dropped puck. The fight for it. The clatter of sticks. And then Slim Jason had the puck, dribbling it down
center ice, ice chips flying from his skates as he sped. He was stickhandling the puck with one hand, zigzagging the disk
with speed and the greatest of ease.
Skinny tried to steal the puck away from Slim’s right side, Del tried to poke-check it from his left. Both Bears were good
hockey players, but Slim was better. He was fast, graceful, confident.
And then Scott, covering his zone close to the front and right side of the rink, saw it coming. Slim’s stick was rising. He
was going to shoot.
Just as his stick hit the puck Scott sprintedin front of the goal, directly in line of it’s path.
Fear gripped him as he saw it coming at him. But he didn’t panic. He didn’t shut his eyes. He didn’t duck.
Instead, he lifted his hand, stopped the puck, dropped it, then sent it spinning across the ice toward Del. Hockey sticks
thundered against the sideboards on the Golden Bears’ side.
“Beautiful stop, Scott!”
Scott skated up the ice after the puck. There was a scramble for it, then several shots for the goal. None went in. Moments
later the buzzer sounded, and the lines left the ice, replaced by Lines Three.
There was little said on the bench as Lines Three battled for three minutes without scoring. The game ended in the Bullets’
favor, 6 to 5.
“No disgrace to lose,” said Coach Robertsin the locker room. “You all played an excellent game. Forget this one. There’s a new game next week.”
“Think you’re over being puck shy?” Skinny asked Scott.
“I got a little scared that last time,” admitted Scott.
Del looked at him, smiled. “It takes a lot of guts to admit that,” he said.
Scott shrugged and put on his shoes. He swung his skates over his shoulder, stood up, and started for the door.
A shout from Del exploded behind him. “Hey, wait for us! We’re the Three Iceka-teers! Remember?”
He smiled as Del and Skinny came up beside him, and together they walked out of the building.
Matt Christopher ®
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Muhammad Ali
Mario Lemieux
Lance Armstrong
Mark McGwire
Kobe Bryant
Yao Ming
Jennifer Capriati
Shaquille O’Neal
Dale
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